As I was cruising around the internet doing some research, I found this little tidbit that I thought might be good information for some. There are a few terms that seem to get thrown around to mean the same thing and they are not. There is a category of behaviors that falls under the DSM - IV grouping of personality disorders called Anti-social. Under this heading there are several different qualifications and I thought it might be helpful to understand the difference between a few of them. Word of Caution: You may be tempted to relate these sociopath characteristics to your unreasonable friends, family and folks. However, only an expert and learned individual can diagnose a person as a sociopath. Hence, refrain from jumping to conclusions.
Difference Between Sociopath and Psychopath
There are very few differentiations between sociopaths and psychopaths. There are many medical dictionaries that consider them synonymous. Both, sociopaths and psychopaths are involved in antisocial behavior that is related to extreme violence. Though psychiatrists group sociopaths and psychopaths together, criminologists have given some difference between sociopaths and psychopaths.
There are very few differentiations between sociopaths and psychopaths. There are many medical dictionaries that consider them synonymous. Both, sociopaths and psychopaths are involved in antisocial behavior that is related to extreme violence. Though psychiatrists group sociopaths and psychopaths together, criminologists have given some difference between sociopaths and psychopaths.
| Behavior of a Sociopath | Behavior of a Psychopath |
| Sociopaths are very disorganized people | Psychopaths are obsessively organized people |
| Sociopaths cannot maintain normal relationships with their family, friends and co-workers | Psychopaths tend to have normal relationships with the people around them and are even able to take care of old parents and get married. |
| Sociopaths are not able to maintain a steady employment or house. | Psychopaths are very successful career-wise . Their ability to organize makes them very likable and trustworthy among people. Psychopaths tend to understand the emotions of others, but they themselves do not feel any emotions. Thus, it is very easy for them to manipulate people with emotional games. |
| Sociopaths are found living at the periphery of the society. A study carried out with the homeless people of | Psychopaths are found living in large apartments and houses and cannot be distinguished from normal people. |
| Sociopaths are very erratic and unplanned with their acts of extreme violence. There inability to plan ahead and be organized, makes them leave trails of clues. This makes it very easy to identify and zero-in on them. | Psychopaths tend to plan for years before they carry out their act of violence. They plan every single detail of their crime and ensure that they remain undetected. This organized and detailed planning makes it very difficult to catch them. |
Sociopaths tend to see their victim as an instrument to be used for personal gains. They try to dominate others and humiliate their victims. They have no qualms lying and it becomes very difficult for them to be truthful. This, makes them believe falsely about their own greatness and powers. It is seen that they can easily pass a lie detector test. They have problems keeping friends, show cruelty towards people and even animals, etc. They have no problems when they play havoc in the lives of others and break their dreams. They do not feel guilty about their act, instead play the blame game and make others responsible for their acts committed. They tend to have promiscuity, involved in child sexual abuse, rape and indulge in sexual acting out of all types. They tend to change their image very often and their life story so convincingly that it helps them avoid prosecution.
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Truly scary stuff....I believe that I have had a few individuals who had many of the characteristics listed here walk through the doors of my office and they are definitely a force to be reckoned with. As human beings, we are used to dealing with a population who has self imposed boundaries. We innately trust that people will just not do certain things but when those boundaries disappear, it can be very frightening. It's similar to the trust that we have that our home is safe if we lock the doors, yet all it would take for a robber to get in would be to break a window. We live behind the illusion that no one will do that, yet someone who has no boundaries and no conscience would have no problem doing that kind of thing. For the most part, these types of individuals have no place in our society, yet 1% of the population is dealing with these kinds of disorders. Women who marry this type of individual spend their lives trying to figure out what is wrong and often pay a very high price for doing that.
For those who ask the question, "Can they be helped?" The answer is not often. There are people in our society who have dedicated their lives to helping individuals with these kinds of disorders, but the most common obstacle is that the disorder itself causes them to believe that they are OK and the rest of the world is out of order. They are superior and the rest of us are flawed....therefore they do not need help. There are a few who have recognized that they need help, and once that happens it is a long, tenuous journey to a manageable life.
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