Psychopathy vs. Antisocial Personality Disorder – How are They Different

Often, when people talk about psychopathy, they say that the person is struggling with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), which to some extent can be accurate but not ultimately.  They have overlapping symptoms, but both psychopathy and ASPD differ. This post will explain how they differ and why people confuse them.

Before Robert Hare gave a checklist of the signs of a psychopath, both terms were considered the same, but now things have changed. The anti-social personal disorder makes a person inconsiderate towards others, causing them to harm and violate the rights of others. While in psychopaths, no such traits are found. These people are emotionally detached.

Regardless of what they are, living with people who struggle with these personality disorders is not easy for both the patient and the loved one. Luckily, some individuals with proper care and medication can manage this mental health condition, but not all are lucky.

Therefore, to help your loved one, it is important to understand what psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder are, their signs, and how they can be cured.

What Is Psychopathy?

In psychopathy, emotions and empathy are always missing. The individuals who struggle with this mental health condition are unable to control impulses. Their ego is too big, they do not respect law or social order, and they are manipulative and violent. They do not think twice before manipulating a person for their gain.

Also, they feel guilt or remorse after hurting others. In some instances, due to their calculative and ruthless nature, they even succeed in careers like politics and business manipulation for personal gain and a lack of remorse or guilt.

But how does a person become a psychopath?

The reasons why a person has psychopath traits are not known. It is said that both genetic and environmental factors cause it.

Is it treatable? Again, the answer to this is neither a yes nor a no. The treatments of psychopathy are limited to managing behavior and making psychopaths learn emotional regulation.  However, if the family members, colleagues, and friends know they are dealing with a psychopath, they can intervene and minimize adverse outcomes.

What Is Antisocial Personality Disorder?

Unlike psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder is a mental illness. Individuals have no regard for others, are often involved in violent acts, break the rules and regulations, are aggressive and impulsive, and do not conform to social norms.

Also, there is a lack of empathy. They cannot build or keep relationships and are often attracted to or indulged in criminal activities. Moreover, these individuals do not show any sign of remorse or guilt for the activities they perform, for disrespecting societal norms, and for substance abuse.

These signs overlap with a psychopath, but the intensity with which they are shown is different. The only way they can be treated is through psychotherapy, which helps them learn how to interact with others. In extreme cases, medication is also given as it helps minimize and manage anger or depression seen in people with antisocial personality disorder.

Another vital thing to remember is that people without mental illness also get involved in criminal activities. The way we can know whether the person is struggling with the disorder or not is to do a psychological evaluation, as it will help distinguish between the different types of personality disorders.

The Difference Between Psychopathy and Antisocial Personality Disorder

In numerous regards, the signs of personality disorder and psychopath intermingle. However, individuals with ASPD show the following signs:

• They are ignorant of the welfare of others
• Have no interest in social norms and are often involved in activities that break the rules and regulations.
• Show a need for blame or lament
• Break the law
• Reckless behavior
• Control or mislead others
• Act rashly
• Keep up a swelled sense of self-importance

That said, the definition of antisocial personality disorder contrasts with the definition of psychopathy in fundamental ways. To begin with, a grown-up analyzed with a personality disorder must have a prior history of another mental well-being condition.

Also, the DSM doesn’t allow analyzing children for personality disorders. Only after the age of 18 can a professional run a diagnostic to identify if the person is struggling with personality disorder. Due to this, most of the time, the issue goes unnoticed, and as things and the environment begin to change, it takes a more severe form of schizophrenia.

Can Treatment Help Cope With Antisocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy?

Psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder can be treated with professional care. There are different therapies like Cognitive behavioral therapy,  and Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) that can help address the underlying causes of personality disorder allowing patients to develop healthier coping skills and function appropriately in the social sphere. Some benefits of therapies are:

• Enhanced self-worth and self-esteem
• Reduces impulsiveness and aggression
• Better communication and decision-making skills
• Elevated sense to look at themselves and the condition they are struggling with
• Good quality of life and better mental health

By addressing the fundamental causes of ASPD and psychopathy, professional treatment can assist people in leading more advantageous, more joyful lives. With the proper technique and direction, those influenced can learn to manage their indications and move forward in their social work.

Psychological treatments help differentiate between antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy, which can help those dealing with it. People can learn to oversee their symptoms and improve their quality of life with the proper direction.

Support Helps in Healing

All diseases and mental health issues, like psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder, can be treated with proper care, support, and professional help. The only thing we need to remember when dealing with mental health conditions is to understand why a person struggles with them and what can be done to help them.

Knowledge about something helps understand mental health issues and helps people struggling with them. We hope we can explain the difference between both terms, how they differ, and why you should know them.

Whereas ASPD is a personality disorder, psychopathy informally talks about psychopathic traits in a person. Both these disorders have some common traits. However, individuals with psychopaths show more severe behavioral characteristics compared to antisocial disorder. There is no treatment for both conditions. However, these conditions can be controlled with the help of medicines and psychotherapy techniques.

If you think that your child or someone you know is struggling with ASPD or psychopathy, talk to a mental health expert.