Who is a sadist - signs in women, men and children, causes of sadism, differences from a masochist

Modern media do not hesitate to publicize cases of bullying by some people over others, so almost all people understand who a sadist is. However, the reasons for this phenomenon are deeper than it might seem at first glance. To protect yourself and your loved ones from manifestations of sadism, it is important to know the essence and motives of such behavior and to be able to behave with aggressors.

Sadist - who is it?

In psychology and psychiatry there is a specific definition of what a sadist means. This is the name given to a person who is prone to violence and enjoys causing moral or physical harm to other people. He strives for complete dominance and power over his victim, gradually suppressing her will.

The term was first used by the German psychologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing at the end of the 19th century. It is believed that the definition comes from the name of the French writer, philosopher, and politician Marquis de Sade, who was famous for his cruel inclinations in sexual games. He described all his ideas and experiences in his books, which became popular and perfectly illustrate the concept of who a sadist is.

Psychology of sadistic behavior

The term sadism was introduced by the founder of sexology, German psychiatrist Richard Krafft-Ebing at the end of the 19th century. The term originally described exclusively sexual pleasure obtained through the infliction of pain and suffering on others. Over time, the term has been expanded to include non-sexual pleasure derived from sadistic acts. According to Sigmund Freud, sadism includes two separate disorders: sexual sadism and general sadistic behavior. More recent research has confirmed this distinction, indicating that sexual sadists do not typically engage in non-sexual sadistic behavior with their partners or others.

What is sadism?

Non-sexual sadism involves obtaining pleasure from other people or living beings experiencing negative emotions, suffering, pain or being in a helpless state, or gaining control or dominance over others through violence, humiliation, or harm. Sadists themselves may commit actions that lead to the emergence of such states in victims or seek the opportunity to contemplate such scenes (for example, scenes of violence in videos).

Often sadists choose professional activities associated with the possibility of legalized moral or physical violence against other living beings: military personnel, police officers, employees of prisons and other places of deprivation of liberty, officials, controllers, inspectors, managers, doctors (often surgical specialists), workers in meat processing plants and farms, fur farms, professional Internet trolls.

Individuals with sadistic tendencies are prone to repeated aggression and violent behavior. Sadism may also include emotional abuse, purposeful manipulation of others through fear (in a couple, family, organized group, state), and a morbid fixation on the need for violence and cruelty in treating other people or living beings. The main motive of sadists is the pursuit of pleasure, control or satisfaction. Sadism is a characteristic feature of political and everyday dictators.

What is the difference between sexual sadism?

Individuals diagnosed with sexual sadism experience sexual arousal when their actions cause suffering to a person who is experiencing physical and/or emotional pain, humiliation, or witness such suffering or fantasize about it.

Is sadism a mental illness?

Sexual sadism in both DSM-III-R and DSM-IV is considered a paraphilia - a sexual deviation (deviation). It is characterized by a person experiencing repeated, intense sexually arousing fantasies or urges, or engaging in behavior that causes psychological or physical distress to others.

Nonsexual sadistic personality disorder was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) under “Proposed Diagnostic Categories.” Further research is required." The DSM-III-R defined sadistic personality disorder as a persistent pattern of cruel, humiliating, and aggressive behavior toward other people that is directed at more than one person and does not serve the sole purpose of sexual gratification.

Diagnostic criteria for sadistic personality disorder

A. A persistent pattern of violent, demeaning, and aggressive behavior beginning in early adulthood, as indicated by repeated occurrences of at least 4 of the following:

(1) physical cruelty or violence for the purpose of establishing a dominant position in interpersonal relationships (and not simply to achieve some one-time goal, such as violence for the purpose of robbing him)

(2) humiliation of people in the presence of others

(3) unusually or inappropriately ill-treating or punishing someone under his or her control (such as a child, student, prisoner, or patient)

(4) mocking or enjoying the psychological or physical suffering of others (including animals)

(5) lying for the purpose of causing harm or pain to others (rather than simply achieving some other goal)

(6) forcing others to do what he wants by intimidating them (with threats or violence)

(7) restricting the autonomy of people in intimate relationships (for example, not allowing a spouse to leave the house unaccompanied or not allowing a teenage daughter to attend social events)

(8) passion for violence, weapons, martial arts, torture.

B. The behavior in A was not directed at only one person (eg, spouse, one child) and was not intended to obtain sexual arousal or gratification (as in sexual sadism).

Later versions of the DSM (DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR, and DSM-5) dropped this disorder. The reason for excluding sadism from the list of mental disorders was due to legal issues: persons with sadistic tendencies (most often men) who exhibit physical violence, thanks to the diagnosis of “Sadistic Personality Disorder,” were able to legally justify cruel behavior and violence. In practice, personality disorder usually provides only a partial explanation and not a justification for criminal behavior.

Also, doctors have encountered certain difficulties in the differential diagnosis of sadistic personality disorder and other forms of personality disorder due to the high level of comorbidity of these disorders. It has been found that sadistic personality disorder often co-occurs with other personality disorders, such as antisocial, passive-aggressive, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive and borderline personality disorders, and alcoholism. Often sadism is a continuation of the Dark Triad of personality and forms the Dark Tetrad.

What types of sadism are there?

American psychologist Theodore Millon identified four main types of sadism, which he called violent sadism, explosive sadism, spineless sadism and tyrannical sadism.

Subtype	Description	Character traits
Spineless sadism	Includes features of avoidant personality disorder	Generally untrustworthy, false and cowardly, toxically dominant, cruel, afraid of resistance, weak, needing group support for self-esteem, publicly swaggering. He chooses unrequited “scapegoats” as victims.
Tyrannical sadism	Includes features of passive-aggressive personality disorder	Relishes threats, violence and mistreatment of others, forcing them to fear and obey, verbally harsh and caustic, accusing and destructive, deliberately sullen, insulting, humiliating, inhumane, unmerciful.
Coercive sadism	Includes features of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder	Hostile, hiding behind “public interests” or “interests of the state” - most often police officers, “powerful” bosses, deans, judges who have the “right” to be ruthless, merciless, rude and barbaric. The main task is to control and punish, identify rule violators and punish them.
Explosive sadism	Includes features of borderline personality disorder	Unpredictably sharp outbursts of aggression and anger, uncontrollable rage and attacks of violence, a feeling of constant humiliation, which is alleviated by attacks of violence. The outburst is followed by a period of repentance. Then the cycle repeats.

Psychological characteristics of sadists

Sadists have poor behavioral control, manifested in short temper, irritability, low tolerance for frustration, and a controlling nature. From an interpersonal perspective, they are harsh, hostile, manipulative, lacking empathy, heartless and rude towards those they consider their subordinates or dependents. Sadists can be distinguished by narcissism and Machiavellianism (together with personality disorders, these traits form the so-called Dark Triad). Their cognitive functions are rigid. They are interested in weapons, war, crime and law enforcement, crimes and criminals. It is traditionally believed that sadists strive for a social position that allows them to exercise their need for control over others by humiliating and punishing people. For this reason, sadism is more common among people who work in law enforcement, courts, correctional institutions, the military, and government. Moreover, most sadists are men.

Reasons for the development of sadism

The most common causes of sadistic traits are a lack of close and warm relationships with parents in childhood (low attachment), suboptimal parenting in childhood (i.e., low warmth and high control from parents), and childhood trauma (for example, sexual) - both in the form of physical and emotional abuse. Sadism may be one of the consequences of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Sadism is a pathological form of coping - the desire to turn from a victim of violence into a rapist - that is, to master the situation, to take control of it.

Profiles of probable sadists according to MMPI (SMIL, MMIL, SKLO, MLO)

Profile code	Profile description
42	Passive-aggressive type: angry, protesting, disdainful of boundaries, impulsive, unpredictable
24	Distress, guilt, impulsivity, cycles of wine - alcohol - violence - guilt. One of the most negative forecasts.
26 / 62	Sad-angry type: feels like a victim and, therefore, feels anger towards others, is critical, bilious
45 / 54	Pedophiles and rapists with short-term outbursts of anger who deny social values
46 / 64	Antisocial type or passive-aggressive personality: gloomy, depressed-hostile, outbursts of anger and aggression
48 / 84	Angry antisocial type: difficult to control behavior, unlimited anger and violence, alcoholism, drugs, prostitution, sexual deviations (active homosexuality, pedophilia), risks of suicide
49 / 94	Antisocial type: disregard for norms, hyperactive, impulsive, immature, manipulative, confrontational, pugnacious, prone to alcoholism, sexual violence
824, 86	Aloof paranoid: immature, aloof, suspicious, extremely prone to physical violence, binge alcoholic.
469	Asocial and antisocial behavior, alcoholism, drug addiction.

How common is non-sexual sadism?

Among outpatients of mental health specialists, 3-4% meet the criteria for sadistic personality disorder, among adult inpatients of psychiatric departments - 18% (adolescents - 14%), among convicted sex offenders - about 30%, and among serial killers 90% . Female sadists in criminological or psychiatric samples are on average 3 times less common than males. Among combat veterans, sadism occurs at a rate of 8% and is usually comorbid with depression and alcoholism.

Psychodiagnostics of sadism

It is not always possible to reliably determine sadistic tendencies during psychological testing and conversation: people, as a rule, carefully hide their negative traits. Although, as stated above, certain types of personality profiles on the MMPI may indicate probable sadistic tendencies. Sadistic tendencies are also negatively associated with the agreeableness and conscientiousness factors of the five-factor questionnaire (Big Five: NEO-PI, NEO-PI-R, NEO-PI-3). Sadists generally have a better understanding of pain, and can better judge its severity, compared to non-sadists.

Modern neuropsychological methods can serve as an objective diagnostic method: functional MRI, eye tracking, pupilometry, measurement of the latent period of reaction, approach/removal reactions. For example, when presented during a study with audio-visual stimuli containing the pain and suffering of other people, sadists, compared to non-sadists, will demonstrate increased responses in areas of the brain associated with sexual arousal (amygdala, hypothalamus, striatum) and affective pain processing (anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula). It is possible to use a pictorial Stroop test containing stimuli associated with violence, pain and humiliation, for which the largest average systematic error will be observed.

Screening for sadistic tendencies

For self-assessment or screening studies, you can use the short questionnaire ASP (the Assessment of Sadistic Personality) [R. Plouffe, D. Saklofske, M. Smith. The Assessment of Sadistic Personality: Preliminary psychometric evidence for a new measure / Personality and Individual Differences.- 2022, vol. 104, - pp. 166-171.] Answers are given on a 5-point scale, where 1 is completely false, 5 is completely true. The response to statement #9 is scored on a reverse scale.

1. I made fun of people so that they knew that everything was in my hands.
2. I never miss an opportunity to push someone.
3. I would hurt someone if it meant I was in control of the situation.
4. When I bully someone, it's funny to see how upset they get.
5. Being mean to others can be fun.
6. I enjoy making fun of people in front of their friends.
7. It turns me on to watch people get into fights.
8. I think about hurting people who annoy me.
9. I wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone even if I didn't like them.

Is sadism curable?

Although sadists rarely voluntarily seek help from psychiatrists, there are evidence-based interventions to correct sadistic attitudes using both psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches. Psychotherapeutic treatment approaches include both cognitive-behavioral (eg, cognitive restructuring and empathy training) and behavioral techniques (eg, aversion therapy and systematic desensitization), while pharmacological treatment approaches include the use of antidepressants to reduce impulsivity and antiandrogens to reduce sexual intercourse. attractions.

Andrey Demkin

Signs of a sadist

Even a person far from psychology intuitively understands how to recognize a sadist. Clear signs of aggressive and violent activity include:

1. Psychological pressure
   . Aggressors are constantly trying to humiliate and suppress the will of their victim, touch her to the quick, insult her, ruin her mood, and so on. A moral sadist constantly seeks to destroy the plans and hopes of his victim, play on her feelings and create “nervous shocks.” A distinctive feature of such people is pronounced vindictiveness.
2. Sexual violence
   . A person regularly seeks to persuade a partner to have intimacy without his desire. Uses forms of behavior that are unacceptable and unacceptable to others in bed, causing physical and mental pain to the victim.
3. Physical bullying
   and bodily harm to another living being for the purpose of one’s own satisfaction and self-affirmation, a feeling of one’s own limitless power.

Women are sadists

Psychologists say that in the absence of severe psychiatric diagnoses, people are not initially prone to sadism. This behavior is formed due to the influence of external factors. The female psyche is more resistant to external influences due to protective emotional mechanisms, which is why there are still significantly fewer cruel and aggressive representatives of beauty than men. In addition, female sadism is more likely to manifest itself in a psychological form. Such ladies strive to express their inclinations secretly or as legitimately as possible, choosing weaker victims.

There are many examples of who such a sadist is among women:

1. A boss who tortures her subordinates with impossible tasks, humiliates, intimidates, and so on.
2. In hospitals, sadistic nurses secretly kill the sick and infirm, explaining this to themselves as saving them from suffering.
3. A woman mocks her children, considering them to be the cause of her troubles, her appearance and the departure of her loved one.

Sadistic man

The structure of the male psyche is such that representatives of the stronger sex are more prone to displaying sadistic tendencies. Often you can find out from news headlines that a sadistic guy abused his girlfriend or wife, who endured all this for many years. Forms of male sadism are more diverse:

1. Men are stronger by nature than women, so they often use brute force against the weaker: wives, children.
2. Moral sadists act more sophisticatedly, torturing their victims for a long time. Such people do not always use shouting, swearing and scandals. They can psychologically suppress the victim with devaluation and humiliation, after which they will repent and ask for forgiveness before the next act of aggression.
3. Sexual sadists who are used to dominating intimate life and causing pain to their partner, both physical and psychological.

Children are sadists

Much less often, signs of sadism can be found in a child. However, there are also such babies. More often these are people with severe psychiatric diagnoses or those who have experienced trauma and violence at an early age. Childhood sadism can include:

1. Animal abuse.
2. Hysterics and denial of parents’ requests, the desire to do everything “out of spite” at home.
3. Bullying and ridicule of peers.
4. During adolescence, this behavior can develop into criminal activity.

What are the features of sadomachism?

The term “sadomasochism” was proposed in 1913 by a follower of Freud, a psychoanalyst from Austria, Isidor Sadger. The latter developed and gave a name to Freud's teaching about the desire to inflict pain on others or experience pain oneself as a way of sexual satisfaction based on relationships of dominance or submission. As I have already said, in psychoanalysis sadism and masochism are considered as a single mental phenomenon, and masochism is considered autosadism, i.e. self-directed sadism.

It should be said that there is still no consensus on the classification of sadomasochism. Such a diagnosis was included in ICD-10, but already during the eleventh revision in 2022 it disappeared again and now, starting in 2022, the diagnosis of sadomasochism is not officially recognized in ICD-11. As for the phenomenon itself, regardless of recognition or non-recognition in the ICD, it occurs, and it is considered the most common deviation of sexual behavior and this must be taken into account when conducting therapy. The foundations of sadomasochism are laid in early childhood, when the sadomasochistic inclinations of one or both parents are perceived by the child as a behavioral stereotype. By the way, many experts consider sadomasochism to be a phenomenon inherent in any person; the whole point is in its severity and influence on social adaptation and the formation of family relationships. If in a couple the sadism of one partner satisfies the masochistic needs of the other and is under control, then this even helps to establish closer psychological contact. Sadism in love ecstasy merges with its antipode and turns into sadomasochism. In this case, partners can change roles. But quite often sadomasochism takes on such a form that it becomes dominant in all areas of relationships and has negative consequences not only for partners, but also for society. The sophistications of sadomasochists sometimes resemble torture in the dungeons of the Gestapo. Destructive manifestations of sadomasochism in this case are manifested by antisocial behavior, violent sexual acts up to the death of the victim, cruelty to children, torment, torture and killing of animals. In conclusion, I would like to say that the modern ideas of some researchers of cruelty, sadism, hatred, malice and egocentrism received their hypothetical justification in the form of the concept of the dark core of the individual’s psyche, the so-called D-factor. When the “dark” core in the human psyche grows to incredible sizes, it maximizes all negative and bad aspirations, including sadism. By the way, almost all the elements of the black triad are present in sadism: • Narcissism, as extreme egocentrism. • Machiavellianism, as the belief that the end justifies the means. • Psychopathy – a complete lack of empathy (sympathy and compassion).

The D-factor is defined as the tendency to achieve one's own benefit at any cost, ignoring the needs of others and not paying attention to moral concepts and social attitudes. The dominant tendency is to place one’s interests, desires and needs higher than those of other people. At the same time, gradually the very process of creating inconvenience, humiliation and violence begins to bring pleasure. That is why sadism, as a special type of human-human connection based on dominance, requires early diagnosis and timely treatment in order to prevent its development into a socially dangerous and destructive form for the individual. If you discover signs of sadism or masochism in yourself or your loved ones, immediately contact a specialist, otherwise the consequences may be the most unpredictable and extremely undesirable.

Causes of sadism

The reasons for cruel and aggressive behavior can be varied:

1. The most obvious are certain psychiatric disorders that lead to antisocial behavior.
2. Often, sadistic parents are cruel to their children, using physical, psychological or even sexual violence.
3. Deep childhood traumas associated with events witnessed or the activities of relatives of the aggressors.
4. A moral sadist may derive satisfaction from tormenting others because of his own phobias and fears. Thus, it increases the sense of self-worth. This may be the fear of being underappreciated or unloved in the family or society.
5. Features of temperament and psyche, due to which an individual suppresses existing aggression. Over time, it still manifests itself in perverted forms.
6. In sexology, the concept of what a sexual sadist is is often associated with unsuccessful early sexual experiences or uncontrolled viewing of pornographic films with elements of cruelty.

Distinctive character traits

The classic image of a sadist in the form of a bloodthirsty, aggressive and tough person is a rare phenomenon, which is not so difficult to recognize.
And there is only one way out - to run. Much more often, it is hidden moral sadists who are “represented” in society, showing their behavior and inclinations in a disguised form. Outwardly they are quite normal and easy to communicate with. Upon closer examination and communication, his predatory nature appears, disguised as a kind smile, or not hidden at all. How can one determine the psychological type of sadism?

This is indicated by the following signs and characteristic features of a sadist:

• regular reproaches and insults against the victim, unfounded criticism and coercion to certain actions;
• the victim herself is always subordinate to the decision of the sadist and this gives the latter confidence in his rightness;
• after communicating with a moral sadist, a feeling of humiliation, depression, tears and anxiety arises.

Important!

The main goal of every moral sadist is to humiliate and subjugate the victim, thus expressing his own dignity. With resistance from a stronger personality, the moral sadist will move into the status of a victim.

What is the difference between a sadist and a masochist?

The concept of sadism describes a person prone to violence against others. He experiences moral and sometimes physical pleasure from this. Another form of the disorder is considered masochism. The term implies a sophisticated form of psychological pleasure from inflicting suffering of various types on oneself. That is, the masochist’s aggression is directed towards himself. It could be:

1. Work until complete exhaustion.
2. Denial of your obvious needs for food, sleep, rest.
3. Pleasure from causing pain during sex and others.

The sadist and the victim, who may also be a masochist, are like sides of the same coin. One likes to inflict pain, and the other likes to feel it. Psychiatrists are confident that aggression directed at oneself can develop into an open form of sadism. Then the person loses touch with reality and does not understand the illegality of his actions, completely justifying them.

Is it possible to get rid of sexual sadism?

It is quite difficult to answer positively to this question. Therapy for sexual sadism is complex and is carried out in the following areas: • Identifying and overcoming the internal psychological conflict that causes the connection between aggression and sexual arousal. This is the scope of such methods of psychotherapy as psychoanalysis and cognitive behavioral therapy. Unfortunately, they are effective only in the early stages of the development of sadism and with the voluntary appeal of a patient who has a strong motivation for cure. • Medical relief of manifestations of sadism that can lead to serious consequences for others, often with the help of drugs that reduce sexual desire, block aggression, instability of behavior and attacks of anger. For this purpose, psychotropic drugs, antidepressants, sedatives and hormonal drugs that reduce testosterone production are prescribed. Only such a comprehensive and purely individual approach can lead to a positive result in the absence of concomitant mental disorders.

As for the prevention of sadism, it must begin from childhood. Love and respect, a calm and favorable psychological environment in the family will not allow the child to develop self-doubt and anxiety. It is important not to suppress aggression in a child, but to encourage its open manifestation, directing it in a different direction - not towards people, but into competitive sports. The desire to dominate and command can be realized in a more acceptable form - for example, practicing martial arts under the guidance of an experienced trainer who adheres to the basic principles of not using the acquired knowledge and skills for aggression and attack. The child will be interested in expressing himself in intellectual and military games and even in the most ordinary things - organizing house cleaning, caring for the local area, buying important things, planning the family budget. Do not suppress your child’s initiative, take into account his opinion, recognize the rationality of his proposals - in this way you will satisfy his desire for self-affirmation and will not allow an inferiority complex to form.

What do sadists feel during bullying?

Aggressors show cruelty for a specific purpose. For a sadist, emotions serve as a kind of nourishment, without which he can no longer exist. It could be:

1. A sense of self-worth and self-exaltation, a perverted thirst for power over those who are weaker. This compensates for the feeling of inferiority.
2. Satisfaction from the desire to take revenge for the pain caused in childhood to the objects of violence or their projections. This is how a person expresses his pain.
3. Sexual arousal and satisfaction from seeing other people suffer. In the future, such perversions lead to the inability to experience orgasm without tormenting the partner.

Types and symptoms of sadism

Today there are no uniform diagnostic criteria for sadism, and such a diagnosis does not officially exist either in the ICD-10 or in other classifications of diseases.

So, we can conditionally divide this phenomenon into two large groups:

• sexual or extreme sadism - a classic interpretation of sadism associated with inflicting pain and suffering in order to obtain sexual pleasure; causing pain.
• non-sexual - a phenomenon of sadism associated more with humiliation, pressure and the infliction of suffering as an end in itself, but without connection to sexual arousal.

Taking into account the objects of influence, we can identify an immense group of forms of sadism, but we will be interested only in “popular” forms of pathology:

• psychological sadism;
• necrocadism;
• Zoocadism.

How do sadists choose their victims?

A distinctive feature of sadism is the choice of a specific victim. A person with a sick psyche understands that he needs a permanent partner to vent his aggression. Such a person can be tormented for a long time and constantly, because with the loss of the victim, the aggressor also loses his sense of self-satisfaction. The victim is often a weak and insecure person. Such experienced sadists can easily be identified by the following signs:

1. Sight
   . He may be confused, intimidated or hunted, empty or sympathetic.
2. Posture
   . A stooped back, drooping shoulders and the absence of the so-called “inner core.”
3. Gestures
   . Potential victims gesticulate little, trying not to offend anyone or harm anything.
4. Cloth
   . People with low self-esteem, who often become victims of sadists, prefer to wear simple, discreet clothes that allow them to “get lost in the crowd.”

Is sadism not a disease? Psychology of sadism

Sadistic personality disorder is not included in international classifications of diseases because in the 1980s they wanted to ban its existence as a separate disease.

In most cases, the disorder was reported to overlap with other psychiatric diagnoses. Sadism often manifests itself in people who have other mental disorders.

How to deal with a sadist?

After people understand who an experienced sadist is, they strive to learn the basic rules of protection against various types of aggression. Psychologists suggest the following steps of action:

1. First, it is important to realize that the person next to you is an emotional sadist, for example.
2. It is best to stop any contact with the sadist. Not to see and not to hear him. Change your phone number and place of residence.
3. In difficult situations, it is worth contacting law enforcement agencies and crisis centers and psychological assistance. Sadistic tendencies do not respond well to psychocorrection, so you need to abandon all hopes of re-educating the sadist.
4. The aggressor “feeds” on the fear of the victim, therefore, if you cannot escape from him, then you should overcome your fear, not show confusion or resentment, but show determination in words and actions. Left without the necessary emotions, the torturer will go looking for another victim.

How to communicate with a sadist?

Scientists believe that sadism in psychology is equated to sexual disorders that are difficult to treat, so you can only communicate with a sadist not from the position of a victim. Such a person must understand in the first minutes (and they subtly feel this) that mocking this individual in various forms will not work. For this:

1. It is important to clearly establish the boundaries of communication, that negative words, gestures, actions and deeds are unacceptable.
2. Violation of boundaries entails inevitable punishment. This could be either stopping the dialogue or reporting to the police.
3. Limit communication with the person who has been identified as an aggressor as much as possible.

How to live with a sadist?

Many people, especially women, recognizing the traits of a sadist in their partner, refuse to stop communicating with him, citing various reasons. However, experts say that the psychology of a sadist is adamant. Having felt the “taste of blood” and his impunity at least once, such a person will go into a rage and intensify his bullying. The intensity will increase over time, so it is not possible to live with a sadist in the position of a victim. To get away from your tormentor, you can:

1. Enlist the support of parents, friends, acquaintances. Get protection from all manipulations and threats.
2. If there are no strong defenders among your friends, then you can contact law enforcement agencies.
3. Crisis centers also provide assistance to victims of violence, the telephone numbers of which can be found in any budgetary medical or educational institution at your place of residence or on the Internet.

FAQ

The following are answers to questions that people often encounter when discussing the topic of sadism.

How common is non-sexual sadism?

Enough. There is evidence that it is widespread and occurs as often as sexual sadism. Alas, such is the world. Now aggression and violence are almost a “gesture” of fashion, almost a tribute to it. It has already been shown that sadism is always bad. And although each of us is partly a sadist, people who are “passionate” and captured by corresponding behavior patterns often cross all acceptable and unacceptable boundaries. In their impulses and attacks, they cause harm, even physical, sometimes to innocent people. This explains the importance of fighting sadism in all its manifestations.

Who were the famous sadists?

There are many examples. Let's show a few:

• Daria Saltykova, Russian noblewoman. There are some historical sources that allow us to say that on his Moscow estate in the 18th century. she boiled peasants in boiling water;
• Ilsa Koch. She was nicknamed the "Witch of Buchenwald." She was one of the most cruel guards in one of the concentration camps that existed during Nazi Germany. There are rumors according to which Ilsa could, for no reason, choose one of the prisoners, publicly beat her, and then force her subordinates to remove the skin from the victim’s body;
• Andrey Chikatilo. The example is self-explanatory. And although many are inclined to consider Chikatilo primarily a maniac, psychologists agree that he was primarily a sadist, as indicated by the motives of his actions and the testimony obtained as part of the investigations.

How to recognize a sadist at first sight?

At first glance, this may sometimes be impossible. The fact is that sadists are often the same as all other people. They go to work, visit cafes and cinemas, and go on vacation. They may not show themselves in any way, but in rare moments they become ferocious, wild and aggressive. We recommend that you read the section of the article “Psychological characteristics of sadists.” There we showed the main characteristics that can be used to describe the behavior of sadists. Even potential ones. Knowing them, you can quickly make a clear decision whether a particular person has characteristic inclinations.

Is it true that sadists never change?

No, that's not true. This is not a rule. Contrary to what everyone around says about the impossibility of changing this or that person, with sadists everything is different. Among them there are those who are fully aware of the problems they have and want to cope with them and overcome them. Sometimes correcting a sadist is a very simple and trouble-free process. However, in some cases, special treatment may be required. You can find out how specialists most often fight sadists in the section of the article entitled “Treatment of Sadism.” In it we show that the diagnosis is not hopeless, which simply requires corrective measures appropriate to the case and its severity.

Is it worth forcing a sadist to undergo treatment?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Not everyone is ready and will change. Not everyone can see the reasons and problems in themselves. This can significantly complicate a particular situation. You can understand whether your intervention is worth the effort through a simple conversation or discussion. Try to let the person know that their behavior is not normal. It's good if he agrees. It’s good if he expresses a desire to change. In this case, there is no need to force him: just offer your support and go to a psychologist together. Otherwise, attempts to force can only worsen your relationship with the sadist. Start with a simple conversation. It will allow you to understand whether your attempts and efforts will make any sense.

How to stop being a sadist?

The situation is much more complicated when a person himself understands that he is showing aggressiveness and cruelty and strives to get rid of it. Accepting a problem is the first step towards healing it. Next, you should contact a competent psychotherapist who:

1. May prescribe medication. Often psychological sadism occurs due to an excess of certain hormones.
2. Prescribe psychotherapy sessions, which may include: hypnosis, auto-training, projective techniques and more.

How to deal with your anger?

Anger is a wonderful feeling with a lot of energy. But if anger develops into uncontrolled outbursts of aggression, this already begins to interfere. When stress and irritation accumulate to a critical level, an emotional outburst occurs - this is comparable to a boiling kettle whose lid breaks off. By throwing out our negativity, we jeopardize relationships, careers, friendships, and family happiness. In addition, the unspent energy of anger hits the internal organs with force. This most negatively affects the heart, blood vessels and liver.

Therefore, you need to understand what provokes aggression, recognize the cause and fight it. For those who want to learn to control their anger, 5 tips will be useful:

1. To quickly lose energy, you can walk quickly, run, scream, or tear a couple of sheets of paper. This will not solve the problems, but it will help protect the internal organs from adrenaline attack.
2. Anger is accompanied by muscle spasms. To remove it, just straighten or lower your shoulders, relax the cramped muscles of your jaw, forehead, fingers, and neck. Additionally, you can take a few slow breaths.
3. To relieve the peak intensity of emotions, you can describe your state without conclusions or assessments. For example, the text could be: “I feel pain that I can no longer tolerate. I feel like a powerless nothing. I'm furious. I’m literally choking with anger.” As a result of internal work, the brain becomes clearer and the ability to think soberly returns.
4. Change minus to plus. Anger and its energy are given by nature for a reason. Rage adds physical strength that can be used for its intended purpose. For example, redo the accumulated household chores, throw away unnecessary things, move furniture. In addition, a bad mood helps to evaluate problems from a different angle. When we are in a bad mood, we are more attentive, so we can better see subtle but important details.
5. Contact a psychotherapist. Unfortunately, it is more common for us to discuss problems with the first person we meet, rather than with a specialist. But in vain. Individual or group therapy will help identify the causes of anger and clarify your reactions. And also - to act out scenes from life in a safe environment under the supervision of a specialist.

Take a mental test

Sadistic zodiac signs

Astrologers tend to believe that the sadism gene is more often than others inherent in certain zodiac signs. These include:

1. Aries
   . This representative of the fire element is prone to emotional sadism. Aries men, more often than others, are “famous” for their total control over their other half, emotional pressure and eternal criticism.
2. Sagittarius
   . People born under this sign experience their other half with excessive attention to other members of the opposite sex. All claims on this matter may be met with attacks and mutual accusations.
3. Scorpion
   . This sign is considered one of the most “bloodthirsty”. Scorpios are able to experience satisfaction from causing both physical and moral suffering to others.

Famous sadists

In history, there are many confirmed examples of famous sadists, who were both men and women. Each of them was “famous” for physical abuse, but the psychological sadist is practically not found in history textbooks and criminology. Among the famous maniacs, everyone knows the names:

1. Elizabeth Bathory or "Bloody Countess". It is believed that this noble lady took baths from the blood of young virgins to preserve her own youth, and carried out many inhuman tortures.
2. Russian landowner Daria Saltykova, nicknamed Saltychikha. Her name went down in history after many cases of abuse of peasants.
3. Andrei Chikatilo is one of the most famous serial killers and maniacs in the Soviet Union.