Misanthrope, introvert, psychopath, social phobe - how to distinguish a sociopath from them?

Philanthropist and misanthrope, introvert and extrovert, psychopath and psychotic, sociophobe and sociopath... With the increased popularity of psychotherapy and psychological thrillers, a stream of specific terms has poured into society. They began to be used for business and not for business, diagnosing not only movie characters, but also the people around them, and even oneself.

Hannibal Lecter is a psychopath, Sherlock Holmes played by Benedict Cumberbatch is an impulsive sociopath, the upstairs neighbor is psychotic, the boss at work is a misanthrope. In fact, people understand little about the essence of these concepts and make such serious diagnoses unjustifiably. Today we are dealing with one of them in order to clearly understand what sociopathy is, who a sociopath is and whether such people can be in our environment.

Definitions

What is sociopathy

The scientific definition is as follows. This is a mental personality disorder characterized by a triad of main features - asociality, non-recognition of social norms and inability to attach and empathize. Often accompanied by impulsiveness and uncontrollable aggression. In psychotherapy and psychiatry, the following concepts are synonymous with sociopathy:

• antisocial psychopathy;
• antisocial personality disorder;
• heboid psychopathy;
• dissocial personality disorder;
• psychopathy;
• personality disorder of the emotionally incapacitated.

In ICD-11, this diagnosis is listed under code 6D11.2.

Who is a sociopath

A sociopath is a person who suffers from dissocial personality disorder, is clinically incapable of adapting to society, is characterized by deviant behavior, and lacks a critical perception of his words and actions. He is driven solely by his own interests and desires. Those around him are only a means to achieve them. He doesn’t feel any affection, sympathy, much less love for anyone.

According to the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), sociopath and psychopath are synonymous in psychotherapy. In simple terms, this is a person who does not perceive the rules of behavior in society due to mental inability to ordinary feelings.

Psychological portrait of a sociopath

A sociopath begins to exhibit traits of a personality disorder either from early childhood (inherited from parents), or during puberty (puberty serves as a catalyst), and much less often - already in adulthood. As a child, he is distinguished by an obstinate, harmful character and uncontrollable, deviant behavior. He doesn’t listen to anyone and is guided in his actions only by his own desires. At the same time, he can reveal extraordinary abilities in school, grasping everything on the fly. But he studies mediocrely, since he is not interested in grades. The most common pathology in childhood is animal abuse.

Growing up, a classic sociopath radically changes his behavior in public. Outwardly he seems to be a balanced and tactful person. His extraordinary mind allows him to make a career and achieve certain heights in life. No one can suspect him of being a mentally ill person. In fact, he uses many for his specific purposes. Those around him are the same things as a laptop or a microwave. This is a skillful, cunning manipulator. He will never communicate with those who are not interesting to him. Periodically, the illness spills out into terrible attacks of aggression when he fails to achieve something. He never sympathizes with anyone, often is not in any relationship, because he is not capable of love.

Often sociopathy leads to the fact that people, not recognizing either the rules of behavior established in society or the laws in force in the state, become murderers and maniacs. Given their remarkable intelligence, it is not surprising that solving such crimes can be incredibly difficult.

Understanding the concepts

What is the difference between a sociopath and...

• ...social phobia?

A sociophobe is afraid of society and tries to avoid people. A sociopath simply uses them for his own purposes, manipulates them.

• ...a psychopath?

No. According to DSM-5, these concepts have the same meaning.

• ...misanthrope?

The misanthrope hates people and society. A sociopath treats them indifferently - as if they were things.

• ...an introvert?

An introvert is reserved, focused on his inner world and loves solitude. He does not like noisy companies and avoids parties and public events. But not because he is afraid of people (like a social phobe) or hates them (like a misanthrope), but because he is more comfortable alone. He has a narrow circle of acquaintances (2-3 people) with whom he communicates openly and sincerely and loves them.

To explain in simple words, society is a frightening monster for a social phobe, a repulsive cesspool for a misanthrope, an uncomfortable bus for an introvert, and a thing, a means to an end, for a psychopath and sociopath.

Hannibal Lecter. He is the main character in The Silence of the Lambs, as well as Hannibal and Hannibal Rising. Perhaps one of the most famous sociopaths in the history of cinema. Initially, he appears before the audience as an educated, culturally and intellectually developed psychiatrist and surgeon. However, a little later his true inner world is revealed. He turns out to be a monstrous serial killer, and even a cannibal.

Introvert and social phobe

Introvert, social phobia... These concepts are often confused. But this is not entirely fair. There are several significant differences:

• An introvert is an innate temperament type. Such people prefer loneliness or a narrow circle of friends to large companies, which they enjoy. And social phobes often suffer from their situation.
• Social phobes avoid any contact with people.
• By temperamental type, a social phobe may well be an extrovert who wants to communicate with people, but is afraid.
• An introvert loves solitude and strives for it. And for a social phobe, this is something like a payment for peace of mind.
• Social phobes are fixated on public opinion, while introverts don’t care what others think about them.

Causes

The question of why people become sociopaths still remains open. There are only versions that have not been scientifically confirmed. Moreover, some of them are diametrically opposed. Today, experts name the following factors that have a good chance of being the cause of dissocial personality disorder:

• sociopathy is a hereditary disease;
• a consequence of a genetic mutation;
• education problems;
• psychotrauma associated with social adaptation;
• influence of the social environment;
• mental disorders: mental retardation, schizophrenia, psychosis;
• presence of traumatic brain injuries;
• organic personality disorder.

The most discussed question in scientific circles today is whether sociopathy is inherited.

According to studies and statistics, if parents are sociopaths, the likelihood that their child will suffer from the same disorder doubles. Therefore, there are all the prerequisites to study this factor in more detail. However, children often suffer from pathology, both father and mother have completely adequate behavior and pass all psychotherapeutic diagnostics without problems. Most experts adhere to an intermediate position: perhaps in this case several factors should be considered at once that could have a detrimental effect on the psyche and cause such a disorder.

Richard Kuklinski. And this is no longer a “cinematic” sociopath, but a very real one. Nickname - "Ice Man". A hitman who was accused of killing at least 100 innocent victims. The account was opened when he was only 13 years old. After his arrest, he willingly gave evidence to investigators, described everything in detail, helped psychiatrists with diagnoses, joked and created the impression of an absolutely adequate and sane person.

Differences

The difference between social phobia and sociopathy is very big and lies in character traits and humanity. People who are afraid of society are usually distinguished by responsibility, kindness, and responsiveness. Patients with dissocial disorder do not have empathy, compassion, affection, love, etc.

A sociophobe is not at all dangerous, but a sociopath can do a lot of trouble and harm loved ones, acquaintances, colleagues, friends - it’s unlikely that anything will stop him.

Social anxiety is treated with antidepressants and psychotherapeutic methods, while sociopathy requires more radical action. As for completely getting rid of these disorders, the question remains open: there is a risk of relapse here and there. In addition, if a social phobe would like to get rid of his fears, then a sociopath feels quite comfortable and is unlikely to want to change anything.

Signs

The ICD lists the following symptoms of sociopathy:

• discrepancy between personal beliefs (contemptuous, indifferent attitude towards people) and behavior (tactfulness, politeness, strained smile);
• abnormal behavior (outbursts of rage, aggression, grimaces, murders, mutilation of people and animals), which is chronic;
• the comprehensive nature of abnormal behavior, i.e. a sociopath does not make concessions for anyone: he can kill a loved one, hurt someone close to him, since he is completely devoid of empathy and incapable of affection;
• the disease begins in childhood, most often in adolescence, and does not disappear throughout life;
• one of the consequences of the disease is distress, since the patient does not always manage to achieve what he wants;
• a decrease in professional and social productivity (however, this symptom is increasingly criticized, since sociopaths often achieve high positions and career advancement).

According to the ICD, to confirm the diagnosis of sociopathy, the patient must have at least 3 of the above symptoms. There are also non-medical psychological signs by which you can identify a sociopath in your environment:

• callousness, indifference towards others (even the closest ones);
• irresponsibility, disregard for the rules of society and even laws;
• lack of relationships (friendship, love);
• loss of self-control when frustrated;
• outbursts of aggression when the goal turns out to be unattainable or when receiving a refusal;
• tendency to violence, inhumanity, brutality, cruelty;
• lack of guilt;
• the ability to explain any of your actions and blame others for mistakes, misdeeds, crimes;
• skillful manipulation;
• hypocrisy, a tendency to pathological lies, inventing pseudonyms for oneself.

However, remember that in everyday life it is easy to misidentify a sociopath. To be sure of such a serious diagnosis, you need long-term observation of a person, confidential conversations with him, and knowledge of the facts of his biography. So experts do not advise labeling your neighbor on the staircase or your boss at work as psychopaths.

Amy Elliott-Dunn. The main character of the detective thriller "Gone Girl". She was masterfully played by Rosamund Pike, who was nominated for an Oscar for this role. In the film, Amy stages her own kidnapping so that all the evidence points to her husband. When she makes a mistake and things start to go wrong, she stops at nothing, killing everyone who gets in her way. At the same time, society considers her an innocent victim.

Test “How socially phobic are you?”

Few people will agree that they feel somehow abnormal and wrong. Many resources on the Internet have a test “How much of a bitard and social phobe are you,” but can you trust the electronic mind in such complex issues? There are several signs that will help you recognize the problem. Answer these questions:

• Do you often feel anxious?
• Do you try to avoid situations in which you will be the center of attention or take on any responsibility?
• Does your nervous condition have any external manifestations (reddened face, tremors)?
• Do you feel like you don't fit in or are different from your peers?
• Have you ever experienced humiliating situations accompanied by ridicule as a child?
• Are there people in your close family who have difficulty communicating with other people?
• Are you shy in situations that other people perceive as normal?
• Do you often get depressed?
• Do you drink alcohol often?
• Does it happen that you cannot conduct a normal dialogue, even if the topic of conversation is directly related to your field of activity?
• Do you avoid communicating with people?
• Do you often give up your point of view to please others?

If you answered yes to most of the questions, then there is cause for concern. Try to pull yourself together and seek help from a psychologist.

Typology

Since the scientific community does not have a common view on the nature of sociopathy, there are several classifications. For example, American psychologist Theodore Millon proposed 5 types of sociopaths. However, they were never included in either the DSM or the ICD:

The classic typology of sociopaths suggests only 2 types + an intermediate form.

• Active sociopath

He is impulsive, it is difficult for him to hide his protests against the laws of society. Openly conflicts with others. It costs him nothing to offend, call him names, or cause pain to another. He can start relationships, but only for a short time and only to achieve his own selfish goals. After which he rudely and scandalously interrupts them. A difficult person to communicate with. It is easy to suspect sociopathy in such people, since it practically lies on the surface. Within this type, three subtypes are distinguished: low-active (outbursts of aggression appear from time to time), medium-active (problems in communication are constantly observed), high-active (it is difficult to keep such people close to you, since they constantly provoke conflict).

• Passive (latent, hidden)

Only those closest to him, who have known him for many years, can suspect sociopathy in such a person. Most often, he outwardly recognizes the rules of society and laws, but only in order to break them on the sly, while no one sees. It is he who writes denunciations, complaints and slander against colleagues, bosses and neighbors. It is he who can lead a double life and do something illegal and even criminal. This is a manic type of disorder when a person is capable of killing, bullying and raping. Essentially, these are serial maniacs and murderers. The passive form of sociopathy is one of the most dangerous, since the patient accumulates energy inside and then pours it out on his victim.

• Multifunctional

Intermediate forms of sociopathy include the multifunctional type, when a person can openly demonstrate his protest towards society and at the same time lead a double life.

Experts say that the types of sociopathy are not limited to this classification, which requires serious additions and improvements.

Will Cornick . A terrible story that shocked the world. A 13-year-old teenager, who grew up in a well-bred British family, stabbed his teacher to death in front of the entire class. It turned out that he had been hatching this plan for several months. And in the future I wanted to do the same with 2 more teachers and one girl I knew. Will willingly told all the details to the investigation and with a smile expressed the hope that he would achieve his goals that had not yet been realized.

Drug treatment

Sometimes the problem is so severe that it is necessary to resort to drug treatment. In the United States, the practice of prescribing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is common. This is the only group of drugs whose effectiveness has been confirmed in treating this problem. Speaking about other medications (beta blockers and benzodiazepines), it should be noted that they are prescribed extremely rarely, because the effectiveness of these drugs has not been proven, but they can be addictive.

Peculiarities

Age

Since a sociopathic child does not yet know how to masterfully hide his thoughts and emotions, it will not be difficult for attentive parents to see signs of the disorder:

• tries to attract attention to himself at school and at home by any means (bites, breaks windows, throws tantrums);
• stealthily (and maybe in front of everyone) spoils things, most often the toys of other children;
• does not caress towards parents, is not attached to brothers and sisters;
• does not find a common language with other children, is conflictual and scandalous;
• often throws hysterics, there are uncontrollable outbursts of anger and aggression - especially at moments when he cannot achieve what he wants;
• does not listen to anyone's requests;
• manipulates parents;
• does not regret what he did, does not feel guilty.

The most obvious sign of sociopathy in children is the deliberate infliction of physical pain on a living being. This results in abuse of small animals. Or the child chooses a younger and weaker one and begins to surreptitiously pinch, bite, poke, or kick him with something sharp. At the same time, he carefully observes the reaction of his victim, whose pain gives him pleasure. If sociopathy is not recognized in a timely manner, it can take on more terrible forms in adolescents. Under the influence of hormones due to puberty, psychopaths commit their first crimes at this age.

If you suspect that a child is a sociopath, you should immediately contact a psychotherapist.

Gender

According to statistics, in men, sociopathy is most often detected in early childhood. There is an assumption that it is in them that the leading factor is a hereditary predisposition to the disorder. Another feature is that in most cases they suffer from a passive form of the disease. Distinguished by high mental abilities and a penchant for rationalism, able to restrain their emotions, male sociopaths lead a double life. In public (at work, with friends) they are quite decent. Although outbursts of anger still occur, and one can see them as skilled manipulators. At home, they usually turn into real tyrants. They beat their wife, abuse their children or elderly parents.

According to the same statistics, the cause of sociopathy in women is most often psychotrauma, i.e. it is usually acquired. The most common form is active. Being overly emotional by nature, women cannot always hide their true feelings towards others. Or to be more precise, their absence. That’s why women’s work teams are often called serpentariums: the level of conflict and quarrelsomeness in them is maximum.

What exactly are social phobes afraid of?

A former social phobe who was able to cope with the problem to one degree or another identifies specific fears, the main one of which is a negative assessment. Such people are afraid that they may be considered awkward, clumsy, unprofessional, or inept. In this regard, they avoid potentially dangerous situations in every possible way or try to get out of them as soon as possible. Social phobes are often haunted by obsessive thoughts about their actions and how they will be judged by others. Even those things that bring pleasure to others (shopping, going to a cafe, swimming in the sea) are real torture for them. They count the seconds until they can disappear from the sight of others. At the same time, they can spend many minutes and even hours thinking about the negativity that others might see in them. It is worth noting that social phobes tend to exaggerate the significance of everyday events. So, if the interlocutor leaves for a minute to go to the toilet or talk on the phone, the patient begins to take everything personally. He believes that he is uninteresting or unpleasant to the interlocutor.

Diagnostics

You can take the “Am I a Sociopath?” test on your own.

Interpretation of results:

• 20-22 - you do not have any signs of a sociopath, you are not in danger of it;
• 15-19 - you are not a sociopath, but deviant behavior is present;
• 10-14 - you are unlikely to be a sociopath, but all the signs of a manipulator and a mild personality disorder and behavior are evident;
• 6-9 - an unadvanced form of sociopathy is present;
• 0-5 - advanced form of sociopathy.

Without additional research, no conclusions can be drawn based on the test results. Only a psychiatrist or psychotherapist can make an accurate diagnosis.

Don't confuse it with anxiety

It is worth understanding that excitement and anxiety are natural human states that arise in any new or incomprehensible situation. This is an integral part of preparing for an important event, conversation or long-awaited meeting. Normal levels of anxiety do not prevent you from functioning and interacting with people. Despite all these feelings, you strive to develop your personality and make new acquaintances. If we are talking about social phobia, negative feelings overwhelm a person. They are accompanied by external manifestations (increased sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, urge to urinate, etc.). A person is literally seized by horror, and therefore he “locks” himself at home, trying to protect himself from similar sensations in the future.

How to communicate

If at work or in the family there is a person suffering from dissocial personality disorder, sooner or later a reasonable question arises among colleagues and family: how to communicate with a sociopath? Psychotherapists suggest adhering to the following rules:

1. Reduce communication with him to a minimum.
2. If it is imposed and provokes a scandal, avoid such a development of events by any means - to another room (room) or outside, call a third party for help to resolve the conflict.
3. Don't be afraid of him and don't show him your fear.
4. Demonstrate the strength of your convictions. Sociopaths target the weak and insecure.
5. Do not tell him about your suspicions that he is a sick person, a sociopath.
6. Do not succumb to his charm and attractiveness, sweet speeches and luring into his networks. This is a common weapon of manipulators.
7. If you are in a relationship with a sociopath (romantic, love, family), the best option is to end it. He will never change.
8. Don't get into quarrels with him.

Communication with a sociopath usually does not end well. As a rule, he does not admit that he is sick, does not agree to treatment and is not going to change for the better. Therefore, it is advisable to cut off personal connections immediately. If this is one of your colleagues or bosses, most often this ends in dismissal and the search for a new, quieter job.

Experts warn that the consequences of communicating with sociopaths on a regular basis are not just stress, but also depression, neuroses, decreased cognitive abilities, panic attacks and psychological trauma.

Main symptoms of social phobia

Social phobes are people who are terrified of negative evaluations, and therefore prefer to avoid communication with others. However, this is still not enough to talk about the presence of the disease, because a number of accompanying symptoms should be observed:

• anxiety and a feeling of awkwardness in the most ordinary situations (buying a ticket on transport, paying for goods at the checkout);
• fear of being judged by strangers;
• fear that any behavior will be perceived as compromising;
• abnormally strong excitement before some situations or events (celebrations, business negotiations);
• fear that others may notice manifestations of fear and panic;
• rapid breathing, which can develop into shortness of breath;
• slurred speech and trembling voice;
• tremor of the limbs and whole body;
• dizziness and darkening of the eyes;
• profuse sweating, accompanied by hot flashes;
• loose stools and nausea on the eve of an important event;
• hyperemia.

What types of sociopaths are there?

Experts generally agree that all sociopaths can be divided into two types. Latent, or passive, can for a long time completely maintain normal behavior and relationships with people, while being guided by the influence of strong personalities, religion or social norms. Such people compensate for the characteristics inherent in this type of personality, which we will discuss below, by following some kind of external authority.

In turn, active sociopaths skillfully disguise themselves when in society, meeting the expectations of others, but as soon as they find themselves outside the evaluation system, they discard all imposed taboos. That is why such people can easily commit criminal acts or actions that are inappropriate from the point of view of an ordinary person.

Misanthrope - who is this?

This term is understood as an unsociable person who avoids society and despises others for not showing their individuality. A misanthrope is a person who reacts extremely negatively to the manifestation of weaknesses, vices, stupidity, and so on. He is very careful in choosing people in his close circle of friends. The misanthrope does not control the political correctness of his own statements, is cynical and often disrespectful.

Describing who a misanthrope is, we note that such a person is not inclined to help others, since he is sure that everyone should be responsible for themselves. Many are sure that such a person is callous and cold, but in reality this is not the case. The misanthrope needs friendships and romantic relationships, he wants love and warmth. He just sets the bar very high when choosing the people he lets close to him.

The opposite of a misanthrope

This category of people also has a contrast, for example, a person who despises society has a positive reflection - a philanthropist. In a broad sense, this is a person who sincerely loves others. It is important for him to help those in need, participate in charity and various social projects. The main goal of philanthropists is to make the world a better place by eradicating negativity and evil.

Common features

A common feature of sociopaths and psychopaths is a tendency to manipulate and deceive, ignoring the safety, feelings and rights of other people. Contrary to existing stereotypes, people with antisocial disorder are not always violent or short-tempered. Similar traits are listed in the DSM-5, the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders. A mental disorder is diagnosed if a specialist detects in a person, in addition to the general symptoms of a personality disorder, at least three of the following:

• Disregard for social norms and regular violation of laws.
• Constantly deceiving other people.
• Impulsivity, inability to plan.
• Aggressiveness, irritability, tendency to escalate conflict.
• Ignoring the safety of others.
• Irresponsibility, inability to fulfill financial obligations.
• Lack of empathy and the ability to experience remorse and remorse.

These symptoms first appear in adolescence. If not properly monitored, a person may experience a serious personality disorder in later life.