Antisocial personality disorder is a medical condition that affects how a person thinks about, perceives, or feels toward others. It occurs in about 2–4% of people and is more common among men. A person with this condition displays behavior that goes against ordinary social norms over a long period. Their behavior is impulsive and irresponsible and is often criminal. They exploit and lie to others, manipulate and violate their rights, and show neither concern for them nor guilt after causing them harm.


Types of Antisocial Personality Disorder


  • “Psychopathic personality or psychopathy”:This is the severe form ofantisocial personality disorder. A person with this type tends to deceive you despite presenting themselves as pleasant. Their actions tend to harm, manipulate, and deceive the people around them without their feeling any empathy toward them.
  • “Sociopathy”is completely opposite to the first form because the person is more able to communicate with others but disregards social norms and rules. A person with this type tends to behave impulsively and unpredictably, and their emotions are easily provoked by others.
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Symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder

People with antisocial personality disorder are usually characterized by the following:


  • Lying to, deceiving, exploiting, and stealing from others.
  • Behaving recklessly without awareness.
  • They may behave cleverly and convince others that they are kind.
  • Irritability and aggression, as they are unable to control their anger.
  • They abuse others emotionally and physically.
  • Breaking the law.
  • Disregarding their own safety and the safety of others.
  • They never feel remorse or sadness after harming others.
  • They do not repay their debts or fulfill their occupational and social responsibilities.
  • Drug and alcohol use is common among them.
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Causes and Risk Factors

  • Sex: Antisocial personality disorder affects men more often than women, and the reason remains not fully understood.
  • Genetic factors:Genetic, biological, and environmental factors are thought to play a role in this disorder, particularly in cases of psychopathic personality.
  • Social environment:The disorder may also arise from a socially unhealthy and dysfunctional environment.
  • Research indicates that damage and injuries to the brain during the years of growth and development may also be associated with antisocial personality disorder.
  • Because people with antisocial personality disorder often break the law, many of them may be found in prisons.
  • Research has shown that about 47% of male prisoners and 21% of female prisoners have this disorder.
  • Age group:Children and adolescents with conduct disorder are more likely to develop antisocial personality disorder. Conduct disorder is similar to antisocial personality disorder but is generally diagnosed in young people who repeatedly violate social norms and the rights of others.
  • Family environment:Child abuse may contribute to the development of this disorder.
  • On the other hand, hyperarousal and agitation, fire-setting, and cruelty to animals during childhood are associated with the development of antisocial personality disorder.
  • Family breakdown: This disorder is also observed more frequently in unstable family and social environments marked by inadequate guidance, harsh upbringing, or emotional deprivation.
  • An affected family member: A person whose parent has antisocial personality disorder or alcohol addiction is at considerable risk of developing the disorder. There may be a genetic predisposition to it.

Effects of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Criminal behavior is a core feature of antisocial personality disorder, and there is a significant risk that an affected person will commit multiple crimes and enter prison at some point in life.

Studies have shown that men with this disorder are 3–5 times more likely to use drugs and develop alcohol addiction than people without it. There is also an increased risk of premature death for several reasons, including a higher rate of accidents caused by reckless driving and risk-taking, repeated suicide attempts, and medical complications resulting from excessive alcohol consumption and drug use. They are also at risk of various sexually transmitted diseases because of different sexual experiences.

Diagnosis

To diagnose antisocial personality disorder, a person must have shown symptoms of conduct disorder before the age of 15. Nevertheless, diagnosing the disorder before the age of 18 may be difficult. The patient must meet at least three of the following criteria:


  • Repeatedly breaking the law.
  • Repeatedly deceiving others.
  • Impulsive behavior or an inability to plan for the future.
  • Irritability and aggression.
  • Disregarding their own safety and the safety of others.
  • Irresponsible behavior.
  • Showing no remorse or sadness after harming others.
  • Care must be taken not to mistake certain impulsive and defiant behaviors caused by adolescence for a psychopathic condition.
  • In adults, diagnosing the disorder is not especially difficult if a detailed medical history is taken. The adult patient's history may reveal symptoms and signs of conduct disorder during childhood or early adolescence, such as repeatedly running away from school or home.
  • These may include drifting into drug use, committing crimes, and other destructive and aggressive behaviors that worsen over time, particularly during the person's twenties, but then improve spontaneously when the person reaches their forties.
  • This disorder should not be confused with a type of schizophrenia known as pseudopsychopathic schizophrenia, in which some symptoms of schizophrenia appear alongside symptoms of antisocial personality.
  • In some cases, psychological examinations and tests may be used to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment and Prevention

  • In the past, antisocial personality disorder was believed to be a lifelong condition, but this is not always true.
  • It can be treated in some cases. In general, however, antisocial personality disorder is very difficult to treat.
  • People with this disorder rarely seek help on their own because they often believe they do not need it. The request for help usually comes from the family.
  • There is no effective treatment program, but social and educational interventions, group therapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy may sometimes help manage behavior and reduce the harm caused to people around the affected person.
  • Maintaining healthy relationships and receiving appropriate support and encouragement are key factors in the long-term treatment of antisocial personality disorder.
  • Evidence indicates that the patient's behavior may improve over time with treatment, even if some core traits, such as a lack of empathy toward others, remain.
  • Treatment for a person with antisocial personality disorder depends on their circumstances.
  • Certain factors should be considered, such as the person's age and condition and whether they have related problems such as alcohol or drug use.
  • The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any medication specifically for treating antisocial personality disorder.
  • However, doctors sometimes use psychiatric medications such as mood stabilizers or certain atypical antipsychotics to treat some symptoms.
  • Antisocial personality disorder cannot be prevented, but if conduct disorder is detected early in childhood,
  • treatment may prevent the disorder from developing in adulthood.


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Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/antisocial-personality-disorder-overview

https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/antisocial-personality-disorder

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/