Psychopathy is defined as a personality disorder that is characterised by persistent antisocial behaviour. These behavioural traits can include lack of guilt, impaired empathy and remorse, bold and reckless risk-taking. With the above definition, a psychopath is therefore referred to as a person suffering from a mental disorder with violent or abnormal social behaviour.
Causes of Psychopathy
No one can say exactly what causes psychopathy, however, a few deductions have been made. It is believed that most psychopathy cases have been caused by either genetics, environment or interpersonal factors. For instance, children of psychopaths are more likely to be psychopaths themselves.
Other causes of psychopathy include;
• Poor parenting: parents have a huge say on how a person turns out to be in life. When a child is not under proper care from a parent or his/her parents favour punishment rather than reward, it is likely such child grow to become psychopaths or exhibits traits that have been accustomed to psychopathy.
• Substance abuse
• Physical abuse and neglect
Symptoms of Psychopathy
The signs or symptoms of psychopathy are numerous. Below is a list of some of the traits that a psychopath is likely to exhibit.
• Lack of remorse or guilt: no matter what they do wrong, psychopaths have shown that they do not possess the ability to be sorry for their actions.
• Shallow emotions: what do you say of someone with the inability to be remorseful? Shallow emotion is undeniably evident. Psychopaths go about their day without considering others – they don’t even care about anyone other than themselves.
• Lack of empathy: empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, but psychopaths have been discovered to lack this ability. However, when it seems a person cannot understand how you feel it does not automatically equate to psychopathy.
• Poor control over behaviour: every matured mind is characterised with the ability to control their reaction to circumstances that befell them. One of the major symptoms of psychopathy is the inability
• A constant need for stimulation: psychopaths also find it difficult to do anything without someone encouraging them. We all need encouragement once in a while, but a symptom of psychopathy is needing encouragement every now and then.
• Lack of realistic goals: lack of realistic, long-term goals is another trait exhibited by psychopaths. They live each day as they see fit and are unable to commit to a long term goal.
• Irresponsibility: aside the aforementioned signs of psychopathy is irresponsibility. When you have identified an individual as a psychopath, it is not advisable to commit any serious work to such a person.
• Promiscuous sexual behaviour: psychopaths can also have promiscuous sexual behaviour. The inability to commit to a partner sexually or indifferent about the choice is evident in psychopaths.
Can Psychopathy Be Treated?
Adult psychopaths have shown no sign cure although some institutions have shown that it can be managed. While it is relatively impossible to cure psychopathy in adults, that cannot be said of children psychopaths. Children suffering from psychopathy can be helped, so when you notice the signs in a child, don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Get help immediately from a psychiatrist who specializes in psychopathy.