The term psychopathy is currently in disuse in the psychiatric clinic because it generates great confusion and controversy in the international systems of classification of mental illnesses. In general terms we speak of psychopaths when there is marked antisocial and irresponsible behavior, reduced empathy and remorse, and an uninhibited character.
There are several etiological theories (biochemical, familial, biographical, neurophysiological…) and several approaches are used to define psychopathy, some as a personality disorder with its own traits and others as an antisocial behavior, although most define it as having characteristics of both.
Symptoms of a psychopathic personality
It is included in the Antisocial Personality Disorder, defined by the combination of a series of affective and interpersonal components and behavioral characteristics that we try to summarize below:
– Early behavioral problems since childhood,egocentrism and exaggerated self-esteem, victimhood with maliciousness and manipulation, irresponsibility, low frustration tolerance, impulsivity, lack of empathy and insensitivity, absence of guilt and remorse.
– They have inability to plan for the future with absence of realistic goals, are prone to repeated lies and to violate legal and social norms.
In spite of the behavioral alterations and the described depersonality traits, this does not imply loss of contact or alteration, nor distortion of the judgment of reality. They do not present psychotic symptoms.
Causes of psychopathic disorder
Most of their problems come from the emotional inability to develop feelings necessary for an adequate social and interpersonal coexistence, which prevents them from generating positive experiences for their affective and behavioral experiences. These emotional deficiencies are not present in all patients with the same intensity, but rather there is a wide spectrum of variability among them.
Also, unlike other mental disorders, there is no single defined behavior in a person from which a psychopath can be clearly distinguished from a normal person. For example, most have a propensity for violence but many have no history of violence in their past.
Treatment of the patient with psychopathic traits
The treatment of the person with psychopathic traits is complicated and ineffective both from the pharmacological and psychotherapeutic point of view, almost always because he lacks the necessary motivation with lack of involvement or refusal. It is very difficult to obtain their collaboration in spite of the voluntariness and awareness of their behavior. The results are therefore not very encouraging, although it seems to be more successful if started at an early age.
Hugo Marietán (expert psychotherapist in these pathologies) points out that a psychopath should not be considered a sick person, but an abnormal being with a mental structure different from the norm of the rest of society, and incapable of adapting his behavior.