Antisocial Personality Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, Risks & Treatments

An antisocial personality disorder is a mental disorder commonly known as sociopathy. People with this condition do not know how to behave the right way. As a result, the way they behave is often disrespectful. Scholars could not find the root causes for this as several factors are associated with it. However, it is treatable via therapies and medications.

Interested in learning more about this condition? Keep reading!

ASPD is a psychological condition and one of the types of personality disorders. Studies show that this disorder affects 3% of men and 1% of women worldwide. People with this disorder do not follow social norms and often lack respect for others. In some cases, people with this condition break the law, harm others and refuse to take any responsibility for their deeds.

At times, when discussing this variant of personality disorder, people use terms like sociopath or sociopathy. This is mainly because the traits of antisocial personality disorder overlap with sociopathy. However, healthcare providers do not use any such terms in clinical diagnoses.

Following are the common signs and symptoms of this disorder:

• Persistent in lying and dishonest.
• Deceit to exploit others.
• Negligence towards right or wrongdoing.
• Being arrogant and having a sense of superiority.
• Behave callously and cynically.
• Have a habit of using charm and wit to manipulate others.
• Frequently violating the rights of others.
• Having a criminal mindset.
• Impulsiveness and hostile behaviour are common.
• Lacking empathy.
• Failing to understand the negative consequences or learn from past mistakes.
• Unnecessary risk-taking attitude and disregard for the safety of self or others.
• Being in an abusive relationship.
• Constantly being irresponsible and failing to meet any obligations.

Although these symptoms are lifelong, some may decrease over time. For example, destructive and criminal behaviour.

Every individual has a unique personality which develops after being influenced by countless aspects. Similarly, when someone develops a personality disorder, it also inherits tendencies from various factors. Hence there is no single cause behind antisocial personality disorder.

Factors that can cause this disorder are:

• Having a medical history of conduct disorder in childhood.
• Those who had been through an abusive relationship or faced neglect in childhood.
• Growing up, they have been through an unfortunate family environment (Unstable or Violent).

Aspects that can increase the risks of personality disorder are:

• Environment: Growing up in a traumatising environment due to abusive childhood memories increases the risk of developing ASPD.
• Biology: It has been seen that people with this psychological condition have exceptional serotonin levels. This chemical in the brain regulates mood and other feelings. Therefore this may have some impact on causing such behavioural changes in an individual.
• Genetics: Genetics are also held responsible for developing causes of antisocial personality disorder. Nevertheless, it is not known which genetic factor is responsible.
• Lifestyle: Sources state that people with this personality disorder also experience drug or alcohol use disorders.
• Gender: As per reports, men are more prone to develop such conditions than women.

All these parameters form a massive impact on individuals, while some overcome these and move on. But unfortunately, others build upon these conditions and develop an antisocial personality disorder.

It is common for people with ASPD to feel no need for help. However, in some cases, they have been seen seeking help from a primary caregiver because of other related symptoms.

A person with this disorder may not accurately report their signs and symptoms. Thus, most family members look for medical assistance when things go out of hand.

The diagnosis focuses on understanding how an affected person can relate to others. So, after careful physical evaluation to check for any underlying medical conditions, the healthcare provider may suggest different treatment processes.

The diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder is based on the following:

• Assessment of an individual’s medical history.
• Psychological evaluation of that person to understand his thoughts, feelings, relationships, behaviour, etc.

Even though some signs of ASPD may occur in childhood or early teenage, this disorder is not diagnosed before age 18. However, the sooner the problems are identified, the more the chances of their recovery.

The treatment of antisocial personality disorder is difficult to attain as there is no single cause or symptom. Those who maintain the treatment methods and regularly follow up over a long time find it helpful, increasing their chances of recovering.

Although the treatment methods vary from person to person, psychotherapy and medications are the primary treatment processes. Nonetheless, we need to consider the willingness of the person suffering from ASPD to participate in these.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy or talk therapy is one of the effective methods to treat any kind of psychological disorder. In such sessions, patients generally learn about their health condition and how to take control of their life. As much as one discusses feelings and thoughts with a skilled psychiatrist or psychologist, one learns ways to respond and build healthy coping mechanisms.

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: This is the most common type of psychotherapy. CBT aims to help one become aware of their negative thought processes. For better results, professionals sometimes recommend CBT and other therapies and medicines. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is helpful as it helps manage stressful situations.
• Family or Group Therapy: Family or group therapy and mentalisation are other kinds of therapy that give effective results. This allows one to recognise and understand their mental state as they can meet individuals with similar signs and symptoms of ASPD. Further, it helps stabilise their mood and take control of their impulsive actions.

Medications

No single medicine can cure antisocial personality disorder from its root. However, healthcare providers recommend certain medications to treat some signs and symptoms of ASPD. For example:

• Antidepressants like fluoxetine and sertraline are given to regulate the serotonin levels in the brain and control depressive symptoms.
• Antipsychotics help control violent behaviour or aggression. Risperidone and quetiapine are some common examples.
• Lithium and carbamazepine are mood stabilisers which help manage and control severe mood changes.

There are no such ways to prevent antisocial personality disorders. However, if the disorder is identified in time, the person affected agrees to go through the treatment methods. Then, the chances of recovering are much higher.

Since the patients with ASPD behave arrogantly and feel no need for treatment, it becomes tough to convince them. However, once they are onboard, they can overcome their situation and have a better life ahead.

Common co-occurring conditions in this disorder are violence, impulsive behavioural traits, and a tendency to commit a crime is frequently present in individuals.

In addition to developing co-occurring conditions, someone with this disorder can also develop an addiction. This mainly happens when they try to overcome the symptoms of substance abuse.

In most cases, the symptoms of ASPD are difficult to identify. This is the major reason people with this condition are mistreated and misdiagnosed. Therefore, you can encourage someone you know who is struggling with an antisocial personality disorder to seek medical assistance.

As already mentioned, people with this condition feel no need for help, but they do. So, you can keep pushing them for a better and improved lifestyle which is only possible if they maintain the treatment methods.

People with this disorder often behave in a way that makes other people miserable, and they feel no guilt after doing so. If anyone in your family or friends has this critical condition, it is necessary to have certain skills to support them. A psychologist or a mental health professional can teach such skills to set boundaries that you can use to protect yourself from their aggression. 

Nevertheless, there are certain things you can do to help them cope with their conditions:

• Recognise the Symptoms: Those with the symptoms of antisocial personality disorder fail to identify them. You can do this on their behalf. Keep tracking the signs and how long they persist. You can look for signs like irritability, aggressiveness, deceitfulness, lack of remorse, etc. If you notice someone has more than four identifiable symptoms, it indicates they have this condition.

• Act Responsibly: If you are concerned about these people, you can encourage them to get a proper diagnosis of their condition. They may keep delaying or postponing appointments, but you must keep provoking. Even if, after your repetitive intervention, the person does not agree to seek treatment, you can get the procedure mandated by the court. However, this is a long and tedious task and may take months.

• Learn to Accept: In some rare cases, a person decides or is forced to get medical help for their condition. They need a good, supportive, and positive environment to go through the process.

Since the conditions of ASPD are not fully curable, the person keeps struggling to understand how their actions cause pain to others. Hence you must accept that person with all their shortcomings so that they never feel alone and inclined towards other means of self-medication.

As you have read so far, let us get a quick recap of this article. An antisocial personality disorder is a psychological condition in which a person displays signs like dishonesty, disregard, hostility, lack of empathy, etc. The cause behind this kind of personality disorder is hard to find because of several factors. A person going through this phase might never seek help by themselves; hence they need a supporting and accepting environment. So, if you know someone going through a situation like this, be there for them.