How to recognize a psychopath? 5 main signs

Psychopathy is characterized by features that have diagnostic significance - such as external charm, high intelligence, poor judgment, inability to learn from experience, pathological egocentrism, lack of capacity to love, inability to feel remorse or shame, impulsivity, grandiose sense of self-worth, pathological deceit, manipulative behavior, poor self-control, sexual promiscuity, delinquent behavior in adolescence, and greater criminality and versatility, among others (Cleckley, 1982; Hare et al., 1990). As a consequence of these criteria, the psychopath has the image of a cold, heartless, inhumane being. But do all psychopaths have a total lack of normal depth of feeling and empathy? Like healthy people, many psychopaths love their parents, spouses, children, and pets in their own way, but have difficulty loving and trusting the rest of the world. In addition, psychopaths do experience emotional distress due to separation, divorce, death of a loved one, or dissatisfaction with their own deviant behavior (Martens, 1997).

Traits characteristic of psychopaths

You probably know people who are extremely self-centered and deceitful, who do not recognize any other opinion than their own, are not familiar with the feeling of fear (and the voice of conscience) and are ready to do anything to achieve their goals. But only a mental health professional can accurately diagnose whether a person meets the criteria for narcissistic or antisocial disorder.

If you think you are dealing with what is called a sociopath, psychopath or malignant narcissist (a narcissist with antisocial personality traits, paranoia and aggression, a prime example is Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones), the main signs to look out for are an inability to empathize and repentance.

Causes

There are several main reasons that can result from this disorder:

injury to the head during birth;
previous infection with encephalitis;
transmission along a genetic line;
incorrect way of raising a child, including alcoholism in one or both parents.

If the situations that cause a nervous disorder are reduced to a minimum number, then the symptoms characteristic of psychopaths are reduced. The first symptoms appear in childhood, but with age they begin to take on a more pronounced form.

The causes of nervous disorders extend from childhood

1Superficial feelings and lack of emotional responsiveness.

Psychopaths have reduced affective reactions and an absence of psychological reactions associated with fear. Therefore, they are more likely than others to exhibit cruel, rude, insensitive behavior, without realizing the emotional consequences or even the threat of punishment for their actions. When psychopaths are calm, they exude an eerie sense of equanimity and indifference, which is completely different from the warmth they try to fake in public.

Their charisma, lively or cheeky charm may initially attract others, but they are able to form a connection that is only emotionally one-sided and very short-lived. Their smile is fake. Normal people may radiate natural warmth, but psychopaths seem to reflect a rare glow that quickly fades when no one is looking at them. They are not able to experience fear and anxiety - feelings that are the main pillars of conscience and moral feelings. Psychopaths exhibit emotional coldness and indifference when they do not want to please or manipulate someone. Their coldness and callous indifference to the feelings of other people are often hidden under external charm and a mask of superficial sociability.

Who are psychopaths and their differences?

Psychopaths are people who, from the first meeting, charm and evoke sympathy with their charisma and intelligence. There is no noticeable nervousness or excitement in their behavior, they do not stutter and do not experience any complexes. They give the impression of a stable, confident person.

With all this, they:

manipulators. They force you to do everything the way they need it, so that all your friends and family will follow the line, they bring you to tears and hysterics. They manipulate with the help of bad moods, shouting, threats, blackmail;
extremely unreliable. If they promised something, they never fulfill it;
they live without plans for the future, they have no life prospects, no intuition;
They like to exaggerate their sense of self-importance. They demand special treatment, attention, honors, find fault with little things, and constantly “pump” their rights. Such people like to say that they have some kind of special destiny, a special purpose, and only an accident prevented them from becoming, at a minimum, president;
pathological liars. They lie constantly, without any self-interest, so they often get into trouble. It’s easy to catch them lying because they don’t think about verisimilitude and will deny that they said it;
feel the need for mental stimulation. These people are addicted to adrenaline, they get bored when nothing happens, everything is quiet and calm, they don’t know how to keep themselves busy and entertained. They definitely need to arrange something: a feast, a scandal, a provocation;
never experience remorse or shame. Whether it is major or minor offenses, even if they kill a person, they do not feel guilt or regret, they always blame someone else who, in their opinion, is to blame;
short-sighted. They are not able to learn from experience, do not draw conclusions from the past, from actions that caused harm to themselves;
pathological egoists. They completely lack the ability to love;
unemotional. For example, a psychopath can see something happening in front of him: a fight, murder or torture, he will calmly look at it and not react in any way, will not intervene to protect the weak, does not feel pity;
indifferent. Cold in interpersonal relationships. Sex life is just sex for the sake of sex, no matter what kind of partner;
Psychopaths have strange, unmotivated behavior both sober and under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In this state they become more aggressive, unpredictable, strange, frightening people.

2Their predator's gaze lights up at the sight of potential prey.

Antisocial personalities attract attention with the intense “predator's gaze” that they fix on a potential victim.

This is reminiscent of the reptilian gaze, which is perceived as "dead" or "cold" and sometimes perversely seductive when a psychopath is trying to attract you sexually. Many people find it difficult to cope with the intense, emotionless and predatory gaze of a psychopath. Normal people maintain eye contact for many reasons, but a psychopath's gaze is primarily about self-enjoyment and power rather than interest, empathy, or caring. Some react to the emotionless gaze of a psychopath with acute discomfort, as if they feel like potential prey frozen before a predator.

Types of psychopathic personalities

Understanding what psychopathy is and how it manifests itself is sometimes not enough to recognize a psychopath in a person. The fact is that among such behavior, psychologists distinguish between sociopaths and psychopaths.

The main difference in behavior between these two types is the presence of remorse. Psychopaths do not feel guilty. Sociopaths may periodically analyze their own actions. In addition, they cannot try on other masks to achieve their interests. Most often, sociopaths openly demonstrate their thoughts and do rash actions. Psychopaths, on the contrary, often try on other people's disguises and build plans and tactics in their heads.

There are other types of personality disorders. How to identify a psychopath by the type of his fear:

Paranoia. They suspect a bad plan in everyone, are very observant of details, are interested in other people's lives, emotions and attribute evil intentions to them.
Schizoid. Minimal display of emotion and communication. They choose a profession with minimal contact with people.
Hysterical. They feel the need to regularly be in the spotlight and react sharply to criticism.
Excitable. They often show aggression, jealousy, and demands on others without reason. Prone to violence and anger.
Psychasthenic. Unconfident individuals, fearful, dreamy, prone to self-flagellation.
Affective. They show regular dissatisfaction with life and their mood often changes. They look for the joys of life in alcohol and drugs.
Unstable. Weak willpower, easily succumb to the opinions of others, do not keep their promises.

Personality disorder may differ in type of fear

3They require a high level of stimulation due to the feeling of constant boredom.

Boredom is one of the most striking traits of a psychopath. Not surprisingly, they get the most excitement from deceiving others or getting involved in crime. Their excessive need for stimulation and entertainment, coupled with a lack of regret and remorse, also allows them to engage in numerous sexual relationships. Even if they have a regular partner, they are always on the hunt - in a bar, office, on dating sites.

This does not mean that the psychopath is unhappy with his family life or career. The novelty of sensations is what captivates them. They quickly get bored with their current activities and go in search of something “more interesting.”

Varieties

Psychopathy is a personality disorder. If a healthy person’s behavior is determined by social motives and norms, then a psychopath is not familiar with these concepts, he lives and acts as he sees fit, and does not suffer from feelings of guilt. Psychopaths with a severe form of this disorder are not afraid of criminal penalties and are capable of repeatedly committing crimes. A person with a mild manifestation of this disorder can control himself, calmly gains trust, and creates the image of a benevolent person. At the same time, he is capable of destroying loved ones using cunning, sophisticated methods, resorting to envy, jealousy and a sense of superiority.

There are seven main types of psychopathy.

Schizoid. Characterized by the presence of isolation, immersion in one’s own world, insensitivity towards other people, isolation from others. There are difficulties with communication, there is a lack of interest in the thoughts of others. Such a man will not know what to talk about with his wife. He may have a hobby, but only one that requires privacy, in particular, collecting, a single sport.
. A man of this type lacks self-control; he is characterized by a tendency to sort things out and irritability. Often among such people there are lawbreakers. It is difficult for such a person to adhere to restrictions. May become dependent.
Asthenic. One of the safest types of psychopaths to be around. Such a person is characterized by indecision, passive behavior, regular introspection, and sensitivity towards himself. Such a man appears, quickly runs out of steam, and feels stressed under any load. In a family, such a person will take the place of a subordinate, can talk about his love for his wife, and portray sincere affection.
Hysterical. The first manifestations appear in childhood, the boy begins to attract attention to his person and protests against other leaders. Such a man needs his wife to show him attention. If he lacks warmth from his wife, minor quarrels and flirting on the side arise. For such a man, giving up his own opinion is equivalent to...
Paranoid. Characterized by the presence of pressure, aggressiveness, and narrowed horizons. Such a person will put pressure on loved ones and control their actions. A relationship with such a man can only be normal if the woman agrees with his point of view.
Affective. Characterized by changeable mood, a change from a cheerful disposition to a gloomy one.
Mixed. A psychopath who combines manifestations of various types of psychopathy.

4They demonstrate arrogant superiority and contempt for others.

Being boastful by nature, psychopaths tend to overestimate themselves and their abilities. They exalt themselves and believe that the whole world should cherish their ego. They consider themselves “special” and believe that they are the exception to every rule. This form of grandiosity is not just ordinary arrogance, but rather a deep-seated belief that a psychopath has about himself and determines his behavior. No crimes, deceptions or betrayals can go beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable for a psychopath. He has contempt for "mere mortals" who allow moral values or moral standards to get in the way.

Psychopaths believe that they are superior to others, and this belief allows them to break laws, overstep boundaries, and invade other people's lives. For example, a malignant narcissist may feel that his attractive appearance entitles him to have numerous lovers.

They do not accept any reservations, violating the rights of others or going over their heads to meet their goals.

How to be a wife

Often a woman who happens to be the wife of a psychopath does not know how to behave. Particularly dangerous are situations when a man finds himself in a criminal environment and drags his wife along with him.

A woman needs to visit a psychologist who can choose an appropriate model of behavior when communicating with her partner.
It is important to understand that a psychopath can play on his wife’s feelings and it will not be easy to break up with him, because he knows how to use the right words.
It is necessary that at the moment of a man’s violent manifestation of emotions, a woman does not succumb to her feelings, does not begin to make excuses, cry or blame him.
If your psychopathic husband begins a psychological attack, you need to distance yourself from him, for example, you can pretend that you are very busy.
If you decide that you need to end your relationship with such a person, you need to be very careful when communicating about the impending separation. Even if a man cheated on you or abandoned his family, you need to be prepared for the fact that such news can make him furious.
It is desirable that the woman be able to educate the man’s inner circle about his problem so that they can provide support.
Do not allow yourself to feel guilty, because psychopaths can pose a true threat, both to you and to children, if any.
Learn to trust your inner voice, you shouldn’t trust everything a man says, it’s better to double-check the source of information.
A woman should not interact when a man is aggressive against her. However, she must make him understand that such behavior will lead to certain consequences.

You need to understand that a psychopathic man constantly feels the need to control the people who surround him, strives to be in charge, and often uses intimidation and charm.

5Their curiosity is limited only by what they want to get.

Psychopaths do not care about other people's goals, passions, or needs unless they can use it to their advantage. For example, a wealthy partner may be “useful” to a predator as long as he depends on his financial support. But a psychopath will not enjoy or show interest in his partner's successes, even if it is in his best interest to do so. He won't remember when your birthday is and won't ask you how things are going at work. Psychopaths show a remarkable indifference to your physical condition, not hesitating to leave you when you are sad, suffering or sick.

He preys on your emotions by telling pity stories.

You will quickly find a place in your heart to feel sorry for him. After all, he is so sweet and innocent. Completely different from the movie images of psychopaths - cruel men with a contemptuous smile in an expensive car. Surely he will mention his ex, who is still in love with him. But all he wants is peace and quiet, he hates drama. However, you will soon notice that dramatic stories constantly surround him and the people close to him.

The psychopath will say that you are too jealous, although he openly flirted with his ex, often even on social networks, so that everyone could see it. He will say that you are too clingy, even though he deliberately ignored you for several days. He provokes your reaction to show his other targets how hysterical you are and to gain sympathy for himself. Did you think you were a calm person? Meeting a psychopath will change you beyond recognition. Fortunately, it's temporary.

At first, the psychopath's entire attention is focused on you. And you don't understand what happens when he suddenly switches to another person. He constantly does things that make you doubt that you mean anything to him. If he is active on social networks, he lures exes with songs, photographs, and jokes that were meaningful to their couple. He seems to be actively looking for a partner and at the same time ignores you.

Forgive yourself

Be able to forgive yourself for what is happening, you have become a victim here, not a culprit. Because of your role as a victim, you find yourself in compromising circumstances. You didn't do anything bad or wrong. Any person from any group can fall under the influence of a psychopath.

This is impossible to predict... but now you are much more aware and can avoid falling under its full influence, as well as help others get out of the current situation.

What do you know about living with a psychopath in the family? Share your story in the comments.

Why is it easy to get into a relationship with a psychopath?

Unlike normal people, psychopaths are extremely pleasing to others. This is their special ability. And they use it when they strive to have a close relationship with someone.

Photo from the site korysno.pro

By the way, as a rule, psychopaths have increased sexuality. They are more sexual than normal, attractive and more tireless in sexual matters than normal people. This is explained by the fact that their animal essence dominates over their spiritual human essence.

Psychopaths literally charm people with their understanding and attractiveness. This mechanism is similar to the behavior of killer flowers. A psychopath is capable of seducing you into any relationship with him - from family and love-sexual to friendly. And then slowly and persistently it will begin to “devour” you. And then he will simply forget about you, taking from you everything he needed.

Prepare for the worst consequences

Psychopaths can redirect all the arguments said against him against you. Get ready for his counterattacks in the form of slander, spreading gossip, and refutations of your words: “it happened for other reasons,” “we were children and it is impossible to remember the reasons for what happened,” “she was under severe stress at that moment,” and so on. ... An attack can look different. If your communication consists of correspondence on the Internet, through social networks, then he can use them against you by starting to openly comment on your photos on Instagram, discuss you in VKontakte groups, and the like.

How to get away from a tyrant: 100% ways

Silence about the decision

Keep your decision to end your relationship with a psychopath a secret. You may not hope for a positive result from trying to change a man or correct him through the influence of others. This can greatly aggravate the situation, which will turn against you.

Some girls, out of fear for their lives, want to tell everyone that their lover turned out to be a psychopath and ask for help. This is not worth doing. Psychopaths have excellent abilities to form their own conclusions and brilliantly juggle the facts that happened, building a picture of what happened in the light they need. By rearranging the facts to suit themselves, they will hit your weakest shortcomings as an individual. After such a counterattack, the girl will be stunned. Why, instead of helping her, will others feel sorry for the man? It will turn out that you, who want to show what a bad guy is, will turn out to be much worse than him.

Correction

Psychopathy is a mental disability, a distortion of the functioning of the ANS. Both congenital and acquired forms may occur. Only doctors, in particular a neurologist or psychotherapist, will be able to make an accurate diagnosis, having studied behavioral characteristics, conditions of personality development, and assessed cognitive characteristics. Psychopathy requires specialized treatment from a psychotherapist. It is worth considering that mild forms of this condition do not cause difficulties in the process of socialization and can be corrected.

If a man is diagnosed with a severe form of pathology, then sedatives are prescribed. However, many young people simply refuse any treatment.
If psychopathy is mild, then adjustments are made by a psychologist or psychotherapist. However, an important condition for successful treatment is the patient's personal desire to change. It is important that a person realizes who he is.
Support from close circles and socialization are of great importance.
The following treatment options may be used during treatment:

use of psychotropic medications;
use of antipsychotics;
auto-training;
use of tranquilizers and antidepressants;
anger and aggression can be suppressed by Haloperidol;
use of sedative drugs;
taking antioxidants, immunomodulators and multivitamins.

Medication therapy is prescribed only for serious emotional problems. As a rule, treatment prognosis is favorable.

Now you know what a man’s behavior can be if psychopathy occurs. Remember that this phenomenon does not always indicate the presence of pathology. If a man is very dear to you, make every effort to maintain the relationship, correct his condition, and seek help from a specialist.

Very often girls fall in love with “bad boys.” This seems quite common and does not cause suspicion. But behind the mask of devotion and praise of a woman, there may be a psychopathic man who, with his behavior, is only capable of poisoning life on a daily basis. How to avoid becoming a victim of manipulation and deception by a psychopathic man?

Let's find out the main types and signs of psychopathy in men.