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corrocamino
12-02-2012, 03:48 PM
This is the title of a book by a clinical psychiatrist. I haven't read it, but I have read dust-jacket blurbs, one of which provides this view held by the "shrink":

Odds are that you and I know an out-and-out sociopath.

Sound plausible, according to your own perceptions and experience?

GrassrootsConservative
12-02-2012, 03:51 PM
I would probably be diagnosed as a sociopath were I ever to go see a psychiatrist.

Just a guess.

roadmaster
12-02-2012, 05:45 PM
This is the title of a book by a clinical psychiatrist. I haven't read it, but I have read dust-jacket blurbs, one of which provides this view held by the "shrink":

Odds are that you and I know an out-and-out sociopath.

Sound plausible, according to your own perceptions and experience?
Depends, 9 years old staying the night with my grandmother. Woke up around 2am and when to the kitchen for a glass of water. Felt a presence, it was windy that night. Splashed my face with water, pinched myself to make sure I was awake, no dream. Looking out the window at the barn with a loft I walk towards the window. I was not going to show fear and the door kept shaking. It flew open and a man was hanging by a rope, I didn't move and just stared. He lifted his head and started laughing. Took a knife out the drawer and the door closed. Stayed up for about an hour checking the doors and windows. Gave up and went back to bed with the knife. 2 years later after my first uncle died all family sitting on the front porch I asked if their was ever a man that hung himself in the barn. Dad looked upset, my other uncles and aunts just stared. My Grandmother said that she had never told any of her children and said that her oldest brother hung himself and asked me to describe him because she never had any pictures of him at that house. So I did from head to toe and she bused out crying and told everyone I did see him. From then on for a long time I kept my mouth shut because it was upsetting to the family. When I got older and had my own children I was able to talk to my dad and grandmother about this and we became close. In fact my grandmothers would let me know when someone passed before the phone call. Wow talk about crazy, you never know who you are talking to, but it's the truth and have seen many other things.:grin: Yall watch out now.

oceanloverOH
12-02-2012, 06:17 PM
This is the title of a book by a clinical psychiatrist. I haven't read it, but I have read dust-jacket blurbs, one of which provides this view held by the "shrink":

Odds are that you and I know an out-and-out sociopath.

Sound plausible, according to your own perceptions and experience?

Oh, absolutely. My ex-husband. What a nucking fut.

Captain Obvious
12-02-2012, 07:05 PM
I heard a segment on NPR that they're revising the psychology classification manual, gets revised every 10 to 15 years and they were interviewing one of the dudes on that committee who makes these revisions. My takeaway from that segment is that there still is a lot of guessing in the industry and it's more of an art than a science in many respects.

Conley
12-02-2012, 07:23 PM
Can I move this out of the hole? Seems like a good discussion is brewing :shocked:

Adelaide
12-02-2012, 09:36 PM
I heard a segment on NPR that they're revising the psychology classification manual, gets revised every 10 to 15 years and they were interviewing one of the dudes on that committee who makes these revisions. My takeaway from that segment is that there still is a lot of guessing in the industry and it's more of an art than a science in many respects.

I don't think that quite explains it. The reason the DSM-V has been so delayed and argued about is often over things as simple as terminology, (renaming disorders) or putting long-used sub-classifications into the "psychology bible" that are currently used but not reflected in the DSM-IV-TR, (ex. C-PTSD). Then there are arguments about whether to include certain things, or not include them because they might be more a physical problem than a psychiatric or behavioural one. There arguments about expanding the diagnostic criteria of various disorders to be more comprehensive, when in reality psychologists and psychiatrists have been using that more comprehensive diagnostic approach all along even though it's not in the DSM-IV-TR, (symptoms can be broken down, and broken down and broken down from a list of 5 criteria to like 20 if you try hard enough - but should they do that?).

It's very complicated, and you have a lot of heavy-hitters in the industry all disagreeing over, often times, really simple things. There are of course more serious disagreements where yes, there is probably a lot more guesswork than science, but for the most part the delay is related to petty, psychology politics.

roadmaster
12-02-2012, 10:02 PM
Can I move this out of the hole? Seems like a good discussion is brewing :shocked:psychiatrist and psychology bores me at times. I have taken many classes and most of them are neurotic with deep seated problems themselves. But I am ok with it as long as the op does.

oceanloverOH
12-03-2012, 05:47 AM
Evidently the term "sociopath" is no longer widely used in the psychiatric community (though it's still a common term used and understood by most people). Nowadays the disorder is known as "Antisocial Personality Disorder".

What exactly is a sociopath? I found an interesting article describing it at the website psychcentral.com. The symptoms of the disorder are:

Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest

Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure

Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead

Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults

Reckless disregard for safety of self or others

Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations

Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

Here's the rest of the article:
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx7.htm

Conley, maybe this could be moved to Health and Medicine? It is an interesting topic.

Conley
12-03-2012, 03:22 PM
I'm gonna go ahead and move it move it...

Mister D
12-03-2012, 03:28 PM
Evidently the term "sociopath" is no longer widely used in the psychiatric community (though it's still a common term used and understood by most people). Nowadays the disorder is known as "Antisocial Personality Disorder".

What exactly is a sociopath? I found an interesting article describing it at the website psychcentral.com. The symptoms of the disorder are:

Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest

Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure

Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead

Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults

Reckless disregard for safety of self or others

Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations

Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

Here's the rest of the article:
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx7.htm

Conley, maybe this could be moved to Health and Medicine? It is an interesting topic.

I've always thought of the latter as the primary characteristic (i.e. no empathy). Then again, that would apply to many autistic people.

roadmaster
12-03-2012, 09:18 PM
Well I think sometimes they are easy to spot and as a Christian I will pick on them.:laugh: They are the ones who like attention and will complement others not for that person but they want to look good in others eyes. They walk away thinking "they like me". Problem is you rarely see them complement their children or spouse. Remorse, yes only when they get caught and it doesn't last long, will either turn it own their family like they drove them to it only to repeat the same things over and over. They hide behind things and their own problems and make everyone close around them miserable, that's when they are the happiest. Never content and the grass is always greener on the other side. Many fake Christians and if you had a camera at their house you would be amazed how they really think and act. Same way with other people, you see them. The guy is right, too many fake people and you probably know one.

corrocamino
12-04-2012, 05:57 AM
Well I think sometimes they are easy to spot and as a Christian I will pick on them.:laugh: They are the ones who like attention and will complement others not for that person but they want to look good in others eyes. They walk away thinking "they like me". Problem is you rarely see them complement their children or spouse. Remorse, yes only when they get caught and it doesn't last long, will either turn it own their family like they drove them to it only to repeat the same things over and over. They hide behind things and their own problems and make everyone close around them miserable, that's when they are the happiest. Never content and the grass is always greener on the other side. Many fake Christians and if you had a camera at their house you would be amazed how they really think and act. Same way with other people, you see them. The guy is right, too many fake people and you probably know one.

I can't see what Christianity (yours or anyone else's) has to do with it.

Adelaide
12-04-2012, 06:15 AM
Evidently the term "sociopath" is no longer widely used in the psychiatric community (though it's still a common term used and understood by most people). Nowadays the disorder is known as "Antisocial Personality Disorder".

What exactly is a sociopath? I found an interesting article describing it at the website psychcentral.com. The symptoms of the disorder are:

Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest

Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure

Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead

Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults

Reckless disregard for safety of self or others

Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations

Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

Here's the rest of the article:
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx7.htm

Conley, maybe this could be moved to Health and Medicine? It is an interesting topic.

It's actually one of the many things being argued about for the DSM-V - whether sociopathy should be seen as seperate from ASPD.

At any rate, most "sociopaths" are people you'd never suspect unless you know what you're looking for. I worked with someone that I am about 95% sure was a "sociopath" - the cherry on top of that judgement was when she told the entire staff (through gossip) that her competition had had an abortion when really the poor woman had a miscarriage and was trying to keep it private. Anything to demoralize the person whose position she wanted.

corrocamino
12-04-2012, 06:22 AM
I'm afraid that meanness is diffused through all psychiatric quadrants, and correlates positively with immaturity.

Adelaide
12-04-2012, 06:29 AM
I'm afraid that meanness is diffused through all psychiatric quadrants, and correlates positively with immaturity.

That was only one example of the behaviour I witnessed. She met the entire criteria of ASPD, which I'm fairly confident in my determination since I own and have studied the DSM-IV-TR. Her "meanness" knew no bounds and she was mostly only a bully when she thought it could somehow get her ahead, but it usually just backfired and she just looked like a total asshole. She never saw a problem with her behaviour and she never demonstrated any remorse for it.

corrocamino
12-04-2012, 06:40 AM
I'm convinced!

oceanloverOH
12-04-2012, 08:06 AM
That was only one example of the behaviour I witnessed. She met the entire criteria of ASPD, which I'm fairly confident in my determination since I own and have studied the DSM-IV-TR. Her "meanness" knew no bounds and she was mostly only a bully when she thought it could somehow get her ahead, but it usually just backfired and she just looked like a total asshole. She never saw a problem with her behaviour and she never demonstrated any remorse for it.

I quit a job once because of the anger and frustration caused by working with people like this. Life is too short.

Adelaide
12-04-2012, 08:09 AM
I quit a job once because of the anger and frustration caused by working with people like this. Life is too short.

I rode it out... had little choice. I wasn't going to let some crazy asshole affect my career!

roadmaster
12-04-2012, 01:44 PM
I can't see what Christianity (yours or anyone else's) has to do with it. Just an example, they make people angry and hard to be around, well the ones that really know them.