Please tell me in detail about psychopath.

Question

Hello doctor,

We are both 20 years old and we were wondering if you could answer some of our questions for school. We are required to consult with a psychiatrist, but we do not have money to consult with any. Our topic is psychopathy and how psychopaths are developed. The questions are as follows. How do you diagnose someone as a psychopath? What kind of therapy is needed to aid the brain condition of a psychopath? Is psychopathy a genetic condition? Are sociopaths and psychopaths developed the same way? What kind of environment is the most likely to form psychopaths? Are psychopaths more self-sufficient compared to an average person? If psychopaths are unable to feel strong emotions, what are their goals or aspirations in life? What are the signs of a psychopath targeting you? Do psychopaths lack the concept of sexuality since they are unable to form deep emotional connections? If a psychopath is able to form a family, what would be the effect on his or her children?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I would be happy to help you. What you are referring to as a psychopath is known as antisocial personality disorder in psychiatry. It is diagnosed using certain standard guidelines and criteria. These people show a persistent disregard for laws and the rights of others. Such people do not generally seek professional help unless it is for comorbid problems like substance use or mood disorder or they are in prison and brought by the police. These people have impulsive traits and extreme irritability which can be reduced with the help of psychiatric medication. Therapy may be helpful but more often than not. There is no permanent treatment because many of them do not follow up and majority do not feel there is anything wrong with them. People who have first degree relatives with psychopathy have higher chances of the same but social, economic and cultural factors also play a role. Sociopaths can be best described as a milder form of antisocial personality disorder. Psychopaths are highly intelligent but they lack empathy. So they do not generally have long lasting relationships or gain satisfaction from interpersonal relations. I hope this helps. Thank you.