Antisocial Personality Disorder

- Psychological Disorders and Mental Health Conditions

People are often captivated by the cunning serial killer or the psychopath portrayed in the movies. Often, these stories strike a chord in the general public because the killers portrayed in them  live among others without detection. They are the mailman, your uncle, your boss, or the blind date you met for dinner.

Signs

Those with Antisocial Personality Disorder are sometimes very charming and may seem normal if their true behavior is not revealed. The criminal and disturbing acts of someone with this disorder often begin in childhood. Although a diagnosis cannot be made until the age of 18, there are definite signs that someone you may know has Antisocial Personality Disorder or might develop it in adulthood. There is near certainty that this person will cause harm to themselves or someone else and if left untreated may lead to grave consequences.

antisocial personality disorder

In children, there are a few signs that should concern you if noticed with your child over time. First, there is a high correlation of dysfunctional childhood environment and ineffective parenting practices with early onset mental disorders. This often leads to trouble connecting with peers and may lead to rejection, teasing, and isolation in school. A diagnosis of a conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder during school age is also a strong indication that the child might develop Antisocial Personality Disorder.  Normal developmental rebellion, disrespect, and boundary testing does not qualify for this disorder. The behavior becomes clinically significant when it occurs over a long period of time and there are disruptive levels of aggression and antisocial behavior. This includes aggression towards themselves, stealing, lying, and abuse of siblings, peers, and pets and may be marked with late age bed wetting, enuresis, on encopresis. The child or young adult may engage in killing, torturing, or dissecting animals, deriving pleasure from these acts. The more antisocial child may join a gang or a group of delinquents where the child is rewarded for brutality, criminal behavior, and aggression. This may also lead to alcohol and drug abuse at a young age. The most obvious sign that someone might have Antisocial Personality Disorder is a marked lack of empathy for others, including those on whom they inflicted pain. They may seem emotionless unless they are expressing anger or rage, which may be often. In most cases, the child or young adult that is developing this disorder will be unapologetic for, or sometimes proud of, their dangerous, violent, or harmful acts. There is also a good chance that there will be involvement with law enforcement at some time in their adolescence or adulthood.

Treatment

Treatment for Antisocial Personality Disorder must be done early, must be intensive, and possibly long term. This is a disorder of the family and the community because the behavior of one affects everyone around them. It is important that the family seek treatment together to learn to address the behaviors in all environments. With school aged children the community will likely become involved in trying to teach appropriate behavior. School administrators, teachers, counselors, mentors, and medical professionals can work together to target the specific behaviors that are dysfunctional and also create a less volatile environment to minimize the triggers for undesirable behaviors. Mental health professionals might employ psycho-education and skills training in therapy to help in communication and establishment of social acceptable behaviors. Unfortunately, Antisocial Personality symptoms in teens and adults are highly resistant to treatment. This may leave families feeling hopeless and helpless, but it is important to continue treatment even if it does not seem to be working, keeping in mind that it might take a long time for the changes to take place. Medication can be helpful but should not be used without psycho-social treatment and, at times, inpatient, psychiatric care is necessary for the safety of the child and family.

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