Psychopathy, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder - Essay Example

Order 359201 Topic: No - compare and contrast psychopathy, narcissistic personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Psychopathy is defined thus: “A mental disorder in which an individual manifests amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc.” (Psychopathy...) This, however, is not the final definition on psychopathy. Innumerable definitions have been given and explained by the masters on the subject. As many human beings, so many minds! Two individuals are not alike, measured by any standards. Their thought patterns are different; hence the minds are different. This is the main issue in clinical treatments of an individual. “The psychopath is one of the most fascinating and distressing problems of human experience. For the most part, a psychopath never remains attached to anyone or anything. They live a "predatory" lifestyle.”(Psychopathic....)They have no regret, have no element of remorse in them, except when they are caught. People are serious obstacles for them, and hence they need to be challenged, overcome and deserve elimination—this is their view of life. People around are a tool of self-esteem and their yardstick of judging an individual is as per the quantum of their material possession like money, property etc. A psychopath is devoid of emotional intelligence.The recognized characteristics of psychopathic personality and behavior are:(According to Robert Hare,Ph.D.) “Glibness/superficial charm, grandiose sense of self worth ,need for stimulation/prone to boredom, pathological lying,conning/manipulative, lack of remorse or guilt,shallow emotional response, callous/lack of empathy,parasitic lifestyle, poor behavioral controls,promiscuous sexual behavior, early behavioral problems,lack of realistic long term goals impulsiveness ,irresponsibility, failure to accept responsibility for their own actions,many short term relationships , juvenile delinquency,revocation of conditional release and criminal versatility.” (Psychopathic....) Anti-social personality disorder: Being psychopath may be an additional quality of personalities under this category. Such an individual need not be a psychopath. This comes under the law and order problem category. That which is evident requires not much elaboration or appreciation. The very name indicates the the qualities that are to be found in this type of individual. One does not have regard for the rights of other people and carries the conviction that whatever he does for his selfish aggrandizement or to settle scores, is right. One is aware of the unpleasant consequences that will follow, the punishment that one may have to to undergo, but behavior continues to be what it is. Such an individual is not normally willing to change. Though spiritual discipline plays an important role in reformation and rehabilitation of such an individual, the branch of psychology has not accepted the spiritual disciplines in totality so far. Some of the symptoms of antisocial personality 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,impulsiveness 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.”( Psych Central....) Antisocial personality disorder is a psychiatric condition in which a person manipulates, exploits, or violates the rights of others. This behavior is often criminal. Such an individual “Breaks the law repeatedly,lies, steals, and fights often,disregards the safety of self and others,does not show any guilt. To make a statement that the law and order machinery exists mainly to take care of the antisocial personalities, is not far from truth. This is the toughest personality disorder to deal with, as most of the acts committed by such individuals are deliberate. The exact causes of evolving of an antisocial personality are unknown. A good percentage of the prison population consists of such individuals. Genetic factors, economic conditions, child abuse, parents addicted to alcohol and drugs,are some of the fertile grounds for mentoring antisocial personalities. Some of the symptoms of antisocial personality are, “anger and arrogance,capable of acting witty and charming,good at flattery and manipulating other peoples emotions,substance abuse and legal problems.” (Antisocial....) Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition in which there is an inflated sense of self-importance and an extreme preoccupation with ones self. Some of the symptoms are: “Reacts to criticism with rage, shame, or humiliation,takes advantage of other people to achieve his or her own goals,has feelings of self-importance,exaggerates achievements and talents, preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence, or ideal love,has unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment,requires constant attention and admiration,disregards the feelings of others, lacks empathy,has obsessive self-interest,pursues mainly selfish goals.”(Narcissistic....) Psychopathy may of use in treating such individuals. The exact causes are unknown and the symptoms come to the fore in early adulthood. Psychological evaluation and the history of the individual may help to determine the cause of disorder. Prognosis varies from individual to individual, as per the severity of the disorder, taking into consideration additional complications due to faulty relationships, family problems, and evil tendencies like alcohol and drug demand. Comparison and contrast between the above three personality disorders: “The concepts of antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy are closely linked, the former representing an attempt to operationalize the latter older term.”(Moran,1999, p. x) In USA, about 80-85% or imprisoned criminals have Antisocial Personality Disorder; of them only about 20% are psychopaths. Psychopaths may qualify for being categorized as Antisocial Personality Disorder by the reverse is not true. Psychopaths commit serious crimes, they are serial killers and repeat rapists. “A diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder has limited utility for making differential predictions of institutional adjustment, response to treatment, and behavior following release from prison. In contrast, the diagnosis of being a psychopath has considerable predictive validity with respect to treatment outcome, institutional adjustment, recidivism and violence.” (Antisocial...(2) The origin of all types of personality disorders is in ones mental frame. Conclusively human mind is a double-edged sword. When its potentialities are mishandled, just as the individuals with Anti-social Personality Disorder do, it can create havoc, resulting in serious criminal acts, the effective utilization of its potentialities can help eliminate anxiety, panic attacks and stress. An individual with a peaceful mind can never misbehave. The psychologist and the other counseling authorities are aware of this fact—mind is equipped with incredible powers that can change the life of an individual with personality disorders. That which does the worst, has the inherent capacity to do the best. Generally, anxiety and stress just need a single negative thought for their ignition. Many have committed murders in that state of mind. Once the psychologist understands ones type of personality disorder, he tries to train and develop the mind disease-free and stress-free to enable one to lead a healthier and more productive life while keeping at bay the causes of disorders. Individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are distinctively unlike the other two mentioned above. “ While grandiosity is the diagnostic hallmark of pathological narcissism, there is research evidence that pathological narcissism occurs in two forms, (a) a grandiose state of mind in young adults that can be corrected by life experiences, and (b) the stable disorder which is defined less by grandiosity than by severely disturbed interpersonal relations.”(Narcissistic....2) Narcissism, though termed as a personality disorder, it tends to be discussed as a character disorder, and therefore, it varies from individual to individual. Prognosis and treatment possibilities are decided accordingly. The incidence of NPD is about 1% in the general population. Firstly, a narcissist may not agree that he is suffering from personality disorder. If one enters treatment, progress is very slow. Narcissist may decline to continue with the help of the therapist, even if he undergoes a few sessions. Narcissists most often misinterpret actions and speech of other people. They have a firm belief that they are liked and respected notwithstanding their poor quality interactions which are not liked by the people. They overestimate themselves, and underestimate the worth of the people with whom they interact. Conclusion: Personality disorders are not watertight compartments. Much overlap exists between personality disorders and the clinicians are obliged to diagnose mixes of two or more. The differential diagnosis is carried out on the absence of specific gross behaviors. Borderline Personality Disorders have many identical similarities. Narcissists rarely commit crimes but in an impulsive rage, they may commit the worst criminal acts. Narcissists avoid contact with others. In case of treatment of psychopaths, the modalities may prove counter-productive, as they learn new ways to exploit people and thus in real terms it may increase their recidivism rates. As for narcissism, grandiosity is the hallmark of their personality. They strongly believe that spectacular results are possible only through their actions. Such individuals overestimate their capabilities, in terms of success, brilliance,beauty, ideal love and power. They, believe they are not only jack of all trades, but masters too! They revel in too much admiration and they enjoy such doses! *************** Works Cited: Antisocial personality disorder Google Health Mayo Clinic Medline Plus WebMD Retrtieved on January 27,2010. Antisocial Personality Disorder(2) Most psychopaths meet the criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder, ... Histrionic, and Narcissistic.... Retrieved on January 27, 2010 Moran, Paul. Antisocial Personality Disorder: An Epidemiological Perspective. RCPsych Publications, January 1, 1999. Narcissistic personality disorder Google Health Mayo Clinic Medline Plus WebMD Retrtieved on January 27,2010 Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)(2) : ...Discussion of narcissistic personality disorder for laypersons... -Retrieved on January 27, 2010 Psych Central: Antisocial Personality Disorder – Retrieved on January 27,2010 Psychopathic Personality;May 20, 2007 … – Retrieved on January 27,2010. Psychopathy Definition | Definition of Psychopathy at Dictionary. com – Retrieved on January 27,2010 Read More