Every few years there are disturbing, yet fascinating headlines: “BTK killer: Hiding in plain sight” or “Police discover at least 10 victims at Anthony Sowell's home”; but what would allow an individual to commit the crimes they did? In cases like these there is usually a common link: Antisocial Personality disorder. It is an unknown disorder to most of the population which is why there are so many questions to be answered, the main ones being what is antisocial personality disorder and how does it effect patient and society as a whole? To answer these questions one needs an accurate background picture of the disorder.
The first part of the disorder that needs to be explored is the symptoms. “The essential feature of Antisocial Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).” Some examples of this are that people with this disorder frequently commit acts that could be grounds for arrest (but they do not always get arrested), mutilation of small animals in childhood, or the beating of ones spouse or child. A person with this disorder usually seems to have an artificial charm and can be very manipulative, which may have led to many of the murders in the headlines above. Another key feature of this disorder is that individuals suffering from this disorder tend to be irresponsible, especially in the workplace and finances. The individuals tend to fail at keeping a job for very long and cannot keep track of their spending. Another key feature of the disorder is that the individual usually doesn’t care about the safety of themselves or others. This behavior ...
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... of Congress. This chapter was helpful because it provided information one of the many treatments of APD.
-Freeman, A. and Eig, B. 2006. The Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Approach. In Antisocial Personality Disorder: A Practitioner’s Guide to Comparative Treatments. pp. 115-135. Springer Publishing Company Inc: This was a reliable source and is in the Library of Congress. This chapter was also helpful because it described a method of treatment for APD.
-Bardsley, M., Bell, R., and Lohr, D. 2009. The BTK Story. Retrieved December 9, 2009 from http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/unsolved/btk/index_1.html : This was a reliable source since it collected it’s information from police records, first hand accounts and testimony from the trial. This resource was very helpful because it presented a high-profile case of a person suffering from this disorder.
For axis 2, antisocial personality disorder our notes say that no treatment for this disorder seems to be effective. Yet about 25 percent of all people with this disorder do receive treatment. One major problem is that individual’s lack of conscience or desire to change. Most have been mandated to treatment. Hospitals have attempted to create therapeutic communities even though most of today’s treatment approaches have little to no impact on the
Scott, S. L. “What Makes Serial Killers Tick?”. Crime Library. Retrieved April 3, 2014, http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/tick/victims_1.html
Moran, P. "The epidemiology of antisocial personality disorder ." Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 34.5 (1999): 231-242. Print.
Ogloff, J. R. (2006). Psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder conundrum. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, (40), 519-528.
First, Anti Social Personality Disorder is a mental condition that can cause a person to think and behave in a destructive manner. “Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is characterized by a pattern of socially irresponsible, exploitative, and guiltless behavior. ASPD is associated with co-occurring mental health and addictive disorders and medical comorbidity.” (Black, 2015) People with ASPD have a habit of antagonizing and manipulating others but also have no awareness for what is right and what is wrong. One tends to disregard the feelings and wishes of others. “ASPD typically begins during childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.” (Kivi, 2012) ASPD usually is noticed around 8 years old, but it is categorized as a conduct disorder. Though children can be treated in what doctors may think is ASPD, children will not be completely diagnosed with the title of ASPD until at least 18 years of age. In time those with ASPD behavior usually end up turning criminal.
Antisocial Personality disorder is a mental disorder that is characterized by a pattern of irresponsible, exploitive, and guiltless behavior with tendencies to fail to conform to the law and exploit and manipulate others for personal gain. It is diagnosable if the who patient shows these signs is at least 18 years old, there is a conduct disorder before they were 15 years old, and their behavior is not simply the result of Schizophrenia or a manic episode. This diagnosis is usually based on a
Black, D. (2006). Treatment for Antisocial Personality Disorder. Retrieved September 3, 2011, from PsychCentral: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/treatment-for-antisocial-personality-disorder/
Once Avoidant Personality Disorder is diagnosed there are then a variety of treatment options available that prove to be effective for the individual. Whether it is a cognitive-behavioral approach, one that is psychodynamically focused, or even an unconventional approach such as wilderness therapy, the focus should be on evaluating each individual in their specific context and tailoring an approach that fits with their needs and goals.
There’s no cure for Antisocial Personality disorder, it is simply a reality we face in modern American society, and although these people function differently, and sometimes dangerously in society today, they have become a powerful and integrated part of American Society.
Miller, Laurence. "The predator's brain: Neuropsychodynamics of serial killers."Serial offenders: Current thought, recent findings, unusual syndromes (2000): 135-166.
Simons, C. (2001). Antisocial personality disorder in serial killers: The thrill of the kill. The Justice Professional, 14(4), 345-356.
Currently, there are two major types of treatments for personality disorders: psychotherapy and pharmacological therapy. Depending on whether the patient is suicidal or violent, determines how the psychiatrist, or therapist, will decide to treat the individual. One type of practice that is used in psychotherapy is called avoidance reduction. It is similar to the other techniques that are found in other psychotherapies. There are three approaches that are used in avoidance reduction: supportive therapy, positive feedback, and reassurance.
Leichsenring, F., & Leibing, E. (2003). The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of personality disorders: a meta-analysis. American Journal Of Psychiatry, 160(7), 1223--1232.
Antisocial Personality Disorder, also informally known as psychopathy/sociopathy, is a disorder where people elicit manipulative behaviors and lack morals. This includes disregard for rules, violence, superficial charm, promiscuity, a superiority complex, and difficulty forming attachments. This is said to be caused by genetics as well as modeling, or watching other people perform this kind of behavior. 3.3% of Americans are diagnosed with Antisocial Personality disorder. It’s 70% more common in males than females and is seen greatly in
Ted Bundy: psychiatric testimony. Serial Murder: Through the Looking Glass. Retrieved March 12, 2003, from http://serial- killers.virtualave.net/bundy2.htm