Antisocial
personality disorder (ASPD) is a prolonged pattern of behavior and experience
that impairs a person's way of thinking and behaving - toward others and with
themselves.
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD): Causes, Symptoms and
Treatment
What is an Antisocial
Personality Disorder?
Antisocial personality
disorder (ASPD) is a prolonged pattern of behavior and experience that impairs
performance and causes distress.
Antisocial personality
disorder is a mental health disorder that affects a person's behaviors,
feelings, and thoughts related to others. This disorder reaches the point of
committing crimes against others.
People with ASPD can be
witty, charming, and fun to be around -- but they also act rashly,
destructively, and unsafely without feeling guilty when their actions hurt other
people.
The pattern of disordered
behavior in people with ASPD continues beyond the stage of adulthood, as
sufferers of this disorder may carry out certain actions, on a continuous and
repeated basis, that will ultimately lead, in many cases, to their arrest and
imprisonment.
Antisocial personality
disorder poses a major social challenge in the manner of dealing with this
disease and in providing appropriate treatment for those affected.
Society is forced to deal
with this disorder through law enforcement agencies (mainly the police and
courts) in the absence of effective treatment, especially through criminal
convictions, deportation, or imprisonment.
The beginnings of this
disorder usually go back to childhood or the early stages of adolescence, and
it continues into adulthood, and even beyond.
In general, a personality
disorder is prevalent among people of the poor socio-economic classes, among
those who live in large cities, and it is more common among men than among
women. It is estimated that about 3% of men, in general, develop this disorder,
compared to 1% of women.
With age, especially in
the fourth decade of life, the severity of the disorder subsides. The most
prominent expression of this is represented, first and foremost, by criminal
behavior, which recedes a lot, and may even disappear completely, but it is
possible that there will also be a decrease in other areas of anti-social
behavior.
Although the exact cause
of this disorder is not yet known, the role of genetics and exposure to childhood
trauma cannot be ignored. Childhood trauma includes exposure to abuse of all
kinds as well as exposure to neglect.
Epidemiological studies
have shown that the biological relatives of people with this disorder are more
likely to have this disorder than the general population.
People with this disorder
often grow up in poor family circumstances. For example, one of the parents may
be addicted to alcohol or drugs, and there may also be disagreements between
the parents to the point of violence.
There are ways in which a
personality disorder can be diagnosed, only from the age of 18 years and over,
while disorders that appear before that age are defined as behavioral disorders
in adolescents.
Causes of Antisocial
Personality Disorder
There is no specific cause
for developing an antisocial personality disorder, but there are some factors
and causes that lead to the development of personality disorder, namely:
- ASPD is more common among the first-degree biological relatives of those with the disorder.
- ASPD is likely strongly linked to inheritance and environmental influences.
- Being subjected to abuse, neglect, and trauma during childhood.
- Growing up in difficult family circumstances.
- Parents' quarrels and cruel behavior towards their children.
- Unstable, violent, or chaotic family life during childhood.
- Upbringing can have an important influence.
- Smoking during pregnancy and abnormal brain function.
Symptoms of Antisocial
Personality Disorder
People with antisocial
personality disorder are prone, for example, to behaviors that include:
damaging and destroying property, harassment, stealing, or engaging in other
illegal concerns. They also ignore the desires, feelings, and rights of others.
They can act impulsively
without planning their steps in advance and the results that might lead to it.
Their actions and practices only aim at the immediate fulfillment of their
needs, without thinking in advance and without any consideration of the consequences
of their actions, whether on them personally or on others.
The characteristic
behavioral features of this disorder relate to rapid and sudden changes in the
workplace, place of residence or in the field of personal relationships.
Usually, people with this
disorder tend to be nervous and aggressive, and are often involved in conflicts
or quarrels. And they behave violently not only with strangers but with their
spouses or children as well. This is because their use of force is not in
self-defense or in defense of others.
Another feature of the
behavior of people with this disorder is reckless and irresponsible driving
(excessive speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, excessive
involvement in traffic accidents).
They also tend to engage
in sexual behaviors without restrictions or boundaries, or abuse drugs, with
the dire consequences that result from. They neglect their children and are
unable to take care of their needs, which poses a real danger to them.
The behavior of these patients
is characterized as irresponsible, absolutely and always. In the field of work,
for example, they spend very long and continuous periods without work, as they
refuse to work even if it is possible to obtain it, or they leave their work
before arranging and ensuring alternative work. Often they are absent from
their work, not specifically because of illness. They get into debt and neglect
their family's affairs.
When they are placed in
the face of their actions and their consequences for others, they are
indifferent and do not express any regret or remorse. Rather, they place the
blame and responsibility on their victims or their relatives, accusing them of
stupidity and helplessness. They also downplay the seriousness of their actions
and do not show any willingness to compensate the victims.
Symptoms of antisocial
personality disorder can be summarized as follows:
- Exploiting or manipulating others or violating their rights.
- Lack of attention to other people's feelings and not showing signs of remorse after hurting someone else.
- Blaming others forever.
- Being irritable and aggressive.
- Practicing irresponsible behavior.
- Difficulty continuing relationships with others for a long time.
- Inability to control anger.
- Inability to learn from past mistakes.
- Never feel guilty.
- Failure to meet money, work, or social duties.
- Not caring about the safety of others or themselves.
- Difficulty continuing relationships with others for a long time.
- Abusing drugs or alcohol.
- Repeatedly breaking the law.
Early Signs of Antisocial
Behavior in Children
3 signs appear on children
in childhood that make the psychiatrist admit that they have the disorder,
namely:
1.The emergence of severe
aggressive tendencies towards schoolmates.
2.The tendency to deviate,
such as drinking narcotic drugs.
3. Frequent school
absenteeism may indicate a disorder.
Treatment of Antisocial
Personality Disorder
An antisocial personality
disorder is difficult to treat. The therapeutic methods adopted today have not
yet proven their effectiveness and efficacy, which raises great pessimism among
the professionals working in this field. The main problem is the lack of
motivation to undergo and maintain a certain treatment.
It was previously believed
that antisocial personality disorder persists with the sufferer throughout his
life, but it was later found that this does not apply to all cases. There are
some patients who have been treated successfully, or at least most of their
symptoms have been controlled.
Evidence indicates that
the pathological behavior associated with this disorder improves with
treatment, even if some features of the disorder persist.
Some evidence indicates
that antisocial personality disorder can be treated after a period of up to 18
months, even if some characteristics such as lack of empathy cannot be treated.
It is noteworthy that the
sufferers of this disorder usually refuse to resort to treatment, and turn to
it only in the event of a court order to do so.
How to treat this disorder
depends on the person’s circumstances, taking into account other things,
including his age, behavioral history, and the presence of other disorders or
problems, including alcohol and drug addiction.
Usually, your doctor will
try a combination of psychotherapy and medication. It is difficult to assess
the effectiveness of available treatments in managing antisocial personality
disorder symptoms.
Psychotherapy: A psychologist may recommend several types of psychotherapy based on your
situation.
Psychodynamic
psychotherapy can increase awareness of unconscious thoughts and negative
behaviors.
Cognitive-behavioral
therapy can help reveal negative thoughts and behaviors.
Social therapy, using the
"DTC" technique, meets the patient's emotional and psychological
needs.
Medications: There are no
medications specifically approved for treating antisocial personality disorder.
Your doctor may recommend
that you stay in a mental health hospital where you can receive intensive
treatment.
Your doctor may prescribe
antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety medications, and anti-psychotic
medications.