A diagnosed sociopath has revealed the biggest thing people tend to misunderstand about the disorder.
Labelling someone as a ‘sociopath’ can sometimes be misused to slam people and carries a fair bit of stigma but not everyone actually understands what one is.
Greg sat down with Jubilee for a YouTube video titled I’m a Sociopath. Ask Me Anything to help give people a better idea of what the disorder is as he explained his own experience with it after being diagnosed over a decade ago.
What is a sociopath?
Doctors don’t officially diagnose people as psychopaths or sociopaths but instead with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
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The NHS says people with an ASPD will ‘typically be manipulative, deceitful and reckless, and will not care for other people's feelings’.
Differences between a sociopath and a psychopath
So, while neither are a diagnosis, they are a set of traits.
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WebMD says if you have ASPD or sociopathy ‘you probably know you're doing something wrong when you do something wrong’. However, you might have little empathy for others, so even if you might know you’re doing something harmful or unethical, it’s ‘not enough to stop you from doing it’.
Whereas some experts reckon those with psychopathy lack a sense of empathy or morality.
“Others think it's just much harder for you to predict when your actions will lead to harmful consequences,” the site adds.
Symptoms of ASPD
The condition often develops in childhood but you can’t get an ASPD diagnosis until you’re 18 or older.
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If you have it you might lie to or trick others for personal gain, commit crimes, disregard rules or others’ safety and act impulsively or aggressively.
You might also be cold towards others and lie about both big and little things.
It might also be difficult to complete schoolwork or stay in a job as well as have only a few (if any at all) close relationships.
The biggest thing people misunderstand about sociopaths
Greg said for him the biggest misconception is the stereotype that sociopaths are ‘incredibly violent and just malicious just to be mean’.
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But he said: “At least for me, that’s not how it presents.”
The lad explained: “More often than not, people with antisocial personality disorder, sociopaths, they’re just irresponsible, impulsive people.
“That can lead to you being a little bit aggressive and irritable, but the myth that they’re violent and just out of control monsters is blown way out of proportion.”
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For him, a sociopath is someone who ‘has no regard for themselves or other people’.
“You’re very impulsive, very irresponsible, reckless,” Greg added. “Basically like a child.”
Elsewhere in the video, Greg was asked what made him think he was a sociopath, and he simply responded: “Waking up in prison was probably my first clue.”
“I’ve committed several crimes. I was using drugs and selling to support my habit. I also have many retail thefts," he added.
During the interview (released in 2022), he said he hadn’t committed any ‘major crimes’ since 2011 and had ‘stopped stealing’ and ‘driving recklessly’.
“I think I changed my ways.
“I can manage to stop these thoughts and impulses before they lead to actions."
Topics: Mental Health, Health
Jess Battison