Could you be a psychopath and not realise?
Well, for one woman, she had no idea for years that she was actually a psychopath until she remembered one red flag about herself which changed the course of her life.
When we think about psychopaths, murder, gore and crime often comes to mind.
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But it’s not really a true depiction of what living with psychopathy is like.
In fact, it can be very hard to spot the difference between someone who is a sociopath, psychopath or generally antisocial.
However, M.E Thomas, an author and diagnosed psychopath realised that her pattern of reinventing herself was down to something much more than broken relationships.
According to WebMD, psychopathy is rarely a standalone diagnosis, and individuals who display psychopathic characteristics are generally diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), which encapsulates key signs.
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The DSM-5 criteria for ASPD shows that a person might have a pattern of ‘disregard for and violation of the rights of others, since age 15 years’, and three or more of the following:
· Failure to conform to social norms concerning lawful behaviours
· Deceitfulness, repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for pleasure or personal profit
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· Impulsivity or failure to plan
· Irritability and aggressiveness, often with physical fights or assaults
· Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others
· Consistent irresponsibility, failure to sustain consistent work behaviour, or honour monetary obligations
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· Lack of remorse, being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another person
For Thomas, it was her inability not to manipulate those around her.
Speaking with PsychopathyIs, she said: “I realised that I did not have an alternative to manipulating. The only way I understood how to interact with people was through manipulation.”
If we look back up to the DSM-5 criteria, Thomas will tick off the ‘deceitfulness’ box and the ‘use of aliases’ as she would repeatedly reinvent herself once her relationships would break down due to her manipulation tactics.
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Comparing herself to a ‘gas’ or liquid, Thomas explained how she felt no sense of self, and had a lack of self-expression before going through with treatment after recognising her red flag.
She believed that without people around her, she was ‘nothing’ and was a ‘cypher’.
Now, with help, she is able to feel a range of emotions she hadn’t felt before, such as satisfaction and self-awareness instead of negativity and frustration.
People in the comments under the video were incredibly interested in this red flag, and her explanation of how it feels to be a psychopath.
One person wrote: “I found it quite fascinating when she said the main factor that caused her to get help was because as her relationships in her life began to dissolve, which limited her 'career' options.
“Such an unusual take on how her gain was being threatened and thus led her to seek help and alternate ways to approach her manipulation, rather than the loss of friends around her.”
Another wrote: “’If there's nobody around me, then I'm nothing’. This is such an interesting dilemma for people with NPD and ASPD.
“Because at the same time people mean nothing to you, they mean the world to you, because they're those who validate your ego and your accomplishments. A life without people for those with ASPD or NPD is a dull life.”
Britt Jones