Almost all of us would have watched a movie or a series which involved a “psycho”- a heartless, cruel person who derives pleasure from making others suffer.
But is that the reality of the whole situation? What does the disorder look like? And how does this mental illness begin anyway? Are all “psychos” or psychopaths ruthless killers with faces that could send chills up your spine? Are they incapable of having normal conversations?
Chances are, no. Ted Bundy, one of the most infamous serial killers to have existed, didn’t really have a scary face. He raped and murdered countless women and ALSO, received love letters in jail. Contradictory much? He was diagnosed with ASPD- Antisocial Personality Disorder. People with this illness are who we refer to as psychopaths. Some symptoms of people with ASPD are as follows:
- Lying and dishonesty
- Disregard for other people, hostility and lack of empathy
- Grandiosity, pretentiousness and a superiority complex along with narcissism
- Lack of concern for societal norms and laws: people with ASPD are usually in trouble with the law
- Aggressiveness, violence
- Repeated lack of remorse for their acts of violence and it’s impact
- Manipulative towards others for their own gain-using charm and wit
The causes for ASPD vary from inherited genetic traits to traumatic childhood experiences to exposure to violence/explicit content from a young age.
Now Bundy, was quite intelligent, charming and quite good looking too. It was these wily charms that he used to attract and eventually kill, women. But he had a pretty eventful childhood. He was born to an unwed mother and was raised by his grandparents, thinking his mother was his sister. His grandmother had agoraphobia (fear of people) and his grandfather was known for being violent. So you can see how he had the causal factors for the disorder in childhood, with a possibility of a hereditary occurrence as well. The disorder is not usually random, and it may not always be outwardly scary.
Now that some preconceived notions that may have been held about people with ASPD have been broken, let’s get to some facts.
1. It starts from childhood
ASPD as an illness rarely begins in adulthood. Chances are that these serial killers started small- harming ferrets or rats and worked their way up to humans. They tend to exhibit their heartlessness and lack of empathy from a young age, even as young as 6 years old. For instance, Bundy’s childhood experiences involve him almost beating a classmate’s head from behind with a stick when still in school and arranging knives near his sleeping aunt as a toddler! ASPD in childhood can be seen as Conduct Disorder, whose symptoms are as follows:
- Disregard for rules and inability to follow them
- Vandalism and stealing
- Violence towards people and/or animals with intention to hurt or kill
- Dishonesty
- Inability to follow societal norms
- Lack of mood regulation
The overlapping symptoms of both the disorders fuel transition from Conduct Disorder in childhood, to ASPD in the future. Studies also show that children diagnosed with CD tend to have higher incarceration rates and propensity to do drugs.
This is not to say that children with Conduct Disorder will always develop ASPD as adults. Conduct Disorder can manifest into other disorders in adulthood, like anxiety disorders or mood disorders.
However, most adults with ASPD tend to have had CD as a child.
2. They can be charming
As seen from the love letters Bundy received, people with ASPD can be very charming. This arises from the fact that they can be individuals who understand complex human emotions(not to be confused with empathy, as they lack this feature). They use this as a bait for their unsuspecting victims, and adeptly manipulate them.
Although they have an understanding of emotions, they don’t feel remorse or guilt for any of the violent acts they have committed. For instance, if you view Ted Bundy’s interviews, you can see how friendly he is- even described by his interviewer as being “very personable” and “hard to forget”. Well if it’s a person who has killed more than 70 women, we’d say he’s unforgettable too.
3. Their symptoms can be seen
Charm, isn’t to be confused with absence of symptoms. Many TV shows and movies make those with ASPD seem very interesting so much so that you barely notice the symptoms of the disorder. Except for when they are probably harming or killing other people. However, ASPD includes symptoms like grandiosity (a sense of grandeur, and impressiveness at a pretentious level) and a superiority complex- and it can be hard to hide.
They tend to have an overall sense of arrogance about them, and don’t like to be told that they are wrong. They have a callous attitude towards most other people, and the crimes they have committed and use charm to hide this. In Bundy’s interview, one can see how he is completely remorseless- happy, rather, when talking in detail about the women he’s tortured and killed.
4. They’re predominantly men
Several mental disorders are unbalanced: either men or women predominantly have them. And ASPD is no exception. It is more commonly seen in men than women. Research suggests that it could be due to gender roles in our society. Women are expected to be more nurturing and caring, whereas men are expected to be more aggressive and strong.
This could mean that even if women did have ASPD, they would be more passive aggressive in the way they exhibit the symptoms of the disorder. For instance, rather than being physically hostile and violent, they could be verbal in hurting others. Because of this, and the fact that it may not lead to direct physical violence or aggressiveness, they can’t be diagnosed with the disorder as such. However, there have been women who have been diagnosed with ASPD including serial killers, so let’s not discount that.
5. About 21% of CEO’s are psychopaths
Don’t panic! This statement doesn’t imply that your CEO is going to chase you around with a knife anytime soon. It implies that many CEO’s tend to exhibit the symptoms of ASPD- a mix of ruthlessness, lack of empathy, charm, wit and manipulative behavior. Sound familiar? Outside the context of ASPD these traits are like a power move for CEO’s, enabling them to make decisions and have control in the organization. So, as seen previously, a psychopath doesn’t necessarily have to hurt people physically. It can be through other behaviors as well. It’s all about the identification.
6. There’s types of ASPD
There are two forms of ASPD- sociopathy and psychopathy. While the latter is manipulative and is capable of socializing with others, the former is more reserved and have more open outbursts of anger. Sociopaths are also capable of making lasting connects with people (it’s difficult but not impossible!). On the other hand, psychopaths are far more narcissistic and are incapable of making connections with people (at least on their end). In short, psychopaths pretend to be caring and empathetic, hiding their true selves. Sociopaths don’t usually pretend to be kind, and are incapable of managing a family life in most cases.
In summary, the future for ASPD research is quite rich, as till date, there is no cure or highly effective therapeutic options. And even the treatment plans devised have been quite meager as the disorder is stubborn. The best hope stems from early interventions in children with Conduct Disorder. And as scary as it seems, it’s found only in 1 out of a 100 people and can vary in severity and type. But I highly recommend you stay away from CEO’s though, for obvious reasons!
References:
- Mental Health and Conduct Disorder (2020)
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-conduct-disorder#1
- (Mayo Clinic Staff) Antisocial personality disorder
- Boon S., (October 24, 2014) 5 Myths about Serial Killers and Why They Persist [Excerpt]
- Kettler S., (July 30, 2019). Inside Ted Bundy’s Troubled and Disturbing Childhood
https://www.biography.com/news/ted-bundy-childhood
- Dolan.M. aVöllm.B. (29 November 2008). Antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy in women: A literature review on the reliability and validity of assessment instruments
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160252708001374
- Marks. G (September 17, 2016). 21 percent of CEOs are psychopaths. Only 21 percent?
- Purse.M, (June 15, 2020). How Sociopaths Are Different from Psychopaths https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-sociopath-380184
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