Psychopaths and Sociopaths, What's the Difference?

Medical Video: Sociopath vs Psychopath - What's The Difference?

"Psychopathic" and "sociopathic" are one of the popular psychology terms that are often used casually to describe general mental disorders, as pronouns of more current "crazy". Shifting meaning due to the influence of modern culture makes the differences in characteristics between "crazy", "psychopathic", and "sociopathic" considered too trivial and often mixed up with each other.

"Basically the taxi driver is crazy, come and see!"

"Duh, my girlfriend is asking questions. Really psycho? "

"You are home at home, boss?"

Mental illness is an umbrella of very broad medical terms. Unfortunately, many people still misunderstand interpreting or using certain terms to obscure the true meaning.

We use these charged words easily, throwing casual taunts that are not only full of insults, but also very outdated when viewed from the perspective of medical and cultural literature.

It should be understood that mental disorders arise due to various types of factors, before further recognizing the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath.

Criminal tendency

According to the 2013 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), sociopathy and psychopathy are two types of mental disorders under the auspices of Antisocial Personality Disorders (ASPD). One key feature that places these two groups of mental disorders in one specific category is deception and manipulative nature. Individuals with psychopathy or sociopathy generally behave rudely (leaning towards criminals), but tend to act using tricks to get what they want.

In various TV movies and shows, psychopaths and sociopaths are usually criminals who like to torture and kill their victims. This stereotype is not very wrong.

Two individuals with different sociopathic and psychopathic conditions share a lack of remorse and empathy for others, guilt and almost zero responsibility, and ignore social laws and norms.

The basic difference between psychopaths and sociopaths

A person with psychopathy has all the characteristics above, but they can blend in and put themselves in the surrounding community very well; as someone who is charming and very intelligent. The psychopathic social ability is camouflage from calculating manipulative qualities. According to L. Michael Tompkins, EdD., A psychologist at the Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center, a psychopath does not have the right frame of mind to develop ethical and moral values due to genetic imbalances and reactions of chemical compounds in the brain. Recent research shows that the psychopathic brain has a different arrangement (maybe even physical structure) with ordinary people in general; so it will be very difficult to be able to detect a psychopath.

Tompkins continued, brain differences can also affect the basic functions of the body. For example, when faced with sadistic scenes full of blood in a movie, a layman's heartbeat will beat faster and harder, breathing in a hurry, and cold sweat. But all of this does not apply to a psychopath. He will be even more calm.

Aaron Kipnis, PhD, author of The Midas Complex, argues that the lack of fear and remorse of a psychopath is influenced by lesions in the part of the brain responsible for fear and judgment, known as the amygdala. Psychopaths commit crimes in cold blood. They crave control and impulsivity, have predatory instincts, and attack proactively, not as a reaction to confrontation. A 2002 study found that 93.3 percent of psychopathic homicides occurred naturally (meaning, more or less the series of crimes had been planned and calculated beforehand).

Another case with a sociopath. Sociopathy can arise due to congenital brain defects like a psychopath. However, parental care may have a more role in the development of this mental disorder. Sociopathy is both cunning and manipulative, he is also usually a pathological liar, regardless of personality that may seem sincere. The difference is that their moral compass is severely damaged.

Individuals with sociopathy will prefer to stay home and isolate themselves from the surrounding environment. Individuals with sociopathy have unstable emotions and are very impulsive - their behavior looks more reckless than a psychopath. When committing a crime - rude or not - a sociopath will act on compulsion. A sociopath is impatient, easier to give up on impulsivity and spontaneity, and minimal detailed preparation.

In conclusion, although both mental disorders are caused by 'shorting' the brain that affects cognitive function, the damage area is completely different. Fearless psychopaths; sociopaths still have fear. Psychopaths do not have the ability to distinguish between right and wrong; sociopaths have (but don't care about it). Both of them are able to damage - and they both don't care.

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