Any psychopaths still around?

And would you like to chat?

I've been reading through some of PsychCentral's archived posts on the subject of psychopathy in an attempt to find some insights from psychopaths. And I found some real gems, but the authors have long since departed.

Anyway... I've been going back and forth on whether or not I'm a psychopath for ages. Since the early teen years (I'm late 20s). I even risked taking a personality test to find out, and it indicated that I had all the hallmarks of a psychopath. To be clear, this was a formal diagnostic tool that my therapist had me take. It wasn't the MMPI, but it was a similar behemoth of a test that took something like 4 or 5 hours to complete. I thought this would've settled the matter. After all, who am I to argue with an educated professional? But no, stubborn as I am, I reasoned that the test and both of my therapists (the first one dumped me) must've been wrong somehow.

Why? Because I have feelings. I cry very easily. Pretty much anytime a dog dies in a movie, I, without any semblance of shame, will sob like a lost child. When my dog died, I wallowed in despair on my couch for two days. I get anxious sometimes when doing something new, where I feel out of my depth or not in control. On the other hand, I watched a man bleed to death in front of me (motorcycle accident), and I felt basically nothing. Also, admittedly, when I cry over a movie or some really sad meme, it seems a bit shallow. I don't know how to explain it. It's more like a knee-jerk response rather than a true feeling.

I'm at a loss. I don't know if what I feel is normal or how to find out. So I thought I'd come ask the psychopaths, to any who may be reading. Do you feel anything at all? Do you ever get anxious or sad? And if so, what caused it? To what extent did you feel it?

I'm not diagnosed with ASPD, and you can't really know if you're a psychopath or sociopath, as these terms are just theories. Psychopaths, as well as sociopaths, can feel, not as intense as the average and not the same feelings, but still they can. Sociopaths tend to be more anxious, stressed out and out of control, while psychopaths tend to be more laidback. However, psychopaths can still get out of control, as they've got a low frustration control.

So, anyone diagnosed with ASPD, as well as psychopaths and sociopaths may feel. I don't even think it's possible to not feel anything at all. Since the existence of psychopathy and sociopathy is not clinically stated, the diagnosis of ASPD is used. ASPD is mainly behaviour-based, and doesn't necessarily involve personality, so you might be able to feel more or less, and you would still be antisocial, as it's behaviour, not personality. Psychopathy and sociopathy however are personality and behaviour based.

I can't really give you personal experiences as I'm not diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure anyone here will say they do feel and get anxious, sad and such.

Thanks. I didn't mean to imply that psychopaths are entirely bereft of emotion, but I was under the impression that anxiety and sadness, particularly sadness for others, was something that psychopaths very rarely experienced, which is why they're capable of committing rather daring crimes. But I get pretty nervous in certain situations, like stage fright and the like. Normal things. I can't imagine a psychopath would have the emotional capacity for that, but maybe I'm wrong.

My history is squeaky clean for someone who tests as a psychopath, but I think that has more to do with lack of opportunity than anything else. There wasn't much of a criminal enterprise where I grew up, and the few criminal types we did have were contemptibly stupid. I've had a few run-ins with the police, but nothing major.

Duping delight, on the other hand... I've got that in ****ing spades, such that people who know me well have remarked that I only truly smile when I'm being devious. And it's true. I get all giddy and excited in ways that I've never experienced under any other circumstance.

I also react rather poorly to frustration. Like, throwing things at a wall in a fit of rage "poorly." Those moments are rare, though, and the rage fits never last more than a few minutes.

I was around with a fun crew. I don’t stop in here often anymore because well, the psychopaths left. I’m more than likely in the archives somewhere... feel free to PM me if I don’t check back. My dad is a psychopath but sucks at it, he tried to raise me to be a better psychopath than he was. My mom raised me to be a prostitute... the last psych evaluation I had they asked why I wasn’t the most infamous female serial killer in US history but ended up giving me a different Dx. I still however attract every psychopath in a 100 Miles and my son (adopted) is one, a damn good one.

You were raised by a psychopath? What was that like?

And how do you find psychopaths in the wild? I've recognized a few, but it's rare, and they're fickle creatures who disappear on a whim.

My belief is that some people tend to attract psychopaths or people in the dark triad without intentionally meaning to. It helps to be able to recognize traits at least rather than diagnosing people in your life.

Yeah, I think that's true, and I wonder why that is.

I tend to attract very emotionally unstable people, and I don't know why.

I think there has been a lot written on that in the 'self-help' literature for 'victims of psychopaths' or 'narcissistic abuse' and so on. I put quotes here to refer to google terms. I don't put much stock in what is written for people who visit those sites.

deleted by tecomsin. accidental repeat.

I would dare say yes, they have feelings and yes, even values and a moral compass they are just different than societies. We seem to have some things in common...

I understand what it is like to be in a state of confusion.

Yes, it's rather unpleasant. Thanks.

I am not a psychopath but my psychotic manias can be psychopathic and I wonder if my father may be one.

Psychopathy is where you figuratively murder yourself twice, and it's not even premeditated. I thought it was funny, too.

Sho nough!! What ya need?

How do you know you're different from the norm? Not what the shrinks tell you; how do you know?

I was tested using the PCL-R at the behest of my psychologist, due to the severity of my Callous-Unemotional traits and some weird things surrounding my lack of a concrete self-identity. I scored high enough to be considered a psychopath. I didn't even know that I had been tested until months afterwards, but the whole test took a lot longer than 5 hours. Here's what I can tell you about "psychopathy," from my experience and what I learned from my clinicians.


There's no such thing as psychopaths.

Depending on who is administering the test and why, you will score differently. The "cut off" points of 25 in Europe and 30 in the US on the PCL, for instance, are completely arbitrary. Even when you take specific studies into account, which have their own ways of rating psychopathic traits, each study tends to focus on a specific psychopathic trait and have its own threshold.

This line between "highly psychopathic" and "definitely a psychopath" is really a construct designed to give criminal attorneys an edge in court. There's debates over whether even well-known psychopaths like ME Thomas, Ted Bundy, James Fallon, and Jeffrey Dahmer can be considered psychopaths.

And, if we're being honest, no mental health diagnosis is really set in stone. They're meant to be used as guidelines for treatment. While they can function to group symptoms together and give you a label for what you're struggling with, it's not as exact a science as you would think.

But, according to Hare, around 1 in 4 people with ASPD would meet the criteria for psychopathy as he outlines it. There are correlations between the various tests for psychopathy. It's not really that psychopaths don't exist as much as it is that psychopaths are hard to really define, even with the tools that we have.

At the end of the day, "psychopath" is just a term for people who are highly psychopathic. Whether one qualifies for that term can be highly contextual, and even a little subjective. That's why AsPD is in the DSM and not Psychopathy.

I don't consider myself a psychopath, I'll put it that way. I think the term is too broad. Some "psychopaths" are highly boastful and vain, some feel some degree of anxiety whereas others are fearless, some are hotheaded whereas others have cold, spiteful contempt. There's too much variety in even diagnosed psychopaths for the word to mean that much. "Psychopathy" refers to a group of traits that make people more likely to fall into criminal recidivism, and not much more.

Yes, my father attempted to raise me to be a better psychopath than he is, he tends towards being more mischievous... he has the brains and the personality but not the looks or the money... I had the looks. It was interesting, I have a wide variety of skill sets that I have to make sure I am careful who knows about them...

As for attracting them, nothing will attract a psychopath faster than an odd mix of victim tendencies (there was a lot of abuse in my childhood) matched with a high IQ and matching skill sets... they find me entertaining and curious... to be able to get a psychopath to have to think drives them bonkers with curiosity. The fact that I am not intimidated or “bothered” by them adds to the attraction.

So, do you consider yourself to be a better psychopath (or rather, do you think he succeeded)? Did he know what he was?

True, I'd find all of those things interesting in a friend, particularly if they're not bothered by me or my weird interests.

Sexual psychopathy

They get sexually aroused by cooperating
They get sexually aroused by not getting kissed
They get sexually aroused by not having sex