Antisocial Personality Disorder – CBT Kenya

Personality disorders are mental health conditions that affect how someone thinks, perceives, feels or relates to others. Many people confuse the term antisocial with asocial which can be defined as a person who is an introvert and may not like too many social interactions. Someone with antisocial personality disorder will typically be manipulative, deceitful and reckless, and won’t care for other people’s feelings. The highest prevalence of ASPD  is found among males who abuse alcohol/drugs, who are in prisons or other forensic settings.

What Causes ASPD?

Personality is the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes everyone unique. It’s the way people view, understand and relate to the outside world, as well as how they see themselves. There’s no sure way to prevent antisocial personality disorder from developing in those at risk. Because antisocial behavior is thought to have its roots in childhood. It may help to try to identify those most at risk, such as children who show signs of conduct disorder, and then offer early intervention.

• Family history of antisocial personality disorder or other personality disorders or mental health disorders
• Being subjected to abuse or neglect during childhood
• Unstable, violent or chaotic family life during childhood
• Changes in the way the brain functions may have resulted during brain development
• Problems with alcohol or substance use

Signs of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Most people have a basic sense of right and wrong. In general, we may agree that kindness is right, and cruelty is wrong. Healthy relationships are right, and toxic relationships are wrong. Honest hard work is right, and stealing and cheating are wrong. Anti-socials, however, have little or no sense of morality. They are more inclined than the general population to violate human rights or have brushes with the law.

• One of the trademarks of antisocial people is that they get irritated and annoyed at the drop of a hat for no reason. They fight and argue when things don’t go their way and they always have circumstances to blame for every problem. Such people also believe that they are always right.
• The aggression seen in antisocial people is generally known to have its roots in their childhoods. Their childhoods are often marred by dysfunctional families, criminal history, legal complications and aggression in day-to-day behavior.
• They are well aware of the repercussions of petty crimes and going against the law. But they indulge in them anyway as it gives them sadistic pleasure.
• It is difficult to identify antisocial people easily. At the outset, they appear extremely charming and convincing. But as time passes, they show their true colors and manipulate others with their charms and flattery.
• In their mindset, being “better” than others provides them with twisted justification to exploit and mistreat people at will. Those who are “inferior” deserve their downtrodden fate, and should only be regarded with contempt.
• They also tend to be unfeeling and cold-hearted toward the pain and suffering they cause others. This lack of humanity has several dangerous implications.

Treatment

To be diagnosed with ASPD, a person would have to have shown symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15. A diagnosis can’t be made until age 18, though. Antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult personality disorders to treat. Individuals rarely seek treatment on their own and may initiate therapy only when mandated to do so by a court.