Anti-social personality disorder is one of a group of personality disorders known as cluster B, which are also known as erratic or dramatic personality disorders. The character flaws that make up this disorder can exist in anyone in some combination. Therefore, it is important to rule out similar but less serious diagnoses first. For example, you might receive a diagnosis of anti-social personality traits if you meet some but not all the criteria for the full-blown disorder. Anti-social personality disorder is a very serious problem that only a licensed mental health practitioner such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or specially trained clinical social worker can diagnose and treat.
The signs and symptoms of this personality disorder are consistent, enduring and pervasive. They begin to manifest early in life, with all patients who receive the diagnosis having a history of conduct disorder by age 15. People with anti-social personality disorder exhibit a persistent disregard for the consequences of their actions and the rights of others, sometimes to the point of extreme mental or physical cruelty. In severe cases, mental health practitioners might refer to the characterizing behavior as sociopathic or psychopathic. Anti-social personality disorder is among the most difficult to treat. This is because those who suffer from the symptoms are usually forced to seek treatment by a court order rather than seeking it voluntarily. If you are concerned that you or someone you care about might have anti-social personality disorder, continue reading for a discussion of 10 signs to look for.
1. Antisocial Behavior
Antisocial Behavior is any behavior that deviates significantly from the established norms, laws and morals of an individual’s culture. It is generally considered to be unacceptable regardless of circumstance. It is also characterized by a lack of regard for the well-being or rights of other people. Those who engage in this behavior are often irresponsible, deceitful, impulsive, too easily bored and hostile. They find it difficult or impossible to control their anger. They might engage in aggression to get what they want and feel no remorse over their aggressive behavior.
A common consequence of anti-social personality disorder is drug or alcohol abuse, which makes the behavior worse and leads to further consequences. If you suffer from anti-social personality disorder, you might engage in criminal behavior. Prison time is common among people with anti-social personality disorder. Unfortunately, a prison environment very often encourages and reinforces antisocial behavior. Worst of all, the behavior causes others pain and fear, effectively isolating you and leading to situations that might compound it. In its most extreme forms, antisocial behavior might include emotional or even physical cruelty to people or animals. This so-called sociopathy or psychopathy is essentially a deficiency or even complete lack of conscience, respectively.
2. Deceitfulness
This is a significant part of your life if you have anti-social personality disorder. It stems from a desire to avoid the consequences of your behavior or to achieve a likely unjustifiable end. An inability to feel remorse is integral to anti-social personality disorder, so you might have little or no trouble deceiving others. Part of deceitfulness includes manipulating others to get what you want. Those with anti-social personality disorder can be persuasive and charming. Engaging in antisocial behavior naturally fosters a desire to be deceitful because you know the risk of unpleasant consequences to your relationships or personal freedom.
3. Hostility
Anti-social personality disorder might make you quite prone to hostility. Easily offended and overly defensive, you often find it extremely difficult or impossible to react in a polite or friendly manner to anything you find disagreeable. This might stem from a sense that everyone else should share your point of view. It might arise from a negative judgment toward the object of your hostility. Hostility in an anti-social personality is reflexive and devoid of thought for its target or the consequences of a hostile attitude. Rationality and self-awareness play no part, and it always goes relatively unchecked in those with anti-social personality disorder.
4. Irresponsibility
People with anti-social personality disorder are likely to be irresponsible with money or relationships. You might fail to meet obligations such as paying bills or providing for your family. You might also fail to follow through on commitments toward friends, family members, colleagues or even yourself. The consequences in your life, both directly to yourself and to those who rely on you, are obvious. However, again this likely matters little or not at all to you, or it might matter on an intellectual level but then fail to translate into action or reform regardless of the seriousness of any repercussions.
5. Aggression
Not all people who suffer from anti-social personality disorder display aggression, but many do. If aggression is part of your symptomatology, it can manifest itself verbally in its mildest form, but it is not uncommon for it to be physical. You might damage or destroy objects. You might push or even strike another person, sometimes habitually. All this can occur with little or no real provocation. A sociopath or psychopath, the most egregious type of anti-social personality, thinks nothing of indulging aggressive impulses and might even torture or kill either for the pleasure of it or to achieve some other goal.
6. Impulsivity
Impulsivity is the inability or unwillingness to think before acting. Someone with anti-social personality disorder, due as always to a lack of consequences or to disregard for the rights of others, quite often does or says the first thing that comes to mind without stopping to consider whether or not it would be acceptable. It is essentially an emotional response to feelings that those who do not have the disorder are easily able to keep in check. Even if you come to regret your impulsivity, the next time an impulse to do or say something inappropriate strikes, the cycle will probably repeat.
7. Anger
This might seem similar to the above-mentioned hostility, and while they do overlap, anger is a specific feeling that might or might not accompany a hostile attitude. It is a reaction to a perceived violation of internal boundaries. People with anti-social personality disorder often have a much lower threshold for anger than those who do not have the disorder. Simply disagreeing with someone else’s statement or point of view is enough to trigger it. This anger is not only easily aroused but can also be intense, pervasive, habitual and long lasting. It can be an irresistible trigger of extreme antisocial impulses.
8. Boredom
Everyone gets bored. The kind of boredom in view here is not merely the natural reaction to a lack of something to do or a normal lack of interest in some activity due to monotony or some other cause. People with anti-social personality disorder can become bored where the average person does not. As a result, you might engage in more and more extreme or unacceptable behavior to try to stave off your boredom. For an anti-social personality, boredom might simply be an inevitable complication of irresponsibility. For example, failing to obtain employment even when able to do so could easily result in boredom.
9. Lack of Restraint
This is another symptom that is similar to one already mentioned above: impulsivity. The difference is that, while impulsivity is more immediate, a lack of restraint is ongoing. It might result in dangerous or criminal behavior. Breaking the law or disregarding your own safety or that of others are obvious examples, but a lack of restraint might manifest in other ways, such as cheating on your spouse or partner, spending money carelessly, or otherwise doing what you want, again without thought for its consequences or whether it violates the rights of other people. The wisdom or morality of your behavior are immaterial.
10. Substance Abuse
Finally, though not universal among antisocial personalities, substance abuse disorders are a problem among most. Even people without anti-social personality disorder might abuse drugs or alcohol. Whether as a method of coping with emotional distress or simply for recreational purposes, the reason among antisocial personalities for substance abuse is the same as in the general population. The incidence, however, is higher. The presence of anti-social personality disorder makes treatment of a substance abuse disorder much more difficult. The reverse is also true. You must undergo treatment of both disorders if there is to be any hope of successful and sustained recovery.
