Anti-Social Personality Disorder Flashcards
Personality
the totality of emotional and behavioral characteristics that are particular to a specific person and that remain somewhat stable and predictable over time
Factors that influence personality
- biologic make-up
- genetic make-up
- acquired as a person develops and interacts with the environment and other people
- these behaviors and characteristics are consistent across a broad rage of situations that do not change easily
Definition of Personality Disorders
occur when these traits deviate markedly from expectations of an individuals culture
-become rigid and inflexible, contribute to maladaptive behavior or impairment in functioning and lead to distress
Definition of Anti-Social Personality Disorder
persistent pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others– and by the central characteristics of deceit and manipulation
When does Anti-Social Personality Disorder Begin?
In childhood (Conduct Disorder) or early adolescence and remains consistent up to adulthood
Anti-social Personality Disorder: Central Features
Deceit and Manipulation
- also lack empathy as they have a tendency to disregard the feelings, rights, and suffering of others
- history of pathological lying
Anti-Social Personality Disorder: Sense of Self
- inflated sense of self that appears confident and assured but is often to the determent of others, as they tend to be opinionated, coarse , and verbose, rambling about topics to impress others
- seeks special privileges
- gets involved in social activities, more often then not when asked not to do so
Anti-Social Personality Disorder: Etiology
- also known as sociopathic or psychopathic
- whether it is due to nature or nurture
- no known genetic risk factors for personality disorders
- do not have episodes of personality disorder; rather they have these traits as life-long behavioral pattern
Risk Factors
- usually begins in childhood or adolescence
- linked to head injuries in childhood
- recent research has been on the development of the hypothalamus of the brain responsible for impulse control
- psychoanalytic theory–> under developed super ego
Diagnostic Work-Up
- complete history and physical exam with consideration of previous neurological trauma
- no laboratory tests
- focus on personal and social history
- consider their underlying beliefs as a way to validate diagnosis –> “people will get to me if I don’t get to them first”
History
- onset in childhood, or adolescence
- childhood history enuresis, sleep-walking, and syntactic acts of cruelty are characteristic predictors
- in adolescence, engage in lying, truancy, sexual promiscuity, cigarette smoking, substance abuse, and illegal activities that bought them in contact with police
- erratic, neglectful, harsh, or even abusive parenting marks the childhoods of these clients
Clinical Presentation
failure to conform to rules in society so that often behaviors are in direct violation of the law
- deceitful, tells lies, and distortions to the pleasure and advantage of the self-pathological lying
- lack of empathy and disregard for others
- shallow emotions
- may be initially pleasant and cooperative but then becomes nasty and difficult
General Appearance and Motor Behavior
- usually normal
- may be engaging and even charming
- depending on circumstances of interview, might exhibit signs of mild or moderate anxiety, especially if another person or agency arranged it
- aggressive physically as well as verbally
- thrill-seeking behavior
Mood and Affect
- false emotions; chosen to suit the occasion or to work to their advantage
- cannot emphasize with the feelings of others, enables them to exploit others without guilt
- feel remorse only when they are caught breaking the law or exploiting someone
- impulsive, irritable
Thought Process and Content
- views of the world are narrowed and distorted
- because coercion and personal profit motivate them, believe others are governed the same way
- view the world as cold and hostile and therefore rationalize their behavior
- “its a dog-eats-dog world”
- believe they are only taking care of themselves because no one else will
