This disorder is characterised by a long-standing pattern of a disregard for other people’s rights, often crossing the line and violating those rights. This pattern of behaviour begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.
Definition
A personality disorder (PD) is a persistent pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that is significantly different from what is considered normal within the person’s own culture. Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), specifically, is a pervasive pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others. This pattern includes at least three of the following symptoms:
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- Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviours as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
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- Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
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- Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
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- Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
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- Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
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- Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behaviour or honour financial obligations
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- Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalising having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
Causes
Many professionals wonder whether ASPD is inherited as easily as hair, eye or skin colour. If this were the case, children of antisocial persons would be highly susceptible to become antisocial themselves, whether or not they live with the antisocial parent. Fortunately, like all personality disorders and also most mental disorders, ASPD tends to be the result of a combination of biologic or genetic and environmental factors.
While some individuals may be more vulnerable to developing ASPD as a result of their particular genetic background, it is thought to be a factor only when the person is also exposed to life events such as abuse or neglect that tend to put the person at risk for the development of the disorder.
Other conditions that are thought to be risk factors for ASPD include substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or a reading disorder. Life experiences that may play a role in causing ASPD include a history of childhood physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; neglect; deprivation or abandonment; associating with peers who engage in antisocial behaviour; or a parent who is either antisocial or alcoholic.
Treatment
The most effective treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy (changing the way people think and behave). Cognitive therapy’s major goal is to help sufferers understand how they create their own problems and how their distorted perceptions prevent them from seeing themselves the way others see them. Teenagers who receive therapy that helps them change the thinking that leads to their maladaptive behaviour have been found to significantly decrease the incidence of repeated antisocial behaviours.
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