Most of the time sociopaths and psychopaths are considered the same. But there is a small difference between them. So let us know the difference between sociopath vs psychopath
Sociopaths are the ones who are antisocial, it is a type of personality disorder. People having antisocial personality disorder shows symptoms from a very small age but it is diagnosed in adolescence, they act without thinking. Psychopaths are imaged as heartless, and inhuman beings, it is also an antisocial personality disorder, they plot their moves and do things in a planned manner.
| Signs of a Sociopath | Signs of a Psychopath |
|---|---|
Break Laws | Hurting Others |
Cheat | Socially Irresponsible |
Lie | Lie |
Impulsiveness | Difficulty in decision making |
Aggression | Can't distinguish between Right and Wrong |
Easily Irritated | Violating Rules |
There is no clinical difference between sociopaths and psychopaths; they are often referred to as antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Some experts say sociopaths are “hot-headed” and psychopaths are “cold-headed”.
Related Post: What is Gaslighting? Where to get help from?
Some common traits to psychopaths are:
- Bored easily
- No guilt
- Lying very often
- Manipulative
- Cruel
- Takes advantage of others
- Behavior problems start at a small age
- Irresponsible
Generally diagnosing psychopathy or sociopath is difficult as the person having them feel everything is fine and don’t have a problem. If you have things related to ASPD or some of the traits mentioned above you should consult your doctor, if you have a deal with ASPD in the past the doctor would tell you to consult a mental health practitioner for the treatment and further diagnosis.
They are more likely to break laws and end up in prison. They are very much violent and they are the reason for the death of 50% of the policeman on duty.
Sociopaths don’t have control over their behavior, psychopaths have a low level of anxiety they don’t react to stress, they have good control over behavior. Both sociopaths and psychopaths are hard to treat as they fall into the antisocial personality disorder category; the best way is to treat them is through talk therapy for their anger issues.
Sociopaths don’t pretend things as they care, psychopaths pretend that they care. Sociopaths behave as impulsive but psychopaths don’t. For sociopaths it is not easy to form relationships, psychopaths have relationships but they are very shallow and narrow. Psychopaths love in their way. “Sociopaths are made and psychopaths are born”.
Related Post: What is Factitious Disorder? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Psychopathy is seen in more men in comparison to women, it is a chronic disease, and the mortality rate is low and can only because of ASPD (antisocial personality disorder). For the diagnosis, the expert says that it is at the peak when the person is in his early twenties or late teen. Although sociopaths and psychopaths are most often used interchangeably as they are not easy to be diagnosed and sociopaths can also fall under psychopaths.
Sociopaths are someone who has a different perspective of understanding people. They can be extremely cruel sometimes and it is sometimes really hard to understand. There is ultimately 4% of people having a sociopathic personality, which means 1 out of 26 people.
Possible treatments for ASPD are:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Psychotherapy
- Medications
Antisocial people’s behavior is something that is not acceptable socially. People having antisocial personality disorder do things like:
- Crime
- Lie
- Act coldly
- Impulsive
- Aggressive
- Have few relationships (if any)
- Take risks
FAQs
Ques. What emotions are felt by psychopaths?
Ans. Psychopaths show emotions like anxiety, fear, and sometimes joy, happiness.
Ques. Are they capable of love?
Ans. Psychopaths and sociopaths don’t have a sense of empathy, so they are cannot love a person in real.
Ques. Which is worse a psychopath or a sociopath?
Ans. Psychopaths are worse and are more likely a dangerous disorder, but they both are a threat to societies.
Ques. What is the main difference between a narcissist and a sociopath?
Ans. The main difference is that sociopaths are self-driven and narcissists have their egos which drive many of their behaviors.
Ques. What is the difference between a psycho and a psychopath?
Ans. A psycho is a person who loses their mind grip in reality, and psychopaths are the ones who cannot feel anything for others and may act reckless or antisocial.
Ques. What mental illness do psychopaths and sociopaths have?
Ans. They are considered to have an antisocial personality disorder.
Ques. Are psychopaths considered geniuses?
Ans. It is concluded that they are no intelligent than normal people not having psychopathic traits.
Ques. Do all psychopaths are in jail or had committed a crime?
Ans. No, all psychopaths are not violent. Many psychopaths are considered violent but not all are violent or indulged in criminal acts.
Ques. Is there any way to treat psychopaths?
Ans. There is no cure for psychopaths. No medicines would prevent murders neither instill empathy, and no talk therapy can change a mind.
Ques. Particularly what is wrong with the brain of a psychopath?
Ans. It is shown that psychopaths have less connection with the part of the brain which is responsible for emotions, sentiments, etc.