On the News- Parents find little help in dealing with psychopathic, sociopathic children

When a local reporter was doing a story on mental illness in prisons, I followed with interest and then  suggested a follow-up on Sociopathy.  I was surprised when they wanted to interview me, and agreed only on the condition that it, like this blog, be done anonymously.  It was a scary undertaking for my family and I very nearly backed out, but I truly feel that this information needs to get out there to more people because knowledge is power to protect oneself and one's family.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=15518791

I suggest you also check out the link she shared on sociopath vs. psychopath. This was new information to me, though sadly, not very comforting.

http://helpingpsychology.com/sociopath-vs-psychopath-whats-the-difference

Listen to Your Body Talk...

You know how your throat tightens up when you are feeling you will cry? When my son was in the throes of self-destructing and taking his younger brother down with him, making the entire family feel like we were being held hostage, the tension showed up in my throat. I often found myself at times unable to swallow even the smallest amount of liquid or food.


They sent me to a specialist and they performed an endoscopy and "stretched" my throat. Unfortunately, it was so tight that they tore it and I landed in the hospital in tremendous pain. But don't worry. My son wasn't concerned. He snuck out of the house and partied that night despite being on probation.


It wasn't till years later when my son was no longer in the home and an immediate problem to us that I realized that it was just the tension and stress. Now if I pay attention, I can see that the problem returns slightly when I am feeling overwhelmed.


My shoulder was talking to me too.  After years of bearing the burden of trying to help these boys help themselves, my shoulder just froze up on me and I couldn't use my arm without tremendous pain.  It too tries to recur whenever I am overwhelmed and over-stressed or feeling like I carry too great a burden on my shoulders.


Did you know that 90 percent or more of all physical problems have psychological roots?  A growing body of evidence  indicates that virtually every ill that can befall the body- from acne to arthritis, headaches to heart disease, cold sores to cancer- is influenced, for better or worse, by our emotions.


When negative feelings are stuffed down or ignored and left unresolved, they are still there, affecting you each and every day.  Or as I learned from a great book, "Feelings Buried Alive, Never Die".


When you are forced to deal with a sociopath in your life, you are living with turmoil.  It's what they do, create turmoil wherever they go.  If you are in a situation where you can't distance yourself completely from that person, you must protect your health so that the turmoil doesn't surface as physical ailments.


For me, exercise is essential to keeping my stress levels under control.  So is taking care of my spiritual self.  Prayer, scripture study, meditation and applying what I learn to my life is very helpful.  If you feel the need for more help in maintain peace and tranquility in your life, then you may want to check out this book also.  It is one of those that I re-read every couple of years.  It even has a guide of illnesses and the probable feelings causing them.


Listen to your mind and body talk.  Take care of yourself.  You can find peace and tranquility.  You can not only survive, but thrive despite a sociopath!

Sociopath, Psychopath or Anti Social Personality Disorder? Which is it?

So is he/she a "sociopath", "psychopath" or do they have "Anti Social Personality Disorder" (ASPD)?  You pick, because basically, they're the same thing, particularly since few are ever officially  diagnosed.

Calling someone a "Psychopath" tends to instill undue terror of those with this condition.  This term usually instills thoughts of  psychotic serial killers and so in the 1930's, authorities changed the term to sociopath.

"Sociopath" still carries weight and forewarns those who could be victimized, for even if the terror they inflict is merely emotional, it is terrorizing none-the-less.  Once again, the term became synonymous with serial killers though, so the powers-that-be changed the name of the condition to ASPD.

Not only is the term "Anti Social Personality Disorder" long and ungainly, but it is too light and too benign or  innocent sounding to protect the innocents that these people run across.  All need to understand the gravity of the condition.

You will find that most people who write about the condition prefer the term sociopath, while those still caught in the midst of the terror lean towards psychopath.  I prefer the weight of the name "sociopath" and will use it in my writings.

Somewhere, I heard that there are no degrees of sociopathy, that all are equally dangerous and that the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath is merely opportunity.  Chilling. 

In my experience, there are "higher functioning" sociopaths that maintain jobs and at least the facade of a marriage and family. 

My son would be an example of a "lower functioning" sociopath.  He couch surfs when not incarcerated, because he can't hold onto a job for long, and therefore a place to live. He simply cannot hold onto any relationship for long due to his inability to remain faithful and non-violent.   He abuses substances and lives a life of crime. 

Call it what you want, but learn and protect yourself.  If you have anything else to add that would help others protect themselves and move on, please share.