16 Questions Doctors Use To Figure Out If You're A Sociopath

- How many of the questions below apply to you?

- Do you think the questions (and answers on the webpage I linked) accurately reflect a sociopath? If no, why not?


http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/16-questions-that-doctors-use-to-figure-out-if-youre-a-sociopath/ar-AAcLTIv

Sociopaths can be sexy and beguiling; they take risks the rest of us don't and come across as bold and exciting. Socially, they are often leaders, the life and soul of the party.

The downside is that they regard others to be used, don't feel sympathy, empathy or guilt, and are often one step away from becoming what psychologists used to call psychopaths: criminally vindictive types whose only motivation is to take advantage of weaker people.

Psychologists have changed the definition of sociopathy several times over the decades. It used to be called being a "psychopath." Sociopath is the newer term. The first researcher to name the concept of psychopathy was Dr. Hervey Cleckley in 1941. Cleckley noted that psychopathy was difficult to diagnose precisely because it presents itself without the obvious symptoms of mental disorder. Psychopaths and sociopaths are often a bit too rational.

Here are Cleckley's 16 characteristics. Ask yourself if they apply to you.


1. Are you superficially charming and intelligent?

2. Do you have delusions or other signs of irrational thinking?

3. Are you overly nervous, or do you have other neuroses?

4. Are you reliable?

5. Do you tell lies or say insincere things?

6. Do you feel remorse or shame?

7. Is your behavior anti-social for no good reason?

8. Do you have poor judgment, and fail to learn from experience?

9. Are you pathologically egocentric, and incapable of love?

10. Do you generally lack the ability to react emotionally?

11. Do you lack insight?

12. Are you responsive to others socially?

13. Are you a crazy party fiend?

14. Do you make false suicide threats?

15. Is your sex life impersonal, trivial or poorly integrated?

16. Have you failed to follow a life plan?

I love the last line in the article...

"They're just not your friends, is all." That should be the sub-header for lovefraud and psychopathfree.

These mostly don't apply to me, so I won't bother answering them. The questions are probably fine as general diagnostic guidelines (pretty close to PCL-R), but I think it's probably a lot more telling to ask "why?" Like, okay, so a person is unreliable--why are they unreliable? What's their internal experience and decision process like that makes them act that way?

It's lovely and all to give someone a test and determine they're a psychopath, but how is that useful? Like, what does the therapist, or the individual being tested actually do with this newfound gem of knowledge? I feel like answering the questions without exploring the "why" is a little superficial.

"Why?" is way too hard a question, and requires way too much effort to explore.
Lazy people aren't known for their ability to take on effortful tasks.

The questions could probably be designed to focus a little more on "why" than purely on observable behavior, but I get that observable behavior is a heck of a lot easier to diagnose. It's also the only real option if the patient is unwilling or unreliable, which seems likely considering they're looking for someone who's manipulative and a pathological liar.

I just wonder what diagnosing someone as a psychopath actually accomplishes. Does it restrict the person's options in lockup (because it predicts future behavior)? Is it used for considering parole? What if the person isn't incarcerated... does it narrow down the treatment options?

On that note, are we making any real headway on treatment? I wonder what the average PD prognosis is?

I feel like this same list gets posted 10 times a week

Yeah--that's part of what makes me wonder, "what's the point?"

What does superficially intelligent even mean?

I think my judgement is spot on. Others who don't get it just don't agree with the motive behind it.

Reaper wrote:Psychopaths and sociopaths are often a bit too rational.

really...i don't know about that

why are so many of them in prison then?

even female psychopaths who don't have the oomph of testosterone driving their desires still get themselves in trouble due to lack of thinking and....fear....which encourages thinking

MrsBrightside wrote:What does superficially intelligent even mean?

The statement reads "...and intellligent"

It's only the charm that is superficial.

I've known some dumb sociopaths, but they're usually in prison.

10. Do you generally lack the ability to react emotionally?

I can get downright hostile and aggressive pretty quickly.. but also pretty blank

I don't know w hen I'm going to respond with which - the other day I was in an argument with someone and they were getting pretty aggressive and I just sat there, kinda watching what they were doing and wondering why they were bothering to get this pissed off in the first place - but they pointed out to me I hadn't even adjusted what I was doing to really pay attention and I was like oh - blank today.

other times I go completely nuts and attack people - usually over fairly benign stuff - almost like an orgasm of rage? Usually it's not even people I know, just random people.

Like getting annoyed at a gas station and spraying gasoline at an annoying person.

Anyone else have this?