Treatment or cure?

A relative of mine shows all the symptoms of APSD.
He seemed to live a normal productive life up until he reached his late thirties, early forties.
Since that time he has been unable to hold a job, lies continuously, comits fraud regularly, and has been in and out of prison. We're talking a period of close to 20 years now. I fear it will be too late for him if he doesn't get the help he needs on his latest upcoming prison sentence. It will probably be a pretty lengthy one.
While some family members avoid him like the plague, there are others who still remember who he was and are just baffled by this personality shift. In conversations and correspondance with him, it's clear that he is unwilling to be forthright about whatever situation he's in. The chronic lying is a problem, yet I know he's in misery.
This flawed decision making has taken a big toll on him, and I'm just wondering -
If he was able to get treatment, and he was comitted to trying to help himself...is there any hope for him?
If so, what treatments are the most likely to succeed? Are there medications that may help?
Any info would be appreciated!

I don't know if there is a cure for ASPD but there is treatment.

There's Psychotherapy which focuses on the individual.
There is also Cognitive Therapy which the therapist would set certain guidelines that the patient agrees to.
As for medication there isn't one specific for this disorder but they may treat it with a medication called Phenytion which is an anticonvulsant.

Also some may try using tranquilizers or something like buspirone and trazodone.

here is an article that I found on treatment maybe it'll give you some insight.

Another very common question asked is, can antisocial personality disorder be cured? While it can be quite resistant to change, research shows there are a number of effective treatments for this disorder. For example, teenagers who receive therapy that helps them change the thinking that leads to their maladaptive behavior (cognitive behavioral therapy) has been found to significantly decrease the incidence of repeat antisocial behaviors.

On the other hand, attempting to treat antisocial personality disorder like other conditions is not often effective. For example, programs that have tried to use a purely reflective (insight-oriented) approach to treating depression or eating disorders in persons with antisocial personality disorder often worsen rather than improve outcomes in those individuals. In those cases, a combination of firm but fair programming that emphasizes teaching the antisocial personality disorder individuals skills that can be used to live independently and productively within the rules and limits of society has been more effective.

While medications do not directly treat the behaviors that characterize antisocial personality disorder, they can be useful in addressing conditions that co-occur with this condition. Specifically, depressed or anxious individuals who also have antisocial personality disorder may benefit from antidepressants, and those who exhibit impulsive anger may improve when given mood stabilizers.

http://www.medicinenet.com/antisocial_p ... treatments


it's best for him to likely find a therapist, start treatment and go from there.

What makes you think he wants to fixed? You claim to know hes "in misery"... what is this based on?

Eric_Lee wrote:What makes you think he wants to fixed? You claim to know hes "in misery"... what is this based on?

Well since he mostly lies about anything these days, I suppose it's possible that he does not want to be "fixed" -
I am sure that he is resistant to anyone trying to alter his way of reasoning. I can understand that.
He surely does realize however that his decision making process is flawed, as it relates to living in society.
The unavoidable evidence is his repeated stints in prison these last few years.
This is a man who lived the good life. A wife, great kids, cars, boats, cottage, a big house in a nice neighbourhood.
All gone. He's not getting rich from defrauding people. He lives a rather squalid existance.
He's definately an alcoholic - he's had run ins with the police for DUI as well.
When he emerges from prison, on every occasion he's been sober during his incarceration. He vows to set his life straight and makes what seems to be a real attempt at holding down a job...but it never seems to last long before he reverts back to his ASPD behaviour.
I know he believes himself to be smarter than everyone based on his past successes, and doesn't feel that he should have to work under someone that he doesn't feel is his "equal". Unfortunately he's become well known for his crimes in his previous field of work, and has no chance of ever returning. So he's limited to low paying jobs or running his own business.
When running his own business, he has proven to be very resourceful in obtaining funds. Through true salesmanship and also deceipt and fraud. He is a money pit...no one really knows where it all goes. I personally feel he mismanages it by spending on himself, as he cannot help but try to live the old lifestyle he once led. He enjoys being seen as some kind of wealthy entrepreneur.
But eventually, he never seems to pay his creditors a dime, and then the walls begin to close in on him.
It takes quite a bit of time for fraud, a white collar crime to catch up with you sometimes. Especially, when you come across so sincerely, that you are going to make good on your debts...it's quite amazing really.
But in the end, when things can clearly go no farther the long arm of the law catches up. He always pleads guilty, and blames it on his alcoholism and mental problems...which is probably correct...then right back to jail he goes for another year or two.
Over, and over. Now he's approaching 60, and starting a new prison cycle. How long, I don't know yet.
I just feel this is his last chance to get things right, and would like for him to get the proper treatment during this incarceration.

All you did was give me a bunch of exmaples you preveice as wrong.. i'm still not convinced he wants to change. Just because you feel he should does not mean he does.

Eric_Lee wrote:All you did was give me a bunch of exmaples you preveice as wrong.. i'm still not convinced he wants to change. Just because you feel he should does not mean he does.

It's irrelevant that your are not convinced Eric.
The point is, that I am convinced. That's why I posed the question about treatments or cures. The question wasn't whether he wants treatment or not. Thanks for your interest though.

Eric, obviously dbc knows this individual personally and very well, I think he likely has an idea about it.

I think anyone dealing with disorders such as this should go into treatment...

The thing you don't take into account is if he is actually an antisocioal/sociopath.. he would most likely eliminate you before letting you put him into therapy.. Hope for your case he isn't, people like you don't tend to live long around sociopaths.

Eric_Lee wrote:The thing you don't take into account is if he is actually an antisocioal/sociopath.. he would most likely eliminate you before letting you put him into therapy.. Hope for your case he isn't, people like you don't tend to live long around sociopaths.

Oh well, what is life without risks Eric? I'm afraid to ask who people like me ARE?
Meddlers, I bet huh?
Anyway, thanks Butterfly Faerie. I believe he would be a good candidate for treatment. Just don't know what treatment is available to him. Thanks for those links, they were an interesting read.

dbc102 wrote:

Eric_Lee wrote:The thing you don't take into account is if he is actually an antisocioal/sociopath.. he would most likely eliminate you before letting you put him into therapy.. Hope for your case he isn't, people like you don't tend to live long around sociopaths.

Oh well, what is life without risks Eric? I'm afraid to ask who people like me ARE?
Meddlers, I bet huh?
Anyway, thanks Butterfly Faerie. I believe he would be a good candidate for treatment. Just don't know what treatment is available to him. Thanks for those links, they were an interesting read.

Meddlers, fixers, people that bug you. There are many names, but it basically just means people who don't know when to stop trying to be helpful.
You're lucky thought, cause chances are hes not a sociopath, the fact that you're even posting here means hes terrible at covering up his tendancys.. which sociopaths tend to excell at, maybes hes just a deviant, who gets off on breaking rules.