OP missed a trick here by not simply responding to every question with "fuck off".
It took me all these hours but I finally get the joke. Bruh.
Not really a trick. It's more being rude if anything.
Have you shared your diagnosis with anyone? If so, did they react as you expected?
No, I haven't. It's far too stigmatized to just casually admit something like that. Maybe if they were really close to me.
I totally understand ❤️
What made you decide to get a diagnosis?
It was recommended by a counsellor from my old school. Plus, I thought it would be interesting to learn about myself.
It's been interesting learning about it through this ama. Thanks for sharing
It's no problem. I thought it would be nice give people a perspective from someone who actually has it and not some crappy pop psychologists.
❤️
How does remorse/guilt work for you? Is it just absent? A vague concept? Or is it fundamentally there but really easy to ignore?
A vague concept is the best way to put it. I can understand the concepts on a intellectual level but I just don't feel them. Like, I can understand regretting something because it hurt someone else but I don't know how you can feel someone else's pain. It's the same for guilt. ASPD gives you an extremely short time preference. If I make a bad decision once I'm done dealing with the consequences I don't really think about it. The future is in the future so why really care and the past is the past. It's for this reason I don't feel anything for the people involved.
I understand this isn't a good way of thinking about things. I understand I need to improve myself to stop these toxic patterns of thinking. I now make that I not only learn from my mistakes but put what I learnt into practice.
I may not feel empathy or guilt like a normal person but I can learn my short commings and work on them and at the end of the day that's what being a good person is all about.
What are some stereotypes of ASPD that you find to be true (or not true)?
That we're all serial killers. ASPD isn't going to make you a serial killer more than anyone other personality disorder. Also, that we're all abusers and can't be trusted.
Honestly there isn't that many accurate stereotypes about people with ASPD. It's been so demonised in the media and pop psychology. The Idea people get of ASPD usually comes from sensationalist movies or TV shows.
Can you pick a specific well-known depiction of ASPD and compare what is similar and dissimilar to your experience?
A common example is Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho'. From what I've seen Bateman is obsessed with how he's seen by others and is prone to having power fantasies. He seems more NPD to me. I don't really care how I look anymore then any other woman does.
Do you think you've become more aware of ASPD traits in other people?
Not really. Having a mental illness doesn't make you a professional on that mental illness anymore then breaking a leg would make you a professional on broken bones.
I think a lot of TikTok influencers, apparently experts of ADHD, would get mad at that comment 🤣
As they should. TikTok is a goldmine then it comes to $hit mental health content.
Do you prefer cats or dogs?
Cats
Have you, or have you ever wanted a pet? Why (not)?
Not really. There too much effort and I don't have the time. Plus they take valuable drink and pizza money.
How do you feel about society's view on your diagnosis?
I'm told I may have bpd and I feel horrible about it, I know bpd people are hated and the support are for people who have to deal with them. However everywhere I read your diagnosis is seen as the worst. Basically looks like a name society came up for people they hate.
I'm not sure if my reading is correct. How do you think people see it and how do you feel about it? Do you agree with whatever the general opinion is?
Reading here it seems to be even worse than i thought. If you tell people about they will think you are a murdered/sadist/demon. Just the name they gave you must be harder than whatever symptoms you have...
"How do you feel about society’s view on your diagnosis?"
I think our society's view on ASPD is far too stigmatizing and sensationalised. The majority of people learn about ASPD through entertainment and junk true crime pop psychologists. Even just the word "pychopath" is used as just another word for bad. So many people who claim to be mental health positive completely change their tune when it comes to cluster B personality disorders and not something seen as wholesome like depression or OCD.
"I'm not sure if my reading is correct. How do you think people see it and how do you feel about it?"
I love your analysis. People should think of ASPD the same way people think of any other mental illness. ASPD itself is bad but we shouldn't demonize people who have it. The same way we don't demonize people with autism or schizophrenia. At the same time we shouldn't romanticize it. I see a lot of people calling themselves 'psychopaths' or 'sociopaths' because they think it sounds cool and edgy. They want to think of themselves as the cunning and smart literally me villains from there favourite movie. Not only is that just as bad as stigmatizing ASPD it's just plane cringe as well.
"Do you agree with whatever the general opinion is?"
Not at all. The general opinion on ASPD doesn't come from reality it comes from movies and TV. Most don't understand ASPD and only think about it as the "evil person" disorder.
You have a very admirable take on all these questions. It's hard to believe you have a disorder.
And on that note, do you think you do? From the comments it seems like you agree you have a disorder that needs fixing and is bad, as you put it.
I have a hard time with these diagnostics that seem to change a lot (a broken bone had always been a broken bone and needs healing). How far are things just different perspectives or just different personalities or disorders?
I have many of the same behaviors as people from many "disorders", and also from the same zodiac sign. If I changed them I would just be another person, not necessarily more healthy. And the same with everyone.
I'm not sure what I'm getting at. It's just that you have a much more controversial diagnosis and you seem more mentally stable than the vast majority I hear talking. It makes me question these diagnosis more than I do with myself. But then again, you seem more rational than I am, and with the least socially acceptable diagnosis and you seem to agree with it, so I think it's just me making excuses for my disorder and it all makes sense...
Thank you, I'm so glad I could come across as stable as someone with this disorder can. The response has been amazing as well. I couldn't have imagine how open people in this AMA would have been this open. I can say that I've changed a lot of people's view of this disorder that wouldn't have happened anywhere else.
When I was diagnosed I wasn't really worried more surprised. I thought of sociopaths as simply evil serial killers and super villains so it was very hard to think of myself as one. Looking back there where a lot of obvious signs from my childhood. I'm lucky enough that I got the help I needed but it is difficult to live with the sigma of ASPD. A saying I come back to is "A king doesn't concern himself with the opinion of peasants". Most people's opinion on ASPD is invalid as they don't really understand it and what they know only comes from Hollywood. Just remember, a diagnosis doesn't define you. It lead to some traits more then others but as long as you can handle them and get the help you need them it's fine. Nobody is perfect, we all have bad things about our self and good parts about our self. For some it's there intelligence, looks and weigh but for others it's being a narcissist or having ASPD.
I think a better way to put my question is: do you think yo need help? You said ASPD is bad. Do you agree, independently of what others say, that what you are is bad and needs to be fixed?
That's the conflict I still don't know the answer. If those diagnosis are as real as a broken bone, is it a disease that needs healing or a personality trait?
From everything you told me it seems to me you think it is something that needs healing, and you seem to be more rational than I am, so your opinion is being very useful and important. One thing is a "normal" person who has nothing to lose saying we need help, the other is someone else being on this side of the bridge.
I just want the answer to be "no, they are wrong and they just don't like that which is different", but I don't know if my wish is the reality.
Yes, ASPD is ultimately a disorder. Not feeling empathy or remorse isn't normal and can lead you down a bad path in the long run. There's a reason why so many criminals have ASPD.
While I believe our society stigmatises ASPD too much I also understand that ASPD is something deeply wrong with me. Some people need help more then others but you don't understand what I'm saying. You seem to think you need to fixed by someone else. That's not what I believe at all. I believe that we all have our floors and we all have the ability to work on them. This can be a lot of things from weight, productivity or healthiness. Regardless of what is we all have the duty to improve ourselves. I would like to specify 'we' because no one else is going to fix them for you.
I just want to thank you. You gave me some new insights.
I'm still not sure if i need to do something about it, the same way that some people live happily being over weight. But the comparison gave me a new understanding of the issue.
It still seems like no one is willing to ask the actually important question........ what's your favourite dinosaur? 🦕🦖
All of them
Mildly disappointing...... but acceptable
They're just all great.
. Was there any early signs?
. Do you have any other diagnosis?
. If had the choice would you still have sociopathy?
. Is there any characters you think are ASPD coded?
'. Was there any early signs?'
Looking back there were lots. I got into trouble a lot as a kid. I never understood things like remorse or empathy. When I was 14 I was diagnosed with a conduct disorder which is commonly an early version of ASPD. When I was 18 I did the psychopathy checklist and I got 30 out of 40. A year later I was formerly diagnosed.
'. Do you have any other diagnosis?'
Yeah, I also have Histrionic Personality Disorder and ADHD.
'. If had the choice would you still have sociopathy?'
No I wouldn't. It would be nice to not struggle with something as stigmatized and problematic as ASPD. I would like to just be a normal person.
'. Is there any characters you think are ASPD coded?'
Saul Goodman from Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad fits the bill and also my favourite character of all time Roger from American Dad!.
Thanks for this thread. As someone who also has a cluster B personality disorder I understand a lot of what you're talking about.
That's nice to know. I'm glad you could enjoy the thread.
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