{"id":15985,"date":"2016-10-20T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-10-20T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=15985"},"modified":"2023-03-07T19:24:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T19:24:55","slug":"what-is-a-sociopath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-a-sociopath.htm","title":{"rendered":"What is a Sociopath? (And Why So Many Use the Term Incorrectly)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"what<\/a>

By: JD Hancock<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n

According to social media and the internet, it would seem that nowadays, everyone\u2019s boss<\/a> and ex<\/a> is a sociopath.<\/p>\n

But what is a sociopath, really? Are you using the term correctly?<\/p>\n

What is a sociopath, really?<\/h2>\n

Sociopathy is not an illness you can find under a microscope. Like all mental health labels, it is a term created<\/strong> and used to explain a group of behaviours occurring together in one individual.<\/em><\/p>\n

Nor is \u2018sociopath\u2019 actually a proper medical diagnosis.<\/strong> While you can have ‘sociopathic traits’, t<\/strong>he diagnosis that most of those with such traits are given is that of antisocial personality disorder.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Antisocial personality disorder<\/h2>\n

A personality disorder means that an individual constantly behaves in ways that are outside the cultural norm. Their behaviours and ways of seeing affect all areas of their life, and would have been present since at least early adulthood.<\/p>\n

Antisocial personality disorder means an individual consistently manipulates, violates, and exploits others.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The diagnostic criteria for this disorder vary depending on what diagnostic guide you are using.<\/p>\n

But in general, someone with antisocial personality disorder will have some of the following symptoms (note not all are required for a diagnosis<\/em>):<\/strong><\/p>\n