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So. I'm a sociopath.
- Thread starter NekoTheWolf
- Start date
If you are enjoying your life (Some people enjoy things outside of the norm, even sadness, or pain) then everything is ok. If you are not harming others keep on keeping on. I see a lot of great musicians in my work, and some of the best are not "right" in the head. I don't know you, but I love you for doing whatever YOU WANT to do.
Maybe listen to some.....Joseph Campbell......
Maybe listen to some.....Joseph Campbell......
My question is, how can I know wether I'm truly enjoying my life and living it fully with a condition like mine? How will I ever know what I like and want until I at least try it?
No. I said every incorrigible personality or character quirk is not a disease.
I realize in pop-culture "victimhood" is sometimes worn as a badge of honor, but electronic records are instantly searchable and last forever, so it may be mistake to simply accept without question a label that one my wish sometime later that he/she was not so quick to accept.
Additionally, since there is no such clinical diagnosis as "sociopath", and that the OP "doesn't know how to feel about it or if it's bad" may further suggest a lack of actual sound science being practiced by the "doctor" involved. But that's just a hunch.
Look: The OP came to a bass forum asking for medical advice and I gave it: A second opinion might be a good idea. I didn't tell him to go buy a gun anymore that I told him to go buy a life insurance policy, (which by the way his rates just went up if he simply rolls-over and accepts this label).
I agree with this 100%: People should generally be free to live their lives in whatever way they wish, as long as they don't harm anyone else. The problem, though, is that "sociopathy"/antisocial personality pretty much means, by definition, behaving in ways that are harmful to other people. OP has already admitted to manipulating and taking advantage of people in various ways without concern for any harm he might be doing to them.
OP, please do seek whatever treatment is available, if not for the benefit of the people around you -- which (again, by definition) you probably don't really care about -- for your own good. As others have intimated, sooner or later you are going to hurt someone who decides to hurt you back worse, or cross a legal line and wind up in jail. It sounds like you've been very fortunate so far, and you haven't suffered any serious adverse consequences of your actions, but it's just a matter of time before your luck runs out.
Also, please do not be reluctant to pursue a psychopharmacological treatment, if an effective one is available. The practice of "medicating" psychiatric patients got (appropriately) a bad name back when "medication" generally meant "sedation": It wasn't so much a treatment, but rather a convenient way to make the problem go away by turning people into zombies. (Think "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.") Psychopharmacology has come a very long way since those times: We know a great deal more about how the brain works, and medications today have much more precisely targeted effects with fewer undesirable side effects. Your problem is that parts of your brain are not operating "normally." If there exists a drug that can "fix" that, then it is worth trying. If the underlying problem is biochemical, then it just makes sense to seek a biochemical solution.
I wouldn't get my scientific information from Coast to Coast.
It's a fun show to listen to on the way home from gigs, but I've always recognized it for what it is: A clearinghouse for every pseudo-scientist, conspiracy nut, and crank on the planet.
I had an economics professor in grad school who said that there is a statistically larger number of people with sociopathic personalities in the finance sector than in the general population. I never went and looked up that information myself to refute or validate his statement. However, prima-facie, it does makes sense. People who engineer mergers and acquisitions, engage in corporate raiding, etc. have to be fine with steamrolling other people in order to meet their own ends.
I had an ex-girlfriend who was certainly a sociopath. My advice for you, if you are in fact a sociopath, would be for you to limit your personal relationships almost entirely. Nobody would willingly make friends with an alligator, would they? That is not a judgement on the nature of an alligator, it's just the truth. If your instinct is to exploit and manipulate people, you are more than likely causing problems for others whether you understand it or not.
If you read the thread all the way, I talked about how I don't really have relationships, and if I do, it's not for any long-term or deep interpersonal reasons.
I've had three other opinions from doctors since then. And I came to see what a "normal person" would do in my shoes, since I'm obviously not well enough to see that perspective without asking, as I said TBOT is a good cross section of completely different and random people and is a great place to get opinions for what a "normal" person would do in my shoes.
Help from doctors, Perspective from random people.
Interesting... I feel like I am at least slightly sociopathic. Never been diagnosed, but I am rather self aware and have some emotional Teflon.
Practice mindfulness... learn your cognitive and emotional processing landscape. I think you can live a connected and fulfilling life if you learn from your diagnosis and self awareness.
Could be interesting.
Practice mindfulness... learn your cognitive and emotional processing landscape. I think you can live a connected and fulfilling life if you learn from your diagnosis and self awareness.
Could be interesting.
Hardcore sociopaths (if any degrees exist) are rather easy to identify if you hang around them enough. I feel like chronic liars have to be sociopathic, but sociopaths obviously don't HAVE to be chronic liars.
Ok? I'm not aggressive or violent, already said that early on in the thread.
Sure thing.
I haven't ever hurt anyone, (physically) and I tend not to break the law, so jail doesn't worry me. Id rather not take medicine, but as long as it doesn't adversely affect my personality or affect my creativity (my psychiatrist said that was a distinct possibility) then sure I'd be willing to give it a try. Just don't need anything messing up my mojo. Lol
Yes, I know you said previously that you've never hurt anyone physically, and that's good to know, but it's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how your behavior harms people in other ways. When you "manipulate" people, you are causing them to behave in a way that they would not have chosen to do otherwise -- and probably for good reason. When you lie to someone you cause them to behave in a way that they would not have if they had known the truth, again probably for good reason. These kinds of things are "harmful" to people in the sense that their lives are somehow worse than they would have been otherwise, had you not manipulated or lied to them. These harms could range anywhere between creating minor inconveniences to getting them into some kind of serious trouble, to inadvertently harming yet other people. Your ASP causes you to either not realize that you are doing harm, or to not care about it. Either way, the people you victimize certainly care. And as I said, one of those people (or a jealous husband or boyfriend, etc.) is eventually going to care enough to hurt you back -- maybe seriously.
LOL, they warn you in textbooks on the subject not to diagnose yourself (as you tend to exaggerate your negative traits). But I've felt the same way.
This I think is good advice. Learn to love yourself and your place in the world, then maybe you can learn better how to love others.
Thanks to OP for highlighting the subject of personal disorders (which as Milk pointed out is more useful for explaining issues we have between people than just blaming "Evil").
