Have you met or know a psychopath/sociopath?

[moxie]

Originally Posted by popcorninthesofa

I dunno puregrr, is'nt antisocial a personality disorder also? I always thought of it as being on a spectrum with a sociopath being the ultimate narcissistic personality. popcorn- bs in psych.

Yes, there is an Antisocial Personality Disorder, but there are also others, 9 more if I remember correctly (I don't have my DSM at home). They are grouped into diagnostic clusters based on traits. And just because someone has been diagnosed with a personality disorder it doesn't mean they have psychopathic/sociopathic traits. It's kinda like saying that just because someone has auditory hallucinations, they must have schizophrenia.

There is a lot of stigma with mental illness. There are so many people with mental health problems that don't get help because of the judgment and assumptions people make.

When I tell people I am therapist, one of the first things I am most always told/asked is "Oh, that must be scary. Have you ever been assaulted/hurt/threatened/creeped out/etc etc.?" That's because of the stigma.

I could go on forever about it, but I'll shut up.