Antisocial Question

[Grim]

I think that my brother has Antisocial, he has every sympton except one that I'm debating. He has no feeling for anyone, but he'll protect me and my Dad.

[S. Earl Martin]

If he really is antisocial? He is protecting you because it is in his best interest. If it stops or if he perceives it has stopped? He will stop.

[Twosocks42]

I work in the mental health setting at a state psychiatric hospital. The unit I spent my first two years on had the highest proportion of antisocial patients out of any other unit in the hospital. I can give a lot of feed back on this.

Firstly, are you talking about the actual Anti Social Personality Disorder, sociopathy, or are you referring to Psychopathy, as defined by the O'Hare scale?

There are key differences.

Addressing the ASPD:

Anti-socials have a very limited degree of empathy to begin with, which diminishes over time as they commit more and more criminal behaviors, justifying these actions and making it easier for them to commit the next one. As such, they do have a capacity to care to some extent, at least in the beginning.

Anti-socials are also capable of emotional attachment. The problem with an antisocial is that they will not put anything before themselves. As part of the cluster B personality disorders, they are very narcissistic and everything is about 'me'. However, this does not mean they are incapable of caring about another person- they just will not care about you more than they do themselves and if getting something they desire a great deal mean's putting you in harm's way, well, they just might.

In our populations, I have seen many antisocial patients do terrible things to each other and especially the non criminal patients. However, I have also seen these patients defend their friends, particularly those whom they are closest to, tooth and nail for their cause. They do care about their friend, they derive pleasure from their company and have an emotional attachment of some degree to them. The thing to keep in mind, is that their attachment is much more shallow than that of an average person.

So, your brother may very well care for you and your father. He has emotional attachment to you, likely more based out of the pleasure he derives from your relationship than he does out of familial aspects, but even so, he can care. In caring, he might even put himself in physical harm's way in your place.

By the same token though, if something he desires a great deal, is only out of his grasp so long as you stand in the way, don't be surprised when you get knocked aside.

[Steveobroil]

Twosocks42 - I have found what you have said extremely interesting, it seems to match up to my brother also. I just have a few questions if you don't me asking or if anyone else has some answers.

My brother is quite a cruel person, he is abusive, violent and if things aren't in his favour everyone in his way must be punished or at least not not be in a good mood. Though he abuses people, if he doesn't feel like arguing any more he will stop and expect everyone to be okay. If people aren't okay and are still shaken or offended, he tends to say it's in the past and to get over it, even if it is minutes earlier and he revealed their most humiliating secrets or said the harshest things thinkable. He shows no regret either, he is greedy, if there are treats in the house he won't think twice about taking them.

My main question is could this be Anti-social disorder? maybe something else?

[Alexandre]

I have been antisocial for the greater part of my youth, so I have an idea of what you are talking about.

Is he introvert? Is he submerged in himself, not paying attention to the many things going on around him?

If something disturbed or sick catches his attention, is his reaction one of indifference?

Does he look people in their eyes?

Is he uncomfortable, even anxious, when interacting with other people?

Are his thoughts and ideas perhaps radical or possibly abstract and confusing?

Let's back and forth