What is Antisocial Personality Disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is a long-term (chronic) mental health disorder that causes you to have trouble respecting other people’s rights. You may often lie, steal, and fight.
You may feel angry and have trouble controlling your behavior. Even when you behave badly, you may not feel any guilt.
People with antisocial personality disorder have a higher risk for other personality disorders and other mental health problems. Having this disorder also increases your risk of drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, accidents, physically harming others, and criminal behavior.
What are the causes?
The exact cause of this disorder is not known. Abnormal genes that you are born with may play a role. These genes may cause abnormal levels of brain chemicals that normally help to control behaviors and emotions.
What increases the risk?
This condition may be more likely to develop in people who:
- Are male.
- Have a parent or close relative with the condition.
- Experienced neglect or stressful experiences as a child, such as having an alcoholic parent, or experiencing child abuse.
Behaviors that suggest antisocial personality disorder usually appear before adulthood. A child or teen who exhibits these behaviors may be diagnosed with conduct disorder. Symptoms of this disorder in childhood include:
- Setting fires.
- Being cruel to animals.
- Not following rules.
What are the signs or symptoms?
Symptoms of this condition include:
- Stealing.
- Hurting or mistreating others.
- Repeated lying.
- Frequent use of dishonesty to control others (manipulativeness).
- Inability to control behaviors (impulsivity).
- Repeated fighting and aggressiveness.
- Frequently risking the safety of self and others.
- Inability to be reliable (consistent irresponsibility).
- Lack of concern or guilt.
- A strong need for power, personal gain, and pleasure.
- Consistent failure to follow rules and laws.
How is this diagnosed?
This disorder is diagnosed by a mental health professional, based on your symptoms and long-term patterns of behavior. There are no tests for diagnosing this disorder. You may be asked questions about your symptoms and lifestyle, such as:
- Drug or alcohol use.
- Situations that cause your symptoms to start (triggers).
- How long you have had symptoms.
- Problems that are caused by your symptoms at work or school or in social situations.
- Legal problems.
How is this treated?
Antisocial personality disorder can be hard to treat. In children, parents and teachers can recognize behaviors and seek treatment early, before the condition worsens. Treatment may last for years, and it usually involves a team of health care providers. This team may include your primary care provider, psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, and legal officials. Family members or friends may also be involved.
Talk therapy (psychotherapy) may help you understand how your behavior is harmful to yourself and others and help you learn ways to change. The most common types of psychotherapy that are used to treat this disorder include:
- Psychodynamic therapy. This aims to help you identify how past experiences affect your behavior so you can change your reactions to future events.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This helps you identify patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are causing problems and learn to replace them with positive ones.
- Interpersonal therapy. This aims to change the way that you relate to others.
- Dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT). This helps you develop coping skills for controlling your impulses and reducing self-harming behavior.
- Group and family therapy. This includes communication and input from others.
Medicine may also be part of your treatment, to help control other mental health problems like depression, anxiety, or mood swings.
Follow these instructions at home:
Lifestyle
- Do notuse drugs or alcohol. Drugs or alcohol can make your condition worse.
Exercise regularly. This may help to reduce or manage your stress, anger, and anxiety.
General instructions
- Work with your treatment team to learn about your condition and make changes in your behaviors.
- Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care providers.
- Consider joining a support group for people who have a personality disorder.
- Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care providers. This is important.
Contact a health care provider if:
- Your symptoms or behaviors are causing legal problems.
- You are struggling with drug or alcohol use.
- You are experiencing anxiety, depression, or mood swings.
Get help right away if:
- You have thoughts about hurting yourself or others.
You can go to your nearest emergency department or call:
- Your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.).
- A suicide crisis helpline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. This is open 24 hours a day.
Summary
- Antisocial personality disorder is a long-term mental health disorder.
- If you have antisocial personality disorder, you have trouble respecting the rights of other people. You may often lie, steal, and fight. You may feel angry and have trouble controlling your behavior. Even when you behave badly, you may not feel any guilt.
- Treatment may last for years, and it usually involves a team of health care providers. Talk therapy (psychotherapy) may be a helpful treatment.
- Tell someone right away if you feel you may be a danger to yourself or to others.
