How to spot a Psychopath. The Psychology of Psychopaths | Psychopathy Explained

#Psychopathy #Psychology #MentalHealth

One of our Psychological Counsellor's Vasiliki Gkofa talks about Psychopathy. Vasiliki Gkofa is a Clinical Psychology graduate and has completed her MSc in Clinical Neuropsychiatry from King's College London and MSc in Mental Health Research from University College London (UCL).

Vasiliki discusses the following topics in this video;
Key features of psychopathy
Differences in the brain anatomy
How they are able to manipulate others
Childhood symptoms
Nature VS Nurture
Treatment

Dr. Becky Spelman is a top Psychologist in London, Becky is the Clinic Director for Private Therapy Clinic which has clinic's based all around central London including; Harley Street, Wigmore Street, Bank, Earls Court & Canary Wharf. Becky uses Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Mindfulness to treat a range of difficulties with a particular interest in Borderline Personality Disorder and the difficulties that go with this condition such as relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, low-self esteem, social anxiety, fear of public speaking, fear of intimacy, interpersonal difficulties, anger, body image issues, eating disorders and addictions.

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[steviecrow]

Worked for a psychopath. Saw him initiating bad risks for the organization - he had no concern for ethics or laws. These people do terrible things but will find ways to set others up to take the fall.

[njorun]

The primary reason people don't leave an abusive relationship is because it's the most dangerous thing they can do, not that they're embarrassed.

[samuraifencer]

Being one of this ilk, a few things...
Firstly, being born this way, the best way to explain is- imagine being born unable to taste. You see others enjoy foods around you, raving about the best pizza or the best ice cream. Now, eventually you make a choice. Either out yourself as different or wrong, or pretend to like what others do, to blend in and be normal. Then one day, you eat a chili pepper and you...taste it. Come to find out, you can taste ‘hot’ spicy foods. Of course, you’d want to spice up everything...but dumping Frank’s hot on ice cream would make you look a little strange, so you learn to pick your times to ‘taste’, and decide to what intensity you want to experience this sensation.

Now to be born without a properly functioning empathy or emotional system... it’s a bit similar. You see people loving, caring about others, being concerned. You see people crying about funerals, or a happy wedding. Maybe being scared at a haunted house attraction, or being overjoyed at winning money, or being at an amusement park. Being born this way...you don’t really ‘taste’ these feelings. So the choice is to pretend, to blend...or put yourself as some movie monster by simply not being affected by anything.
Now, where the aforementioned hot/spice being the example, for folk like me all that’s really felt (albeit in a different way) are feelings such as ‘anger’, ‘thrill’, or even some odd form of perverse ‘joy’ (generally awarded from either pranks, manipulations, or in some way ‘tweaking’ things to your whim and the resulting satisfaction)
Only having these emotions, one is left with choosing how much of life one wants to ‘taste’.
That said, i actively choose to emulate emotions or care or be ‘good’ with people because I want to. Have I ‘tasted’ life? Oh yeah...very much so in the past. But I have come to choose to blend and try being a human for the sake of those trying to have me in their lives. Plus they get the perks of being with someone that doesn’t panic, can deal with dangers coldly and logically.... and I make a great non judgmental shoulder to cry on, since a moral compass is also optional:)
Hope this helps! Didn’t plan to post...honestly was just listening to videos about this, as a sort of self-check to make sure I’m not outwardly exhibiting traits mentioned:)

[yaakovkrakowich]

One of the most interesting habits of psychopathic individuals who aren't outwardly cruel growing up (but might experience a difficult home life) is the tendency towards opposition to authority in every way possible (unless there's a bargain to be struck or a point to be made). They will outright refuse to do what they don't want to do(from homework to chores, working etc; often out of spite) They do not respect the parent-child dynamic. Particularly with idiotic or negligent and abusive families they see themselves as adults around 8-10. Instead of "acting out" as kids and teens so often do, they will get revenge--sometimes even willing to endanger their own future to exercise this power over someone or some group. Rather than killing cats in a back alley, they are often the kids who will attack a bully, start a gang of other outsiders, and fit more of a "bullied vigilante" archetype).
It really important to nurture their moral compass at 4-6 years of age.
The difference between a "successful businessman" and a criminal mastermind is often, but not exclusively, related to opportunity in life and all that. Psychopaths are also capable of experiencing emotion (blunted and often not at all how you would feel, but they feel)

[TheCoastalAVENGER]

This may be somewhat off topic but I dated somebody who turned out to be a Sociopathic narcissist. He came into my life at a period of time where I had very little self confidence and I think they picked up on that. Acted loving and kind, giving me exactly what I wanted before revealing their true harsh nature. reason I stayed with him was because he truely made me believe that I was a worthless individual and any situation where I felt I was fed up they would turn things back on me, convince me I was at fault and right before I broke they would say something nice to bring me back in. Everything I did was controlled by him, anything I did that upset him was met with harsh scolding. Wasn't until he tried to make me cut ties with all of my closest friends that I finally left. even then I told him "I'm not strong enough to be with you" I was convinced it was my fault. all he did was act annoyed and brushed me off.

I kept it all to myself for a long time until I happened to watch a video on what it's like to date a sociopath and it was like somebody read a book about my past and then told it back to me, dispite being many months later it actually put me in tears. that was when I discovered they were a sociopath. I'm just greatful that I was able to get out of that relationship, was the darkest period of my entire life. It took many years to truly overcome those experiences and come to terms with them.

Having danced with the devil so to speak, I can't help but find myself morbidly interested around Sociopaths and Psychopaths, the kinds of individual who so casually toy with the hearts and minds of others. All I can say to others though is they are best left alone, looking back it seems so blatantly obvious what was going on and how awful he was, but in reality it was like a drug, horrible and wonderful at the same time and all the same toxic.

[HospitalForSouls.X]

I was born this way...I can always tell who has that psycho radar, they treat me differently and try to avoid me. I'm self-realized and accepting of who I am; I don't really care what anyone else feels about it.

[DivaDivine]

I'd like to know how many psychopaths there are serving in the military as opposed to in prison.. studying psychopaths in prison seems a bit redundant.. I would like to learn more about corporate psychopaths..

[jolly]

Interesting! When I meet someone new, I'll often use my own psychopathy "check list" or rather call it a simple psychopathy vetting system, so to speak. It consists of one basic thing: subtly pretending to be a little vulnerable or unsure about something, maybe even a bit naive. And then I’ll watch the person's behavior toward me to see if he or she will try to take advantage of me in some way, even if only in a very minor way. If they do try, I'll distance myself from them or drop them completely. No second chances. This video has given me many more things to watch for.

[talmania]

hi, thank you for the lesson.
I am a psychopath, and I know it from an early age, 16, I'm now 45.
just wanted to mention something you missed out on: most psychopaths are not in prison, and are roaming free, undetected, for the simple reason that for us, freedom is everything.
meaning, even if we really want to do something bad, we won't do it if there is even the slightest chance of getting caught!
another thing is, we wouldn't be so socially convincing, if we lacked emotion completely, so we do feel some emotions, but at a very low level of the scale.
one last thing, is that you forgot to mention that there different levels of psychopathy, and someone might have only some of the criteria, and another, all of it.
a psychopath is also never afraid of anything or anyone, because he knows, that he's the strongest predator in his current location.
if you want to do some research on me, or ask anything, feel free to ask, Eran, from Israel.

[--th]

I'm psycopath in almost all clinic aspects. I noted it. I was clinically told it. And it's not the end of my world, adding that I'm not criminal (I hate this media-fantasy).

Being honest, it was liberating. It helped me to understand better the differences I have, and how to see it socially, in special with my family. We can see we aren't demential, but there is something wrong.

I have facility to see (and deal with) bad intentions on people action and arguments.. beyond any narrative. People say that I even speak to their soul, due to the deepness and empathyless.

No fear; no sad feelings (I laugh even with burn animals and I don't cry for death); no anxiety; no shame; no depression; no mercy; addicted to adrenalin and risky situations; "feline look" (charming); narrow focus and cold mind on situations of danger or pressure; no hesitation.

... and thare are other not so positive traits (alter ego is real.. I uses to burn, play and speak with dead animals when I was a kid... I almost died several times... I definetly don't value words, pain and emotions as society expect).

I also feel satisfied when I dream burning people alive. I've already watched a man burn (in a car accident that I was involved). The only 'regret' I feel is that I didn't kill him before his ending (he died). He was innocent.. me too. But he died in very disturbing ciscumstances.

It helped me when I found some bad guys too.. speacially dangerous psychos, death threats etc.

It's not easy to assume my nature.. I'll never deny how far it lead me through this continuous empty mental storm.

[dolittle]

Thank you for this excellent content, especially the points you make that distinguish psychopaths from narcissists. My experience has been that there is only a very slight difference between the two--narcissists may tend to fare better in avoiding criminal activity, for example. The point you made about a psychopath's ability to mimic emotions was eye opening, to mention just one more of many great insights you touched on.

[nireshnr]

This is so spot on all you lovers who don't listen to her will get taken advantage of or set up in life.

[democratictotalitariansoci]

obvious sign of psychopath is when person doesn't care about dogs nor cats and don't bother to hurt them!

[monkemind]

I check off most of the boxes except when it comes to empathy. I have no guilt or concern for myself but I care to much about others. I'd take my life tomorrow It I knew it wouldn't hurt anyone else.

[ohatrid]

You hit the nail on the head of the coffin when you said they dont work normal jobs. I met a psychopath in my fire school back in February. He was a very great conversationalist seemed very friendly on the surface but he lacked complete connection and wanted zero responsibility whatsoever. He was also a medic for 10 years. He didnt care for you even tho he would pretend to its almost like you can tell he only cared about his personal gain and nothing more. You couldnt point out one of his flaws without him firing back at you. He was also the class leader which made things so much worse than what they already were. Not only was he psychopathic but he had the rest of my class mates at the tip of his fingers bc he had power. This is still one of the worst people ive met in my life and had to deal with.

[minispiel]

My brother is definitely a psychopath, but I am the only one in my family who has fallen out of his charming spell. No chance of convincing anyone in my family that maybe he should talk to someone about possibly getting a diagnosis.

[aeon]

When the psychopath isn't happy, I'm happy

[danielvlk]

Thank you for the video. I looked this issue up, because I did not know if it is possible that one person who was my friend might be one. After watching this, I am not sure, but think it probably is not the case. I saw him acting very friendly and closely with a dog, for example. And he does care what people around him think, but maybe he does it only to appear stronger than anybody else.
On the other hand thinks like using your weaknesses, no apparent remorse from lying, huge ego etc. do match. He repeatedly used my anger to belittle me, a conduct he stopped only after I calmed myself and accepted him again. O course without any apology on his side. I still wonder, but maybe he is just a narcissist.

Anyway thank you very much for this video. Not only is it very good informationwise, the speaker is awesome at presentation of the topic and knows how to speak. Also I love the setting (the armchair, books, painting). And sorry if I made any errors in this comment, I am not a native speaker.

[sylviastreet]

@aeon4013 you said when a psychopath isn’t happy, you’re happy. That can be dangerous! I’m not an expert, but I think don’t show any emotion to that person so he can’t play upon it!

[kdgzhle]

As far as I'm concerned psychopathy is an adaptive evolutionary strategy for a r-selected ecology, or fast life history strategy. Psychopathic chimpanzees are giving us far better insight than anything Cleckley, Hare or Babiak produced imo