Antisocial Personality Disorder

Symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder

• May begin displaying symptoms during childhood. Such behaviors include fire setting, cruelty to animals, and difficulty with authority.
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• Often have legal problems resulting from failures to conform to social norms and a lack of concern for the rights of others.
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• Often act out impulsively and fail to consider the consequences of their actions.
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• Display aggressiveness and irritability that often lead to physical assaults.
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• Have difficulty feeling empathy for others. This inability to consider the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of other people can lead to disregard for others.
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• Display a lack of remorse for damaging behavior.

Treatments for Antisocial Personality Disorder

• Those with antisocial personality disorder rarely seek out treatment on their own. Individuals generally receive treatment only after some type of altercation with the legal system.
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• Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be useful in helping individuals gain insight into their behaviors and to change maladaptive thought patterns.
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• Effective results usually occur only after long-term treatment.