Spotlight on the Different Types of Antisocial Personality Disorders.
What is Antisocial Personality Disorder?
People with antisocial personality disorders are characterized by lack of morals and affect. They often fail to conform to social norms, repeatedly break the law, are deceitful, impulsive, reckless, disregard the safety of self and others. They are also capable of being aggressive and violent without feeling guilty. According to the DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (301.7) antisocial personality disorders in (Axis II Cluster B) is characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others. These behaviors develop by age 15.
The following list allows you a glimpse into the different types of antisocial personality disorders and what they are.
3 Types of Antisocial Character Structure
a) Amoral Personalities
- Amoral extroverts (narcissistic) – Narcissist are characterized by their inflated sense of self and their deep need for admiration. These individuals believe they are superior to others and lack social empathy. However, behind their ultra-confident mask they have very fragile self-esteem and can be quite vulnerable to criticism.
- Amoral introverts (schizoid) – People with schizoid personalities are often introverts. They can be withdrawn and solitary. Mostly appearing cold and socially distant they can also be self absorbed, fearing closeness and intimacy.
b) Antisocial Impulse Disorder – People with this disorder have a hard time resisting impulses to perform actions that maybe harmful to themselves or others. Impulsively violent, high tolerance for pain, high risk for drug use, low guilt.
c) Sadistic Antisocial – Lacks caring and empathy for others, willing and even wants to inflict pain on others for their own pleasure or satisfaction. Their primary defense is dissociation and omnipotence. Also characterized by their intense need to control and dominate.
Millon’s antisocial personality subtypes
According to Theodore Millon there are five subtypes of antisocial. A person with this disorder may demonstrate none, one or more than one of the following types of antisocial personality disorders:
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Covetous antisocial – this is a variant of the pure pattern where the individual feel that life has not given them their due. They feel denied, deprived and are therefore discontented, envious, seek retribution, are greedy and often derive more pleasure in taking than in having.
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Reputation-defending antisocial – this includes narcissistic features such as the need to be thought of as flawless, invincible, superior, indomitable. Overactive to slights.
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Risk-taking antisocial – histrionic features such as boldness, foolhardiness, impulsive, characterizes this subtype pursues danger, recklessness.
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Nomadic antisocial – features of this subtype includes, schizoid and avoidant characteristics such as the feelings of being jinxed, ill-fated, doomsday outlook. They feel excluded, cast aside, and peripheral. These people are often drifters, vagrants, misfits, and wanderers.
5) Malevolent antisocial – features included are sadistic and paranoid. These people are often vicious, malignant, and brutal. They anticipate betrayal and desires revenge. Usually fearless and guiltless.
References
- Psychiatric News January 2, 2004,Volume 39 Number 1 Page 25 © American Psychiatric Association https://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/39/1/25.2.full
- Antisocial Personality Disorder - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) American Psychiatric Association (2000) - pages 645–650
- Institute for Advance Studies in Personology and Psychopathology https://www.millon.net/taxonomy/summary.htm
