Antisocial personality disorder

From Kendra Van Wagner
Symptoms and Treatments

Individuals with antisocial personality disorder:

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

Treatment

• 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.
  
• Cognitive therapy can be useful in helping individuals gain insight into their behaviors and to change maladaptive thought patterns.
  
• Effective results usually occur only after long-term treatment.