http://money.guardian.co.uk/work/story/0,1456,1462406,00.html

Lots of research has been conducted in this area and it's interesting as the media still has this notion of a "psychopath" to be some sort of serial killer. In fact, there are thousands of people in the UK living with a personality disorder and only a very small number of them are criminals.

Unfortunately there is virtually no treatment available for people with personality disorders which is especially complicated by the fact that many of these people don't want to change. Many psychologists have actually argued that some features of certain disorders may actually be beneficial, especially in the business world where ruthlessness and a lack of remorse is often rewarded. In all quite an interesting article, thanks carcrash :thumbsup:

Yeah thanks carcrash, that was a welcome distraction from my essay writing! Explains a lot about past bosses as well!

this is so true - i manage of these "psychopaths". The person concerned manages a team of staff and we have experienced more resignations in one team than Ive had as a manager in 7 years! Managing this person and her team is so very time consuming!

I dont believe my boss is a psychopath I would say its more likely he is, the type of person we used to call at school 'a cxxt.'
What evens it out is the fact that he has working for him, a lazy **** taking boarderline criminal! He know this (but cant prove it) so says nothing. I know he's a cxxt (i can't prove it) so say nothing. He needs me to keep him grounded and i need him to stop me falling into total anarchy. I think its refered to as symbiosis. Perfect- :thumbsup:

I watched a really interesting documentary a while back along these lines. It was a canadian guy, Dr Robert Hare, that had been asked by Canadian Correctional Services to design a treatment program for psychopaths. He created the Psychopathy Checklist - a diagnostic tool to measure psychopathy on a 40 point scale. He reckoned that while most of canada's serial killers/most dangerous offenders where indeed psychopaths they only counted for a tiny fraction of psychopaths in the population. When the checklist was applied to top management/ceo's they scored high enough to warrant the label 'psychopath'. Considering that socially these 2 groups would be viewed as being polar extremes they shared similar behaviours and traits. Most significant of which was an utter lack of conscience, massive ego's, short tempers etc! (lol, most bosses) Hare said if he couldn't study psychopaths in prison then the Vancouver Stock Exchange would have been his second choice. Apparently hundreds of thousands of "psycho's" live and work and prey among us :o comforting thought huh !!

At work, I am the BOSS! Got it?!

The Nursing Profession is (in my opinion) a magnate for these type of managers.

Coincidentally they are always bored frumpy middle aged house wives too that match the psychopathic manager profile. :suspect:

Although what is very interesting of course is the way in which these people still viewed in a very negative light. Whereas mental illness has been a rather taboo subject in the past, people who suffer from mental illness today are ususally viewed as victims rather than bad people. For example, people who suffer from depression or schizophrenia are usually viewed as victims of their illness. In contrast people with personality disorders are seen as evil people, who are preying on innocent people. I would argue that these people need to be viewed as victims of their disorders and that the focus should be on trying to develop a treatment. It is the hardest thing in the world for humans to comprehend that somebody feels no emotion, guilt and will only do anything for their own satisfaction. But these people are out there, and I think the general public need to realise these aren't just evil people, but people who are in fact suffering from a mental disorder.

If you are being bullied,victimised,picked on either physically or mentally then do something about it. the law is actually in your favour. My company takes a dim view of managers who manage by means of intimidation. Such people need sorting out.

Someone has pointed out that just as schizophrenics and depressives are now seen as victims , then we should have more sympathy with psychopaths , who are also seen as being mentally ill or having a mental imbalance.
Well , that's all very well , but if you work in a limited environment with a psychopath who's making everyone's life a misery , what are you expected to do ?
It's already been stated that there's no cure [ or at the very least , no easy cure ] for psychopathy and even if there were , why should we spend our time or energy on someone we hardly know , don't probably want to know or heartily dislike ?
Unfortunately , it's rather similar with depressives in the work-place or a similar environment-----we may have every sympathy with their condition but , often , or mostly , we haven't the time , energy or expertise to deal with it .

Originally posted by Fareast
Someone has pointed out that just as schizophrenics and depressives are now seen as victims , then we should have more sympathy with psychopaths , who are also seen as being mentally ill or having a mental imbalance.
Well , that's all very well , but if you work in a limited environment with a psychopath who's making everyone's life a misery , what are you expected to do ?
It's already been stated that there's no cure [ or at the very least , no easy cure ] for psychopathy and even if there were , why should we spend our time or energy on someone we hardly know , don't probably want to know or heartily dislike ?
Unfortunately , it's rather similar with depressives in the work-place or a similar environment-----we may have every sympathy with their condition but , often , or mostly , we haven't the time , energy or expertise to deal with it .

I understand that. It is terrible to come into contact with a psychopath, or be in a relationship with one and I can fully understand how people would dislike them. But the only reason you dislike them is because of their disorder. I was just pointing out how people in general tend to blame the person for their behaviour when they are a psychopath, but blame the disorder when it is something like depression.

Dont get me wrong though, before anybody starts, I don't have any sympathy for people who chose to commit terrible crimes like kill children. What I do have however, is an interest in what makes them do what they do, and what society can do to cure these people.

Originally posted by Lucy_Smith
Dont get me wrong though, before anybody starts, I don't have any sympathy for people who chose to commit terrible crimes like kill children. What I do have however, is an interest in what makes them do what they do, and what society can do to cure these people.

I also find it fascinating. It all comes back to the nature/nurture debate .... are psychopaths born or made? There is also naturally more sympathy generated for people who suffer shizophrenia or more serious mental illnesses etc as these people are relatively more harmless in comparison and actually wish to change their behaviour/mind set/disorder, they want a 'cure' whereas 'pyschopaths' will not seek or want 'help' to cure their 'disorder'. They are happy with their lot until caught or convicted when they will then go through the charade of seeking treatment in order to facilitate a faster release etc.

Originally posted by cobaltblue
There is also naturally more sympathy generated for people who suffer shizophrenia or more serious mental illnesses etc as these people are relatively more harmless in comparison

Like I've said before though, only a very small number turn to crime. From memory I think it's about 1%. It's just that the media has portrayed these people as all being serial killers! But see what you saying about them not wanting to change, or realising anything is wrong with them.

As far as nature/nurture's concerned, from what I've read most people with a personality disorder have experienced a difficult or unusual childhood, so would imagine it's more nuture. To be diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder there has to a conduct disorder in childhood for example. Maybe the key is to intervene early, in childhood, to try and stop the resulting personality disorder from developing in adulthood?

Think it best not to confuse 'Psychopath' with 'Personality Disorder'. These are not the same thing - see link below.

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p960239.html

Originally posted by chickmonk
Think it best not to confuse 'Psychopath' with 'Personality Disorder'. These are not the same thing - see link below.

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p960239.html

Not read the article but as far as I am aware a "psychopath" has anti social personality disorder, but not all people with anti social personality disorder are psychopaths. But some would argue that people with other personality disorders can be psychopaths as well.

Does the label really matter though? Treat people according to their problems I say.

Originally posted by Lucy_Smith
Not read the article but as far as I am aware a "psychopath" has anti social personality disorder, but not all people with anti social personality disorder are psychopaths. But some would argue that people with other personality disorders can be psychopaths as well.

Does the label really matter though? Treat people according to their problems I say.

I also couldn't be arsed to read this smithy - lets not fall out - can we please label them all under the broad umbrella of 'crackers'!:|

Originally posted by Lucy_Smith
Like I've said before though, only a very small number turn to crime. From memory I think it's about 1%. It's just that the media has portrayed these people as all being serial killers! But see what you saying about them not wanting to change, or realising anything is wrong with them.

As far as nature/nurture's concerned, from what I've read most people with a personality disorder have experienced a difficult or unusual childhood, so would imagine it's more nuture. To be diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder there has to a conduct disorder in childhood for example. Maybe the key is to intervene early, in childhood, to try and stop the resulting personality disorder from developing in adulthood?

I am really not sure about the stats but I remember from the Hare documentary that he reckoned 1% of the population of Canada were psychopaths and those convicted made up an even smaller fraction of that 1%. I don't doubt however that even these 'subclinical' psychopaths, the ones living among us, although not violent serial killers are still inherently dangerous. And where I would agree with you that some personality disorders can be directly related to childhood events/trauma/abuse etc and can be treated, I do think psychopathic tendencies and the resulting behaviour is a completely different problem. I don't think it can effectively be 'cured', if anything maybe just controlled. And there are exceptions to every rule - not every psychopath has had a traumatic or unusual childhood the same as not every one that has suffered as a child will become a psychopath. But in most cases, regardless of the reasons for the behaviour, the signs are there in childhood. Usually only recognised with hindsight once the behaviour has become more unacceptable. At what point is a child offered therapy/treatment?! How do you determine that it is behaviour that will be grown out of or behaviour that will become more extreme with age?! There is definitely no easy answer quick fix cure.

Originally posted by cobaltblue
I don't think it can effectively be 'cured', if anything maybe just controlled. And there are exceptions to every rule - not every psychopath has had a traumatic or unusual childhood the same as not every one that has suffered as a child will become a psychopath. But in most cases, regardless of the reasons for the behaviour, the signs are there in childhood. Usually only recognised with hindsight once the behaviour has become more unacceptable. At what point is a child offered therapy/treatment?! How do you determine that it is behaviour that will be grown out of or behaviour that will become more extreme with age?! There is definitely no easy answer quick fix cure.

That's all very true. In terms of whether you are "curing" or "controlling" I would say that's the problem with treatments for many mental disorders. Certain anti depressants, for example, may boost serotonin levels while you are on them, but then when you come off them you find the depression coming back. As for treating in childhood, yes a lot of children do experience difficulties that they may grow out of. But from memory the symptoms of conduct disorder include persistant bed wetting, setting fire to things, and sadistic behaviour towards animals and other children. Add these things up and I would say that childhood intervention is vital. But yes, I would agree there is no quick fix, and that is the biggest problem!