“It is not that difficult” according to Samuel Mergui.
In psychiatric terms, psychopathy is not a mental illness but a so -called “anti -social” personality disorder. Sociopaths and narcissistic perverts are also found in this category. These personalities are characterized by a general mode of contempt and transgression of the rights of others. “There is not really a precise and consensual definition of psychopathy”explains Samuel Mergui, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. We especially recognize psychopathic people by observing their behavior. “This are very crude people who are not very creative, who do not understand their emotions too much and what they feel. “
To recognize this disorder, you must already be interested in the course that can trigger it. There are social, biological and psychological hypotheses. “We know that some brain damage can make psychopathic but most of the time. It is a chaotic life course, with parents who are not present, career in foster family and violence suffered”continues the expert. We then speak of a “secure” family environment, life trajectories made of deficiencies and mistreatment. Once adult, “It’s not that difficult” to recognize psychopathic personalities, according to the clinical psychologist. They demonstrate:
► An impulsiveness: “These are people who do not think before acting and who behave impulsively, without prior mentalization. They have trouble anticipating and have no remorse when they hurt someone.”
► Instability: Psychopaths can have a lot of debts and not be able to keep a long -term job. “Someone who does not work does not mean that it is a psychopath. But if he is not able to have stable work, that he does not pay his rent, that he has judicial history, that he is impulsive and violates both others and over herself, that he has addictions and that he is not able to repress his impulses, this may be revealing “specifies Samuel Mergui.
► A brutality: generally, a psychopath committed evil towards others without the slightest remorse.
► A non-compliance with authority: psychopaths have poor integration of morality and prohibitions. The judicial sanctions do not intimidate them. This indifference vis-à-vis rules in society and laws is illustrated in their criminal record according to our expert. “Psychopaths are over-represented in prison as they despise the rules, are very instability and impulsiveness. This makes them neither hot nor cold to find their way.” The type of psychopath transgressions is also revealing, “They will show a lot of violence, they will fight with police officers, insult magistrates, commit outrages during their audiences”.
If some psychopaths sink in “Total maladjustment”made of repeated stays in prison, even a marginal life, on the street, others manage to change, often around the forties, and with the help of therapeutic follow -up. “They will not stop being psychopaths but they will succeed in tinkering with a kind of conduct code which will allow them to adapt to the codes of society.” It is therefore possible for psychopathic people to lead a “normal” life, to live as a couple and even to start a family.
Thank you to Samuel Mergui, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist and creator of the YouTube channel “Psychorama”.
