Sociopaths, Anti-Social Disorder-- The Guy Who Wrote the Book

Broadcast 5/6/2013 at 4:07 PM EDT (854 Listens, 421 Downloads, 4781 Itunes)
The Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show Podcast

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Donald W. Black, MD, is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City. He's the author of Bad Boys, Bad Men, Confronting Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)

amazon, barnes and noble or the oxford u website

Rob: There's a big percentage of the population with this-- at least 3%, right?

4.5% of population may meet criteria for this disorder. 8.5 Million adults in the US. 

Rob: There's no real cure, is there?

Rob: What are the primary characteristics of an Anti-Social Personality or Sociopath

-- recurrent bad behavior over time

--subset of these lack a conscience, lack empathy, commit criminal acts

Rob: How does this relate to evil?

Rob: It seems that evil is perpetrated by sociopaths.

Rob: You say in your book, "they rebel against every tipy of regulation and expectation, seemingly oblivious to the value of living wi thin society's boundaries. Despite all sanctions-- parental punishment, ostracism, allure or jail-- they remain stuck in a rut of bad behavior"."

Rob: How do you separate the protestors from the sociopaths?

Rob: Can you talk about sociopathy and DSM4 and DSM5-- the psychiatric manual for diagnosis?

      Diagnosis history-- has been around 200 years or more.

     criteria have not changed from 4 to 5

Rob: What are the basic criteria for diagnosis?

    criminality, deceitfulness, impulsivity, acting without thinking, aggressiveness, reckless disregard for safety of others. 

Rob: You've mentioned that this is a men's disease-- that it's eight to one men to women?

Rob: related diagnoses? Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissism"

Rob: Where does psychopathy and psychopaths come in to this conversation

     ASP and sociopathy are synonymous. Psychopathy is at the far end of the severity spectrum

Rob: You mention marijuana in your book. Where does marijuana fit in?

Rob: What about people who are in the upper parts of society-- who don't get caught with violent behavior?

Rob: What are some of the behaviors to look for in people who come from the upper class?

Rob: What are some examples of the kinds of things they cover up?

Rob: What about sociopaths and anti-social behavior online. 

Rob: What does one experience when working with someone who is a sociopath?

     Book: Snakes in Suits

Rob:  How would you detect sociopathic behavior among high level, high functioning behavior?

government website called reporter run by NIH

Rob: I imagine it would be very difficult putting together a group of Sociopathic CEOs.

   researcher Adrian Rain looks at brain function.

Rob: What about leaders who just send out orders to kill people?

   mostly not-- possibly narcissistic

Rob: What's the story with narcissism and narcissistic?

      The worst combination is narcissistic tendencies and antisocial traits--

sociopaths in congress and corporations, 

What about politicians?

Rob: How about terrorists, the Tsarnaev brothers and what happened in Boston?

Rob: What are some of the things that young people do that is predictive of them becoming sociopaths?

Rob: Would cruelty or bullying be an indication?

Rob: Is there a degree where gun ownership becomes sociopathic?

Rob: How to deal with people who are ASP/Sociopath?

Rob: What if a sociopath is intentionally making your life miserable?

Rob: It sounds like our culture and society has not dealt with sociopaths in anywhere near a way that is comprehensive.

Rob: Have you looked at it in tribal cultures and in other cultures?

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