Transcript II: 8.5 Million Sociopaths: interview with Psychiatrist Donald Black

I interviewed psychiatrist Donald Black, M.D., author of Bad Boys, Bad Men, on May 6, 2013, discussing anti-social personality disorder, sociopaths and psychopaths. He says there about 8.5 Million sociopaths in the USA-- about 4% of adults. 

  This is part two of a two part interview. Here is a link  to the audio podcast. Links to other articles in the series, including part one of this interview.

Thanks to Don Caldarazzo   for doing the transcript.

 

John Wayne Gacy art by Wikipedia

Rob Kall:   OK.  Next: you mention in your books on a couple occasions use of marijuana as a sign, potentially, of anti-social personality; yet several states have now made it legal, and it's available for use as a medicine in a growing number of states.  Where does marijuana fit in with this?

Donald Black:   Well that's a good question, and let me correct that, in that anti-socials in general tend to abuse substances.  It could be marijuana, it could be methamphetamine, it could be cocaine, it could just be alcohol.  Alcohol is probably the most widely used substance of anti-socials, and I think it just reflects on their inability to delay gratification.  They tend to be into instant gratification, and drugs and alcohol can provide that.  If they are alcohol or drug addicted, their anti-social personality is worse, because they are dis-inhibited; they're more like to be impulsive, they're more likely to act out.  One of the thoughts about treating these people is that if they are drug addicted, you must get them off of drugs. 

 

Now, we have seen this tendency in the U.S. in various states to legalize medical marijuana or just decriminalize marijuana.  Whether or not that's a good thing or not I think society has to determine for itself.  I personally don't agree that states should be legalizing marijuana as a medical indication, because as a doctor I can tell you that there are no hard and fast medical indications, and certainly none that have been well studied.  But it's a question that society has to address for itself.  There's no specific connection with anti-social personality disorder.

 

Rob Kall:   OK.  Next question: I want to observe that your book tends to focus on people who are in lower portions of our culture, and I think you make it clear in your book that sociopathy can keep people stuck in a /

 

Donald Black:   Absolutely.

 

Rob Kall:   - cycle where they're impoverished, where they're dependent, where they're using theft and drug dealing to survive, /

 

Donald Black:   Yep.

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