People with antisocial personality disorder tend to disregard authority, the law or the rights of other people. They may tell lies, behave aggressively or engage in illegal behaviour such as stealing, drug taking and violence. People with antisocial personality disorder are said to lack remorse or a conscience, and generally do not feel sorry for their actions. They are sometimes called a ‘sociopath’ or a ‘psychopath’.

Antisocial personality disorder symptoms

Some people with antisocial personality disorder are highly successful, intelligent, charming but exploit others for their own personal gain. Others are unable to maintain a job or stable home and end up in prison or in drug or alcohol facilities. They are generally unable to sustain meaningful relationships with others.

People with antisocial personality disorder tend to:

• fail to respect the law and repeatedly behave illegally
• lie and deceive others
• be impulsive and not plan ahead
• have a lot of fights and be aggressive
• disregard their own or others' safety
• be irresponsible
• lack remorse and not worry who they have hurt, mistreated or stolen from.

Some people may show these behaviours occasionally and learn to overcome them, without having a personality disorder. A personality disorder is a long-term pattern of behaviour, thinking and emotions that causes distress to the person and those around them, and makes it difficult to function in everyday life. People with personality disorders find it hard to change their behaviour or adapt to different situations. They have extreme thoughts and behaviours that make them act in ways they can’t control and make it hard to cope with day-to-day life.

People with antisocial personality disorder often have other mental illnesses as well, including anxiety and depression. They may also misuse alcohol and drugs.

Causes of antisocial personality disorder

The cause of this disorder is not entirely known. Some people with antisocial personality disorder come from families where personality disorders are common. Some come from families where violence and crime are common. Others have had childhoods in which they suffered abuse, trauma, neglect and lack of discipline. Some, however, come from normal and happy families.

How is antisocial personality disorder diagnosed?

A diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder can only be made in an adult, not a child, and should be made only by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist who gets to know the person over a period of time.

People with antisocial personality disorder often have problems with drugs and alcohol, and with anxiety or depression.

Adults with antisocial personality disorder usually show signs of conduct disorder before they are 15. These include:

• aggression toward people and animals
• destroying property
• being deceitful
• stealing
• serious rule-breaking.

Treatment for antisocial personality disorder

The main form of treatment for antisocial personality disorder is long-term psychological therapy; however, there is very little research to determine how effective the treatments really are. There are no drugs specifically for antisocial personality disorder, although people are sometimes prescribed medication to control other problems they may have, such as anxiety, depression or aggression.