Awareness of ASPD (Pt 1 Final)

 Do you remember the “quite kid” at your school, the one who did not socialize with others, never raised his hand in class, and sat by himself at lunch? Maybe you were that kid. While most of these kids were just the shy or awkward, a few of those “quiet kids” did more than not socialize. Maybe they would start fights, steal from the cafeteria, randomly argue and shout with others, and get detentions on a regular basis. You might have known someone experiencing the early signs of ASPD.

What is ASPD? 

    ASPD is a mental condition that can affect adults of all ages. ASPD stands for Antisocial Personality Disorder, which is commonly known as sociopathy. ASPD is characterized as a mental disorder where the person who has it lacks remorse or empathy for their own actions, as well as others well-being. Often people with ASPD exhibit symptoms such as violence and aggression, impulsive decisions, dangerous activities. While children and teenagers cannot be diagnosed with ASPD until they turn 18, signs such as anger, destructiveness, and depression can be early symptoms of the disorder. People with ASPD often have difficulties with developing and keeping relationships, maintaining jobs, and keeping up with good habits. In more serious cases, they may be involved with theft, physical violence, and other dangerous or illegal actions.

           

ASPD in my Life?

I learned about the existence of ASPD at a young age. When I started middle school, I met a kid named Paul. He did not socialize much with other kids, choosing to spend most of his time playing on whatever small device he had at the time. It was only when we got partnered for a school project that we started talking and eventually became friends.

            As I began hanging out with him more and more, I noticed that he never wanted to try new things and was quick to anger at the littlest inconveniences or challenges. It always seemed like if things did not go his way, he could not handle it, and would either break down into violent rages, or hide himself in his room until the problem went away. As we got older, he never seemed to change from his old ways, and more and more of his incidents lead my friends and I to drift away from him, until we stopped talking altogether. In middle school, I did not know of ASPD, or anything about it, other than the times that Paul mentioned it after a flare up. I had thought it meant he had attention issues or depression, but as I would soon learn, it was much more complicated than I thought.  

Could you or a Loved One be Suffering from ASPD?

It is more common than you think. 3.5%, or roughly 7 million Americans are known to be affected by the disorder. That’s a lot of people! But despite a significant amount of the US population having it, the symptoms are not widely known. Because ASPD varies in severity, many adults may go their whole lives without getting a diagnosis or treatment, despite obvious and consistent symptoms. As well as those who have the disorder, the general public has little knowledge of the symptoms of ASPD, and may not know how to identify it, or where to turn to help them.

How can you Help People with ASPD?

            Awareness of ASPD needs to be improved and expanded upon. Public knowledge of ASPD is limited because of the stigma surrounding it. Unlike mental conditions such as autism, the public generally categorize people who have ASPD as social rejects and cast them in a bleak light. With these two factors in mind, it is easy to see why so many adults who have Sociopathy won’t seek treatment. Breaking the stigma of the word “sociopathy” is critical to creating awareness about ASPD. It will help the general public recognize it as a mental condition than a personality trait, and it will help encourage people who might be suffering from the disorder to seek treatment. So, if someone you know seems like they might be suffering from ASPD, do not turn away. Be the point that changes their life around and make the world a happier place.