Awareness of ASPD

Intro:

Do you remember the “quiet 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 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 by deceitfulness and lack of remorse. Often people with ASPD exhibit symptoms such as violence and aggression, impulsive decisions, dangerous activities. While children cannot be diagnosed with ASPD until they turn 18, certain signs and symptoms can still be present in young children and teenagers alike.

           

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, but curiosity lead me to research the ins and outs of it.

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.

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’s 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