Is it possible to be a sociopath at 14 years old?
Sociopaths cannot by definition be handed that diagnosis until the hit the ripe old age of twenty-five, except under extreme circumstances (like a horrific crime has been committed and the person is in prison) they may be diagnosed at eighteen. So even if someone showed the traits they cannot be considered. There is a very high chance that they will grow out of it and be fine.The reason to not diagnose until a later age is due to brain development. Before you reach twenty five your brain is still growing and changing. The last aspect to develop is the part of the brain that deals with consequences of your actions. Without that in place people can behave in very impulsive ways. That as well as behavior laced with several aspects of narcissism as that is just part of being young. These traits can easily be mistaken for sociopathy.As sociopathy is formed by severe trauma, abuse, or neglect, it can certainly manifest in certain ways in a young person, but those people could as easily be diagnosed with conduct disorder, reactive attachment disorder, PTSD, or a number of other possibilities.Children and teenagers can not be sociopathic either. They will not be even considered as such until they reach an age where the majority of maturity has been reached, as the brain’s development, it speed, it connections, can mimic sociopathic presentation until there is a completion of the growth involved with adulthood.You can evaluate a sociopath’s childhood looking back on it, you cannot assess a sociopath by their childhood looking forward. It is impossible. Traits that you might see in a child may very well be normal development for that child.
How do I deal with my 3 year old sociopathic son (tortures his peers intentionally)?
Your three-year-old son is not a sociopath. He is a preschooler, a baby really! Please get some support for yourself regarding the challenges you are having, challenges so severe that you are using fad and pop psychology myths to label your own child. (I am not going to get into a discussion on appropriate diagnostic categories for infants on this forum—suffice it to say—personality disorders whether of the Internet Myth or DSM variety are not on the table!)I am sorry and concerned that you are feeling this way—but please sit down soon with a therapist and get a handle on your feelings about parenting, parenting this child and chart out a parenting strategy to use with your son, who I have no doubt is a difficult child.Children with social and other adjustment difficulties at this age usually respond quickly to Play Therapy with a qualified Play Therapist. I am more concerned about the adults getting a handle on the situation first, though —because when parents get as worried and upset as you must be to use words like torture and sociopath regarding a small child, poor parenting is likely to follow and exacerbate the problem.Also, please analyze and investigate all environments your child is involved in, e.g. childcare, babysitters and so on to make sure the child is not currently exposed to violence or abuse of any kind. If he is in childcare and the childcare environment is not staffed with well-trained childcare providers, e.g. the center’s supervisors have completed at least a Bachelor’s level in Child Development or Early Childhood Education and the direct care workers are engaged in ongoing training (minimal standards for quality)— — please seek out a quality child care center. Qualified care providers are trained to handle the quite normal aggression seen between peers in this age group. If they are using time-out, scolding or other punitive techniques, they are not trained properly in child guidance.Although aggression is normal and typical in this age group and in itself it is not at all shocking when a child this age hits, pulls hair, bites, scratches, kicks and so on to get a toy or when frustrated—it is also important to assist the child with gaining self-control. So a combination of therapy and parenting support for the parents, quality caregivers and a visit with a pediatrician and a Play Therapist are steps to take ASAP. And stop thinking of the dear boy as a “sociopath”!How to find a Play Therapist: Association for Play Therapy
Am I crazy, or is my 4 year old a sociopath?
Before you all muddle me with answers telling me how awful I am to ask this, please read. I recently discovered that my ex, and the father of my 4 and 2 1/2 year olds, is a sociopath. I probably already knew in many ways, I mean, he was charged with a hit and run of a 22 year old woman while he was half drunk and even months after, never felt bad, not for a moment, even blamed her... well, now that I know, I recognize all the signs and I did my research... It is genetic to the best knowledge of the professionals. I decided to look up the "symptoms" for it in children, although I already knew... my son will hurt his brother and feel no remorse, he is phased by punishment, at this young age, he lies constantly, even when there is no need, it's beyond what I've seen other children his age do... he is very smart, and he can be manipulative, at the ripe age of 4, he already knows how I will react to thing emotionally and plans accordingly. It's disturbing. The one key thing that I know is that, exactly like his father, when I look into his eyes, he seems empty. He is affectionate, even though I try... he will hurt the animals just for his own pleasure, he is obsessed with death, and not afraid, the only real emotions he shows seem coy. Once he gets what he wants by showing them, he stops immediately. He says he loves me, or his brother, ect., but it's more like something he is programmed to say. Needless to say, I don't intend to "throw him away" or give up on him, but I do intend to take him to a therapist and hopefully learn some techniques in making him reach his full potential. I just don't want him to travel down the same path as his father, jail and using and abusing. The second part is, I'm terrified to allow him around his father. It can only complicate things further and I realize this. I just don't know what to do. So the questions: Do you think he has this disorder? Does he have a chance in life, if you have experience with someone in this position? What affect will his father have on him, he only sees him about once a month or less and the phone calls are basically non existent in between, as his father is manipulating his next victim as we speak, and they are trying for another child, despite the fact he doesn't take care of the two he has AT ALL..?
Is my son a sociopath?
For the past 18 years my son has been a problem. at 3yr he abused playmates and was kicked out of day care.elementary school he had conduct problems everyday. Middle school it only got worse in one incident my son manipulated 30 boys in beating another boy senseless. He acts if no one but himself matters and is very sadistic he also acts calm as if nothing is wrong with any situation that I find hostile I have also found him mutilating animals*cats*. Thats where I drew the straw I need advice on what I should do he denies anything is wrong with him. He steals from neighbors. 2 years ago he caught our nearby forest on fire. He drinks our alcohol and denies it. He manipulates any situation. He is very impulsive and very arrogant .He has sent 1 of our sons to the hospital 2 times. He is now 18 has been in jail once and from what I've been told beats his girlfriends. He denies it all even if we all know he is lying. All in all over the years he has caused trauma and feels no regret. HELP!
I'm worried my 10-year-old son is a sociopath. He goes to therapy, but nothing seems to help. I'm scared he will be a serial killer. How do I help him?
Have you tested him for autism? When you say ‘torturing small animals’, what has he done specifically? As far as your pets, perhaps you should take his threat seriously, and put them up on craigslist. What kind of therapist does he see? What modality of counselling does this person offer? How do you know that it’s the right kind? Once again, have you tested him for autism spectrum disorders? Regarding other children, part of helping him may be creating circumstances that limit his ability to play with other children. If he doesn’t like that, simply explain the obvious to him; that in our society if you hurt people then you get certain freedoms taken away. If you want those freedom’s back, you have to prove yourself through consistantly acting as expected with the freedoms that you do have, and give him specific examples of the freedoms he has, and what his choices are. There also must be a way to measure success, and failure, and he needs to be able to see where he’s succeeding. Some people lack empathy, but can be still conditioned and turn out great. NPR did an interview with a person who was a sociopath, who was also a psychiatrist who studied sociopaths… You can end up just fine in any condition. Here’s the thing, don’t demonize him. You’ll give him the wrong signals, and too much power. Instead you help him by creating rules and frameworks, by testing him for autism, by experimenting with different therapists who use different techniques (perhaps having him see someone who specializes or is at least familiar with treating autism spectrum kids, or kids that are not socially adaptive). Your son CAN grow up to be a FANTASTIC human being. One more thing, I hate to say it but cruelty is a natural human drive. In most of us, we have enough ‘mirror neurons’ in our prefrontal cortex so that when we have an impulse come up that suggests we act in a cruel fashion, an event is triggered in our mind’s that causes us to feel to some degree what it’s like to be disapproved of, or feel the victim of cruelty, and we adapt our impulse to the situation. If he is lacking in this area, you’re not going to train it into him through expecting him to just suddenly ‘get it’, rather, I suggest that you have him taken to a place where he will be taught “Vippasana Meditation”, as that has been proven scientifically to strengthen the prefrontal cortex, and allow for greater impulse/emotional control.
Is this kid a future sociopath?
he might just be a unruly child but the warning signs of psychopathy are torturing animals bedwetting and arson with intend to cause serious damage
My son is a sociopath? Please help?
Definitely get a second and third opinion from other doctors. The mental health field is fraught with problems and it's not uncommon for a doctor to get a diagnosis wrong. That being said, your son's behavior IS abnormal and very frightening. If he is a sociopath, he was born with the disorder, so please don't question your ability as a parent due to his disorder! Most kids who are prone to mental illness start showing symptoms around 13 because of the hormones, bodily changes, and pressures of adolescence. I'll echo what the other commenters have already said: it is VERY important that you protect your daughter at all costs. I've known families with similar issues who have bought two apartments to keep their mentally ill child away from their other kid. While that may sound a bit extreme, your daughter won't develop normally if she is constantly attacked in her own home. It sounds like he's already severely physically harmed her, and because she's too young to understand this, she WILL develop severe mental issues if she's not protected from him. Schedule appointments with a psychiatrist and tell them absolutely everything. It might be best for him to be in an inpatient treatment program if he's already this destructive, so make sure to talk to a doctor in depth about all your options. There are far more sociopaths in the world than people realize, and a lot of them are fully-functional, safe people. Your son might be able to get to this stage, but it depends on his genes, the extent of his illness, and the treatment he gets. Some sociopaths will always be destructive, while others can learn how to function in a way that imitates healthy responses. The most important thing is to not wait to get help. Do all you can as soon as you can, and know that mental illness is something that's very hard to understand. He's still your baby despite his disorder, but getting him to the point where he is "normal" again will be a very long, difficult process. It's more of an ever-going process than a destination. You'll need a lot of patience, understanding, strength, and forgiveness. I wish you the best in helping your son. It takes a very strong person to be in your position. Don't lose hope.
Is my cousin a sadist/sociopath?
a few years ago while i was visiting my aunt along with other family, my 13 year old cousin came home with a pet rabbit he bought from a friend. He likes animals hes had more pets than any kid i know, hes has two dogs one fully grown the other still a puppy. However when he was told he could not keep the rabbit he went out side and snapped its neck then tossed it into the garbage. he showed no regret what so ever and simply began playing with his puppy ( he plays roughly with his dogs because he wants them to be strong and mean) i didn't say anything but it kinda made me wonder. this isn't the first animal hes killed. hes killed dogs, frogs, he set a cat on fire just to "see how long it would live" he was 8 when that happened, and while a female friend of mine was sleeping he attempted to try and have sex with her. my cousin is 15 now and the friend 20. She told me how she caught he naked in her bed rubbing his penis along her leg. she cried while telling me this ( one of her boyfriends used to force sex on her) and was afraid to go back to sleep i ended comforting her the entire night. so should i have a talk with him (hes scared of me, i'm not the nicest guy i'm 6'3 and 250 muscular) or should i just leave well enough alone? i feel me and others may be to blame, being the youngest of us, we use to pick on him quite a bit his older brother would taunt him and beat him up pretty badly sometimes. i would take him out into the woulds and show him how to catch animals. i realize how much of a bad idea that was now.
Do I have sociopathic tendencies?
I doubt I am a full blown sociopath, but I share a few similarities. do I exhibit mild sociopathic tendencies? is it possible to be mildly sociopathic or is it a black and white diagnosis (like psychopathy) - I haven't felt guilty since I was a child - I'm using my parents by living of them while I safe up money to start a business. I don't feel the least bit guilty about this - I am emotionally attached to 2 people in my entire life, the rest I could care less about, even family. - even then, I'd get over it quickly if they died - death and suffering do not phase me. - other people's pain doesn't bother me - I don't feel or care about other people'e emotions - sometimes I feign concern for the sake of cutting my losses - I don't need friends or emotional support. - I don't acknowledge duty, authority or social norms. they're just obstacles - I have a very high opinion of myself that is based on nothing but self love, and tend to view myself as an important person. people tell me I sound like I make $300,000 a year even though I still live with my parents (I'm 20 btw) - if forced to kill or disable someone to survive, I wouldn't bat an eye in doing so. - I scored 8 when I took the psychopathy checklist, but when I answered based off of "would it be easy for me to to do XYZ" I scored 24 (ex: I prefer not to manipulate people because I pride myself in having high integrity, but if wanted/needed to, I would have no problem doing so and would probably be great at it) non sociopathic traits - I have a highly principled belief system (even if it's one that's very easy to follow) - I respect people's boundaries - I have a soft spot for children and a few innocent creatures/people so based on this, is it possible I have a few sociopathic tendencies? or is this within normal range of behavior? either way, I'm neutral about it.