2. Antisocial personality disorder is a chronic mental disorder in
which a person’s ways of thinking, interpreting situations and
feeling sympathy for others is disoriented.
People with this disorder cannot tell between right and wrong
actions and are usually unable to fulfill responsibilities for
their friends and family, or school and work.
Their behaviors can exploit or violate the health and safety of
others. They are long-term actions that are often criminal-like.
-I did not feel remorse for getting Kaitlyn arrested.
DEFINITION
3. The causes of antisocial disorder are yet to be discovered.
It is assumed that environmental and genetic factors
contribute to the development of this mental disorder. Child
abuse may also have an effect on the contribution to this
condition.
-The illness was triggered by the death of my father a week
ago.
CAUSES
4. People with antisocial personality disorder often show
behaviors of cruelty to animals during childhood. This is
linked to the disorder’s development.
Antisocial personality disorder is most common among people
in jail.
-I am not in jail, but I do actions that could put me in jail.
BEHAVIORS
5. If Nikki had been able to identify and confront the fact that
she had a mental illness, she would have not killed herself
from driving off the road and hitting a tree late Tuesday night
– Officer Garfield
She was under the influence of alcohol and had been smoking
drugs some time before she stole her moms car. These
actions are illegal and if reported, they could have saved
Nikki’s life – Officer Garfield
BEHAVIORS
6. A person with antisocial personality disorder is able to act
charming and persuasive towards others.
They are good at manipulating other people’s emotions and
feelings.
They break the law repeatedly.
-I smoke and drink alcohol constantly. I even steal my mom’s
car.
SYMPTOMS
7. People with this disorder are unable to show feelings of
concern about others. They do not care about the safety of
others. They also do not show sympathy or guilt towards
others.
They also have problems with substance abuse.
People with this mental disorder are often angry and mad.
They often steal, lie, and fight.
-I fought with my mom and ended up stealing her car.
SYMPTOMS
8. The diagnosis of this mental disorder is based off the history
of symptoms and unusual behaviors during childhood or early
adolescence. To have this mental disorder, the person must
experience on of the symptoms expressed on the previous
slide.
-My father died a week ago which really hit it off for me. My
mom is also mean and abusing.
DIAGNOSIS
9. Treatment can only be given if the subject confronts and
addresses the problem, which is the main reason why so few
people are treated for this mental disorder.
People may only go through therapy if they are required by
law.
-I did not address my issue because I was unaware of it
happening.
TREATMENT
10. One of the few treatment options for antisocial personality
disorder are different types of therapy.
Psychotherapy and cognitive therapy are some of the therapy
options to help treat antisocial personality disorder.
This illness is usually associated with another mental
disorder, such as a substance or mood disorder. These
disorders can cause extra problems that are not directly
caused by antisocial personality disorder.
-I did not go to therapy because I was unable to recognize the
issue.
TREATMENT
11. People fully develop this mental illness during their late
teenage or early adolescent years. Symptoms are often shown
during childhood even though the illness doesn’t fully develop
until their early 20s.
Improvement can be shown by the age of 40 if they improve
on their own. Better results can be shown if the illness is
addressed and treated earlier on in their life.
-There was no improvement of the subject’s illness because
she died – Officer Garfield
PROGNOSIS
12. -I feel angry all the time. Like the smallest thing will make me
mad and I will go nuts. I do not mean to scream at people, I
just cannot help it. There is always a last straw for everything:
my boyfriend breaking up with me, my mom screaming at me,
Kaitlyn accusing me to being the center of her issues. Rain
check Kaitlyn: you’re the center of MY issues. None of this
would have happened if I hadn’t met you…see even thinking
about Kaitlyn makes me go on a rage against Kaitlyn. Oops.
FEELINGS
13. -I also have serious addiction problems. It doesn’t help with
the whole anger issue I have heard rumored about me. Maybe
I have problems, maybe I don’t. Who cares? Right now I
smoke whatever I get my hands on. And I drink pretty much
anything I can sneak out of my mom’s liquor cabinet or steal
out of a store. I am more likely to be noticed by my mom than
the store, so I’ll go with the store. It feels like this empty gap
in my body when I’m sober. My body always wants more.
FEELINGS
14. -I feel like I have no one to talk to. My dad died, and my mom
is abusive, so what am I supposed to do? She won’t let me out
of her sight. My school would go nuts over the issue. Do you
know the first person they would call if I told on my mom? My
mom. And who would get punished for that? Me. Hahahah no I
aint telling no one about this. I can deal with it myself.
FEELINGS
15. -I impress people soooo easily. Its actually kind of scary.
Almost like I can wave my magic wand over their head and
they will do whatever I say or want. I don’t mind because it
ends up benefiting me. Anything to make my life a little bit
easier at the cost of someone else’s good time or money or
life or whatever is fine by me. My charming skills are great.
FEELINGS
16. -Is it bad that I just do not care what happens to other
people? Like what the consequences of my actions on other
people will be? I won’t have to deal with that. I have enough
going on in my life. the last thing I need is to worry about how
poor little Kaitlyn got arrested because she was smoking my
stuff. She is the one who smoked it, and got caught by the
way. I didn’t get caught, or should I say don’t. I’m too sly.
FEELINGS
17. FEELINGS
-I don’t even feel like I have something wrong with me. Yeah
ok, maybe there are a few things about my personality that
could be better or improved, but no one’s perfect. Everyone
has some faults. I got mine, they got theirs, you got yours. So
what.
18. -I feel like all of my acts are kind of criminal. Almost like I’m
built out of corruptions that will never go away. And the thing
is I do not even mind, or like care. I will lie and steal and
cheat, yet I haven’t gotten caught so I keep doing them. It
seems like the only things I do will eventually get me behind
bars, but that is yet to happen.
FEELINGS
19. -I steal a lot. And I’m aware of it. Sometimes it is because I
need to, but because I do it so often I am used to it and do it
for no reason, or for the dumbest things. Like one time I stole
a package of cigarettes because Kaitlyn dared me to. I also
one time really wanted to read this magazine, so I snuck it
into my jacket. Then there are other things that I desperately
needed, like toothpaste and clothes. God help me if my mom
doesn’t provide for me.
FEELINGS
20. -I feel like I cannot talk to anyone about what I’m going
through. I feel like I’m trapped inside of this corner of the
room with no one to talk to. I feel like no one cares.
Sometimes I wake up scared that I’m trapped inside a cage
without a way out as a guard paces outside the cage. I think
of that as my mom sometimes keeping me from living my life.
I don’t know maybe I’m going crazy. Or are already crazy.
We’ll never know.
FEELINGS
21. This is a project for a high school AP Psychology course. This
is a fictionalized account of having a psychological ailment.
For questions about this blog project or its content please
email the teacher, Laura Astorian:
laura.astorian@cobbk12.org
DISCLAIMER
