Psychopaths and Shallow Affect – Some Emotion, Not None

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A shallow or blunted affect does not imply the complete absence of emotions.  This part of the psychopathic condition merely implies that the emotions felt by the psychopath are weaker and of shorter duration than that of the neurotypical.  It does not follow that the psychopath does not feel anything at all.

Separating organic emotions caused by abnormal neurochemistry from spontaneous emotions experienced as the result of living life is key to understanding this.  A psychopath can experience unipolar or bipolar depression as a result of organic issues within the brain.  However, a psychopath can also feel depression or sadness, although on a much weaker level, due to a plan going awry or a favorite plaything being lost.  Just because the emotion is weak does not mean that it does not deserve a name; it is still potentially present for the psychopath.

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Flirting with Disaster – Psychopaths and Addiction

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It started with one sip.  I hadn’t had alcohol in many months and I was determined to just have a drink to take off the edge.  One sip turned into a shot, and a shot turned into an eventual blackout.  What started as one drink turned into a frenzied drinking endeavor to satisfy my need for stimulation, for anything – including intoxication – to take the numbing boredom away.  What I did while I was in a state of brownout and blackout, I do not know.  Eventually this routine will catch up with me and I don’t know how to quit, for I search for anything to take the numbness away.

Addiction can be especially problematic for the psychopath.  Given that we do not adhere to most social or business contracts, the consequences of addiction seem negligible to the psychopath.  What problem is there is missing work when the job isn’t taken seriously?  What is a DUI worth if the psychopath does not care about punishment to begin with?  What is the threat against his life if he feels invulnerable?  These points raise great challenges in the fight for the antisocial against addiction, assuming he wants to combat the addiction at all.

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Necrosis – Psychopathic Parasitism Revisited

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The neurotypical must cut out the dead flesh if they want to escape the parasitism of the psychopath.  The psychopath does not care whom he leeches from.  As long as their is benefit to be had for little in return, the psychopath will continue to suck their host dry.

This parasitism is usually nothing personal.  It is not as if the psychopath is seeking retribution or revenge for sins that the target has committed.  Simply put, the psychopath seeks to get everything for nothing.  Whether it is the target’s pursestrings or their companionship, the psychopath is merely playing the part of a flesh eating disease: devouring everything in its path while giving nothing in return.  The mosquito does not care who it bleeds dry so long as it remains full; the same can be said about the psychopath.

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Scarecrow – The Destructive Psychopath

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The psychopath that acts out solely for the sake of acting out soon loses it all.  There is a reason that 77% of psychopaths are incarcerated.  This is because the vast majority of psychopaths do not know how to learn to be selective with their choices to be antisocial.  So many run wild with their destruction because they think it to be fun or constructive.  The truth is that such rampant antisocial behavior only leads to a pariah status and unpleasant consequences.  It is better to be a shadowed figure feared for his ability to sneak than a scarecrow placed in plain view of all.

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Psychopaths and Appreciation

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I am not certain that the psychopath can feel appreciation.  I’m certain this is related to our shallow affect, but it is nonetheless another example of how the psychopath is insulated from the emotional bonds that neurotypicals make with each other.  Whether it is having a feeling state for gifts or services received, such emotions of gratitude or appreciation are rarely, if ever, felt.

I went to a family Christmas dinner earlier today.  As with last year, I ended up sleeping through dinner only to wake up to presents under the tree for myself.  Therein was a non-trivial amount of money and other goods and it was clear that there was some sacrifice by those who gave me the presents.  I quickly put the money in my wallet and left without acknowledging the gifts.  Yes, that reaction was fairly callous – entirely for other reasons related to a general disdain for family -, but I didn’t feel appreciation anyway.  As another example, my therapist will go out of her way in order to make sure that I’m okay during times of severe bipolar depression, and I intellectually realize that she is doing such but emotionally I am not grateful for such.  I can fake appreciation, like many other emotions, but ultimately there is no emotional bond between me and the one who did good things for me.

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