About Antisocial Personality Disorder

Everyone has times in which they don’t get along with someone or feel antisocial, but there is an actual mental health disorder that goes far beyond that. Someone with antisocial personality disorder faces a life that often lacks companionship because they end up alienating those around them. The individual finds even the simplest interactions difficult and lashes out at others. Montare Behavioral Health of Tucson offers a complex treatment program for people with an antisocial personality disorder that helps them begin to rebuild their lives. Our highly skilled therapy staff works with them in a comfortable residential setting to assist in teaching them to manage their symptoms and live a less combative life.

What is Antisocial Personality Disorder?

An antisocial personality disorder is a type of personality disorder and is classified as a mental illness. It is characterized by irresponsible, manipulative, and impulsive behaviors with no regard for how they affect other people. Someone with this illness is on a spectrum, meaning their behaviors can range in severity and how often they occur. Antisocial personality disorders are also sometimes referred to as sociopathy. Someone with this challenging mental illness has extreme trouble developing bonds with others because of their behaviors. They also tend to act out violently without remorse.

Symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Someone with an antisocial personality disorder will exhibit symptoms that vary in how often they happen and to what degree. Common symptoms include:

Lying to others to take advantage of them
Using charm and charisma to gain the trust of others in order to use them
Not being concerned with the difference between right and wrong
Disrespecting others while demanding respect for themselves
Engaging in risky behaviors that can harm themselves or others
Having a huge ego and an assumption that they are superior to those around them
Blaming others for their problems and actions
Threatening people for real or perceived actions or attitudes
Aggressive, hostile, or violent behavior
Committing criminal behavior which often leads to being arrested multiple times

Dangers of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Someone with an antisocial personality disorder puts both themselves and those around them in danger. People with this mental health disorder typically show signs of it by the time they are age 15. They may have engaged in dangerous behaviors as a child, including harming animals and people. They may have been victims of violent or other abusive behaviors when they were growing up.

People with antisocial personality disorders often repeatedly break the law, which can cause harm to themselves or others. They may endure cycles of being arrested and spending time in jail. The individual often has a pattern of lashing out physically against others and ends up getting into altercations. This can lead to domestic violence including spousal and child abuse. Someone with an antisocial personality disorder has an elevated risk of killing someone else or themselves. They often begin abusing drugs or alcohol and develop co-occurring mental illnesses like anxiety and depression.

Can Someone With Antisocial Personality Disorder Live a Normal Life?

“Normal”, of course, is a relative term. Someone with an antisocial personality disorder cannot be cured, but their symptoms can be managed, which allows them to have a more peaceful and meaningful life. For many people, attending mental health treatment programs helps them reduce symptoms such as destructive, violent, and criminal behaviors. Engaging in long-term therapy modalities can help the person gain an awareness of how their antisocial behavior affects others and begin to try to address this.

People with antisocial personality disorders prove reluctant to recognize they have an illness and look for treatment. It often falls on loved ones to talk to them about what’s going on. It can be helpful for family members and friends to research what options are available for treating antisocial personality disorders. From there, they can discuss treatment programs their loved ones can attend.

How is Antisocial Personality Disorder Treated?

Antisocial personality disorders are treated using a variety of types of therapies. Each one offers a way for the person to comprehend their behaviors and the impact they have on themselves and others. This provides an opportunity for them to modify their behaviors and improve their symptoms. Common types of therapy used include:

Each person in treatment receives an initial assessment that allows the staff to determine which types of therapy will provide the best results. Prescription medications can be included as part of a treatment plan to help ease symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

Contact Montare Behavioral Health of Tucson Today

Do you have trouble getting along with others and tend to blame them for poor interactions with you or do you know someone like this? The problem may meet the criteria for a mental illness called antisocial personality disorder. Treating this challenging mental health disorder requires skilled mental health experts who use a multi-disciplinary approach. Montare Behavioral Health of Tucson offers a program that enables people with antisocial personality disorder to understand their illness and manage their symptoms. Our program takes place in a homelike facility designed to bring out the best in our clients.

Would you like more information on getting started with our treatment plan? Contact us today and find out how life-changing staying with us can be.

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