Tag Archives: sociopath

S2E5: Sherlock–A High Functioning Look at Sociopathy and Diagnoses


Welcome back! After the long break we’re back to examine Sherlock’s self proclaimed sociopathy–high functioning or otherwise. What else could be happening for Sherlock? Why does he advertise himself as a sociopath? Why do people (including Pebble and Blü) feel the need to diagnose others? Why is Blü upset with her otome game? Find out in today’s episode!

Podcast Notes:

Antisocial Personality Disorder- DSM diagnosis with traits that are often described as psychopathy or sociopathy. “The clinical version of someone who is (described as) a psychopath or a sociopath.” -Pebble

APA- American Psychological Association, a governing board that sets laws, conducts research, and outlines diagnostic criteria for mental health professionals.

Autism Spectrum Disorder- DSM diagnosis with specific traits, such as significant difficulties with social interaction, fixation on specific interests, and repetitive behavior.

DSM- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (5th Edition) is used by psychiatrist, doctors, and clinicians to diagnosis and refer to mental health diagnoses.

Lawful Neutral- A type of Alignment from the Dungeons and Dragons game that characterizes a players/characters ethics or moral leanings. In this case, Lawful Neutral implies that Sherlock works within a system of laws (sometimes his own) and is relatively trustworthy, but that he is often more concerned about his own needs/desires before others.

Otome- A type of  game geared towards women with elements of RPG (role playing game) and “choose your own adventure,” usually involving love/romantic plots in which the player is a main character.

Psychopath/Sociopath- Terms used by the media to express certain personality traits or acts of an individual. Following definitions as found on Google:

  • Psychopath-A person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior.
  • Sociopath- A person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience.

Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder- DSM diagnosis with specific criteria, such as difficulty with communicating and understanding/reading social ques.