antisocial personality disorder antisocial personality disorder antisocial personality disorder (aspd or infrequently apd) is a personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of disregard of, or violation of, the rights of others as well as a difficulty sustaining long-term relationships. lack of empathy and a contemptuous or vindictive attitude are often apparent, as well as a history of rule-breaking that can sometimes include law-breaking, manipulation, compulsive lying for amusement or personal gain, a tendency towards chronic boredom and substance abuse, and impulsive and aggressive behavior. antisocial behaviors often have their onset before the age of 8, and in nearly 80% of aspd cases, the subject will develop their first symptoms by age 11. the prevalence of aspd peaks in people age 24 to 44 years old, and often decreases in people age 45 to 64 years. in the united states, the rate of antisocial personality disorder in the general population is estimated between 0.5 and 3.5 percent. in a study, a random sampling of 320 newly incarcerated offenders found aspd was present in over 35 percent of those surveyed. one out of 17 (6%) of divorces involves a person affected by aspd. not to be confused with asociality or anti-social behavior. "aspd" redirects here. for the sleep disorder, see advanced sleep phase disorder. for the former trade union, see amalgamated society of painters and decorators. antisocial personality disorderother namesdissocial personality disorder (dpd), sociopathyspecialtypsychiatrysymptomspervasive deviance, deception, impulsivity, irritability, aggression, recklessness, manipulation, callous and unemotional traits and feelings of contemptusual onsetchildhood or early adolescencedurationlong termrisk factorsfamily history, povertydifferential diagnosisattention deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, substance use disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, criminal behaviorprognosispoorfrequency0.2% to 3.3% in a given year personality disorders cluster a (odd) paranoid schizoid schizotypal cluster b (dramatic) antisocial borderline histrionic narcissistic cluster c (anxious) avoidant dependent obsessive–compulsive not otherwise specified depressive depressive cyclothymic others passive–aggressive masochistic sadistic psychopathy haltlose immature post-traumatic organic personality disorders are a class of mental disorders characterized by enduring and inflexible maladaptive patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience, exhibited across many contexts and deviating from those accepted by any culture. these patterns develop by early adulthood, and are associated with significant distress or impairment. criteria for diagnosing personality disorders are listed in the fifth chapter of the international classification of diseases (icd) and in the american psychiatric association's diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (dsm). the equivalent concept of dissocial personality disorder (dpd) is defined in the international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (icd); the primary theoretical distinction between the two is that antisocial personality disorder focuses on observable behaviours, while dissocial personality disorder focuses on affective deficits. otherwise, both manuals provide similar criteria for diagnosing the disorder. both have also stated that their diagnoses have been referred to, or include what is referred to, as psychopathy or sociopathy. however, some researchers have drawn distinctions between the concepts of antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy, with many researchers arguing that psychopathy is a disorder that overlaps with but is distinguishable from aspd. asocial vs. aspd oftentimes there can be confusion about what aspd is compared to being asocial. aspd is characterized as a disorder and having a disregard for other people. whereas, individuals who are characterized as being asocial, tend to lack interest in social engagement possibly due to their personality trait of being introverted. individuals who are asocial tend to prefer being out of social groups or prefer smaller groups of people to interact with. however, being asocial is not a personality disorder and tends to be more voluntary than aspd. symptoms and behaviors addiction aspd is one of the personality disorders most likely to be associated with addiction. this is due to their tendency towards impulsive and reckless decision making, which puts them at risk of developing a substance abuse disorder, prepulse inhibition deficiencies, misuse of oral administrations, drug overdoses, blood-borne diseases, shorter periods of abstinence, drug use at earlier ages, aggressive behavior, impulsivity, frequent illegal drug use, drug injections, and difficult interpersonal relationships. substance abuse problems are far more common amongst people with aspd who live in rural environments rather than urban ones. there are also gender differences between men and women in regard to substance abuse. men who abuse substances are far more likely to have aspd than women, who are more likely to have a mood disorder. the relationship between substance abuse and aspd can be affected by other personality disorders. for example, one of the previously mentioned studies found that 27.6% of participants who had aspd and alcohol abuse had more than one personality disorder. heroin, methamphetamine, opiates, alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, polydrugs, cocaine, and crack cocaine are some prevalent drugs amongst people with aspd. alongside substance abuse, patients with aspd are more likely to develop a gambling addiction. impulsivity signs of antisocial personality disorder antisocial personality disorder has been associated with higher levels of impulsivity, suicidality, and irresponsible behavior. usually resulting in heightened levels of aggressive behavior, domestic violence, illegal drug use, pervasive anger, and violent crimes. this behavior usually has negative effects on their education, relationships, or job. alongside this, risky sexual behavior such as having multiple sexual partners, seeing prostitutes, inconsistently using condoms, trading sex for drugs, and frequent unprotected sex is also common. their impulsive behavior will usually jeopardize their own safety and the safety of others. emotions the violent and impulsive behavior present in aspd has been correlated with chronic boredom. other studies have found that people with aspd tend to describe emotions with ambivalence, and experience emotions such as happiness and fear less clearly than others. they may also experience emotions such as anger and frustration more frequently and clearly than other emotions. people with aspd can have difficulty mentalizing, or understanding the mental state of others. they also may display a perfectly intact theory of mind, or the ability to attribute a mental state to oneself and others, but an impaired ability to understand how another individual may be affected by an aggressive action. these factors possibly contribute to their aggressive and criminal behavior as well as their empathy deficits. despite this they may be adept at social cognition, or the ability to process and store information about other people, which can contribute to an increased ability to manipulate others. criminality people with aspd tend to experience more convictions, spend more time in jail, and are more likely to be charged with almost any crime. however, assault and other violent crimes are the most common charges. this disorder is also prominent among prisoner populations. alongside other conduct problems, many people with aspd had conduct disorder in youth, a disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of violent, criminal, defiant, and anti-social behavior. fire-setting and the destruction of others' property is also a behavior commonly associated with aspd and impulsivity. fire starters with aspd tend to have a history of robbery, harassment, threatening, blackmail, and difficulty fulfilling promises. limited empathy or remorse people with aspd may experience a limited capacity for empathy and can be more interested in benefiting themselves regardless of the expense it has on others. they may have no regard for morals, social norms, and the rights and feelings of others. people with antisocial personality disorder may have difficulties in sustaining and maintaining relationships, and some have difficulty entering them. interpersonal relationships often revolve around the exploitation and abuse of others. people with aspd may display arrogance, think lowly and negatively of others, and have limited remorse for their harmful actions and have a callous attitude towards those they have harmed. although behaviors vary in degree, individuals with this personality disorder will typically have limited compunction in exploiting others in harmful ways for their own gain or pleasure, and frequently manipulate and deceive other people. while some do so through a façade of superficial charm, others do so through intimidation and violence. it is possible that people with aspd may have intact cognitive empathy, but with a deficient theory of mind. studies have found that people with aspd have difficulty understanding other's emotions and mental states. it also may be possible that people with aspd do not lack empathy but are less inclined to use it. comorbidity aspd commonly coexists with the following conditions: anxiety disorders depressive disorder impulse control disorders substance-related disorder somatization disorder attention deficit hyperactivity disorder bipolar disorder borderline personality disorder histrionic personality disorder narcissistic personality disorder sadistic personality disorder when combined with alcoholism, people may show frontal function deficits on neuropsychological tests greater than those associated with each condition. alcohol use disorder is likely caused by lack of impulse and behavioral control exhibited by antisocial personality disorder patients. the rates of aspd tends to register around 40–50% in male alcohol and opiate addicts. however, it is important to remember this is not a causal relationship, but rather a plausible consequence of cognitive deficits as a result of aspd. disregard for safety and lack of responsibility an individual with the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder tends to cause intentional harm to humans or animals. therefore, they are willingly and consciously aware of their performed actions with no remorse or concern about possible outcomes associated with how victims are mistreated (which shows recklessness). in contrast, an individual who harms a victim with negligence is doing so because they may be unaware of the risks they are taking and do not understand what consequences will be followed when performing harmful actions . similarly, individuals with a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder may deliberately show irresponsibility because they tend to place blame on others when they have difficulty internally acknowledging their faults, and instead show an outward expression that redirects the attention of their mistreatment onto someone or something else. knowing this information about individuals with antisocial personality disorder is not intended to place blame or create excuses for behavior, but simply helps understand the mindset that individuals with antisocial personality disorder are in. because environmental factors are believed to be one of the main causes of antisocial personality disorder, it’s important to note that those who have aspd may have lacked positive influence or example in behaving responsibly, may not see much personal gain in behaving in a way that’s socially acceptable, or may have little toleration for the reactions or negative emotions associated with those who shed light on their actions. when there is a stigma associated with an individual with aspd, the environmental effects of this may cause symptoms or behavior in individuals with aspd to worsen. causes personality disorders are seen to be caused by a combination and interaction of genetic and environmental influences. genetically, it is the intrinsic temperamental tendencies as determined by their genetically influenced physiology, and environmentally, it is the social and cultural experiences of a person in childhood and adolescence encompassing their family dynamics, peer influences, and social values. people with an antisocial or alcoholic parent are considered to be at higher risk. fire-setting, and cruelty to animals during childhood are also linked to the development of antisocial personality. the condition is more common in males than in females, and among incarcerated populations. although the causes listed correlate to the risk of developing aspd, it's imperative to note that merely one factor is unlikely to be the only cause associated with aspd and relating to a listed cause does not necessarily mean that a person should identify themselves with having aspd. genetic research into genetic associations in antisocial personality disorder suggests that aspd has some or even a strong genetic basis. prevalence of aspd is higher in people related to someone with the disorder. twin studies, which are designed to discern between genetic and environmental effects, have reported significant genetic influences on antisocial behavior and conduct disorder. in the specific genes that may be involved, one gene that has seen particular interest in its correlation with antisocial behavior is the gene that encodes for monoamine oxidase a (mao-a), an enzyme that breaks down monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. various studies examining the genes' relationship to behavior have suggested that variants of the gene that results in less mao-a being produced, such as the 2r and 3r alleles of the promoter region, have associations with aggressive behavior in men. the association is also influenced by negative experience in early life, with children possessing a