This disorder is classified as an Axis II disorder. It is a common personality disorder that sometimes leads the affected individuals into criminal activities (Davison, 2002). This disorder results into persistent disrespect and infringement of the rights of other people. This disorder develops during childhood or adolescence and it continues to manifest itself with increased intensity as an individual develops into an adult.
Individuals suffering from this disorder have no sense of consciousness. Moreover, it occasionally agitates aggressive and impulsive behaviors that may eventually result into a history of legal problems and criminal activities. The disorder is sometimes referred to as a dissocial personality disorder (Blair, 2001).
Individuals who are diagnosed with this disorder often exhibit quite a range of characteristics. A person may demonstrate all or some of these characteristics. The common features include lack of concern on how others are affected by the negative behavioral patterns, increased instances of irresponsibility, and non-adherence to social norms, obligations and rules (Blair, 2001).
Furthermore, such individuals are unable to maintain a relationship, unable to tolerate annoyance, and violence. They also do not learn from the past experiences. In addition, such individuals blame others for the troubles they encounter in life.
Diagnosis of this disorder may be carried out when an individual is above 18 years of age. This is done because most of such individuals start exhibiting the symptoms of the disease when they are above 15 years of age (Blair, 2003).
The characteristic of this disorder is sometimes confused with other personality disorders such as anxiety, depressive, Somatization, and histrionic personality disorders (Blair, 2001). However, this disorder is believed to have family ties and hence genetics plays a major role in the prevalence of the disorder (Blair, 2003).
The environment is also an important factor that determines how antisocial personality disorder affects the life of an individual. Family relations are seen to be a major trigger toward the onset of the disorder. In this case, children emulate antisocial behaviors from their parents.
Moreover, traumatic experiences during the early stages of human development are also major causative factors of this disorder. Scientific studies associate the release of abnormal development with the childhood trauma (Blair, 2003).
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is one of the most complicated disorders when it comes to treatment and management. In most cases, such individuals may agree or commit to change but end up not changing as it is very difficult to motivate such characters (Blair, 2003).
Several institutions have been established in order to provide a conducive environment for such individuals to undergo the required behavioral change. Inpatient therapy has also proven to be an effective control against ASPD.
Since personality disorders are simply mental disorders, this disorder is clinically diagnosed as a mental disorder. Therefore, normal medications available for the management of mental disorders are applied in the management of these disorders (Davison, 2002).
People suffering from ASPD are in most cases found to carry out criminal activities (Blair, 2001). Criminal occurrences are witnessed among individuals who develop this problem during adolescence or early childhood. Such individuals often interact minimally with others.
This drives them to be concerned with what affects them only. These people are also violent and do not care if their actions affect others. Drug abuse tends to amplify this disorder and therefore makes such individuals to be potentially dangerous.
References
Blair, R. J. R. (2001). Neurocognitive models of aggression, the antisocial personality disorders, and psychopathy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 71(6), 727–73.
Blair, R. J. R. (2003). Neurobiological basis of psychopathy. The British Journal of Psychiatry 182, 5-7.
Davison, S. E. (2002). Principles of managing patients with personality disorder. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 8(3), 1-9.