Hello My name Is Zabava and I am 16 and a half, I would like to ask people here If they think I have conduct disorder or a form of sociopathy or something.
Well, at age 12/13 I started stealing, smoking, and lighting fires (Although I hear this is kind of normal for children to like playing and expreimenting with fire). I also compulsively lied, usually about trivial things like times or dates and making up stories/tales that where untrue. I also threw my cat down the stairsand hurt it, which I found funny but now regret.
I dont steal or burn Things like I used to, but still lie compulsively although I am trying to stop with which so far has been mostly a success.
But what is worrying me ALOT is that I felt no guilt while stealing, etc, So I thought OK, maybe I have sociopathy, But I CAN and have experienced, guilt, empathy, sympathy, fear, love, joy, sadness, and happiness, and as far as Ive heard Psychopaths cant and never, ever have experienced these emotions. Also Psychopaths dont feel the nice feeling you get when you help someone, well not enough to influence their behaviour, and I love that feeling, I often buy things for people or give them things to make them happy and I often go out of my way to help someone else. :)
And last thing is I often worry aboutn having every ilness/ mental disorder in the book.
Bipolar Disorder - Because Once I felt happy then sad.
Huntingtons Disease - I forget things and shake abit.
I now realise all of the above are hilarious. :)
So If not psycopathy then does anyone think I have anything wrong, or is it just me seeing something and worrying like I ALWAYS do??? :)
PS. I didnt get any weird sexual feelings out of hurting my cat and I have done similar things like scaring pigeons into the road, which now I see as stupid and certainly not really funny.
Thanks, I really need to know what people think its driving me crazy with worry I am a psycopath!!
Hi Zabava. I like the name, by the way, if that is your real name. Either way, it’s cool.
I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist or any kind of mental health expert. But you had to know that you probably wouldn’t be getting professional opinions when you posted your comment here, didn’t you? So, from one non-professional to another, my opinion is that you are not a sociopath or psychopath. I base that opinion on these statements:
Thank you very much, I've spent countless days worrying that I have a disorder of somekind but it feels great to finally realise that Im normal and have nothing wrong :)
I worry so much about loads of things, I mean If I where a Psychologist I would probably have self-diagnosed myself with absoulutely everything there is.
Thanks again for your reply, its a great relief to be free of the (pointless) worrying. :)
And one more question I have just out of curiosity is do those who clearly do have Psychopathy feel SYMPATHY?
Thanks :)
No problem Zabava. Try to find a way to reduce those worrisome thoughts if you can. It’ll help you lead a happier life. You can ignore those thoughts, question them, or find ways to steer them in more positive and life affirming directions when they pop up in your mind. Just because those thoughts appear within your mind does not mean they are all true or that you need to focus on them.
As you to your question about psychopaths and sympathy, it would probably be better if a psychopath (or someone who identifies as such without ever actually being diagnosed) answered that. My guess, based only on what I have read, is that they don’t feel much of it. If they do feel sympathy, it certainly doesn’t inform their decisions or influence their actions to any meaningful degree. If you are curious about psychopaths, Google Robert Hare, Martha Stout and the phrase ‘dark triad’. Also look up what Dr. Robert has to say on the subject.
I usually worry about such silly and obviously stupid things I can do a little research and easily dismiss it, But with this I got a little bit too worried and went over the top, But I suppose thats just something that I could work on. I have found that instead of suppresing trouble-some thoughts that sometimes confronting them and really focusing on what im worrying about that I can realise how obsurd what Im thinking is.
But I didn't think Psychopaths could experience much sympathy, or even to a level that makes them behave :)
I have tried asking a Psychopath if he experiences sympathy and I asked it in a way that seemed very rude and didn't get a really nice reply, but then again I wouldn't like random people emailing me asking me if I feel empathy and what It feels like. :)
I've heard alot, that Psychopaths never get worried if they're Psychopaths because they have never experienced anything different.
But, really without seeming gay, Thank you so so much.
Ecce Homo - Do you know why Psychopaths dont worry about being psychopaths? Some say they dont experience anxiety... do all psychopaths lack anxiety/worry? If so, why? Thanks, and good posts :)
I agree, It make perfect sense. 100%!
I probably should have been able to come to that conclusion myself but, what can I say?, I'm slow. :)
And I was just wondering because I can't seem to rap my head around not being afraid of not experiencing emotions. But liek you said it makes sense, they've never experienced anything different, me and you wouldn't wake up fearing our emotions..But aren't what makes life worth living? Or at least to an extent?
Thats probably the best answer I've ever been given to anything - EVER.
Just looking over some peoples posts here, I cant help but feel sympathy for them (I'm probably the only person I know who can feel sympathy for serial killers)
I just cannot comprehend how even lacking conscience they can so easily just not care about others. You know?
And thanks, If only I got a thanks everytime I asked a question on here I would be so happy.
Thank you for you reply. Must go its 2 in the morning here :)
PS: Re-reading that just noticed how you sound like a poet... (Not meaning to be offensive)