Why Are Sociopaths "Antisocial"? - true love scam recovery

Why are sociopaths called antisocial?
These freaks love to party and hang.
They chat, charm, dance, and joke.
Why do we call them “antisocial” when in fact,
they can’t survive without using other people.

Why Are Sociopaths Called Antisocial?

So… why are sociopaths medically called “antisocial psychopaths” or persons of “antisocial personality disorder” and “sociopaths” as a more colloquial term? This is an important question because rejecting this term “antisocial” places a roadblock to understanding what happened to us.

Dismissing the intricacies and hideous truth of what an antisocial psychopath is takes us away from recovering our lives after a hijacking by one of these deceivers. When looking for answers, misinterpreting the meaning of “antisocial” can take us down a long, wrong turn.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

guided coaching recovery after narcissistic abuse

In rejecting the word “antisocial”, people tend to lean into the term “narcissist”. In fact, I believe the rejection of the term “antisocial” is how the idea of a “narcissist” came to be.

Unfortunately the term “narcissist” brings us to misconceptions, such as these creatures are wounded souls, and other stuff that just isn’t useful. This is beyond a nitpicking notion…There’s more…

The reason for using the term “antisocial”, as well as the reason not to use it regarding your-normal-self, might surprise you…Let’s talk about it.

“Antisocial” Doesn’t Mean What We Think It Means

The term “antisocial” is commonly thought of as meaning that we or someone we know doesn’t like to go out. Prefers to stay home, and doesn’t want much to do with other people. Want to know something…?

This is a contemporary meaning of the more accurate (original) term for not liking to socialize. Really and truly a person who doesn’t like to socialize is: “asocial”. But, language evolves and “antisocial” has been used this way long enough that yes, we commonly use it to represent someone who doesn’t like to socialize.

So, why are sociopaths referred to using the term “antisocial”…? Because there’s more than one meaning of the word “antisocial”.

Defining What the Antisocial Is In A Sociopath

It’s natural to think “antisocial” doesn’t apply to the the guy or gal in our living nightmare because we observe them going out, being social, having loads of “friends”. But this thinking keeps us from investigating more deeply into who and what it is we’ve been entangled with.

Latin language in used in medical terminology and in terminology used to define mental health conditions.

“Antisocial” pertains to the sociopath; a psychopath, as in an antisocial psychopath, or a person of antisocial personality disorder. Here that condition is defined by the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition).

Want more amazing bits that unlock the confusion and settle the mess?

Guided recovery sessions

As Described by David Porter, MA, LAD, The Term Antisocial

“The term antisocial may be confusing to the lay public, as the more common definition outside of clinical usage is an individual who is a loner or socially isolated.

The literal meaning of the word antisocial can be more descriptive to both the lay public and professionals: to be anti-social, is to be against society; against rules, norms, laws, and acceptable behavior. Individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder tend to be charismatic, attractive, and very good at obtaining sympathy from others; for example, describing themselves as the victim of injustice. …

Antisocials possess a superficial charm, they can be cunning and have an instinctive ability to rapidly observe and analyze others, determine their needs and preferences, and present it in a manner to facilitate manipulation and exploitation. They are able to harm and use other people in this manner, without remorse, guilt, shame, or regret.”

~ Theravive, by David Porter, MA, LAD (They also think they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.)

The Podcast: Narcissistic Abuse Unwound

Defining Anti and Social as a Latin Medical Term

Anti is a word straight out of Latin. If you put the word anti into Google Translate and select the translation from English into Latin, you know what you get? – Anti.

Anti in English is anti in Latin. It means, to go against (something), or to be outside (of something), or opposed (to something).

Social in this context represents society, the culture in which one lives. Put these meanings together and antisocial describes someone who behaves against or outside of social and cultural norms and expectations. Antisocial psychopaths…pathological parasitic predators, overstep, and ignore social and cultural norms and through this bring harm to others. (If the shoe fits…)

These Nut jobs Are Antisocial Psychopaths: Con Artists

So…antisocial psychopaths or persons of antisocial personality disorder, don’t mind parties at all. They need people and cannot thrive without being social in person and online. Each of these, any opportunity around others represents prime hunting ground. These creatures need us and others so, so much.

Sociopaths are called antisocial because they function against and outside of normal, expected behavior. These people do things without thinking twice that we’d never conceive of doing, much less actually do. They behave in an anti- (against) social- (societal) manner. Their behavior goes against the grain of what’s okay. And boy-howdy… Doesn’t it…?

Recovery coaching

We Don’t Need The Antisocial Psychopath

The bottom line is, a narcissist, sociopath, psychopath… They need us. We do not need them. Escaping one of these ant-social creatures is the hardest thing you’ll ever go through. The number one concern is that we truly take in an understanding fo what they are and protect our lives.

They’ve been through this many, many, many times before and will again and again long after we’ve discarded them. As we remove them from our lives we don’t need to pretend they’re normal. They know what they are. That said, keep your discoveries about them to yourself and end the entanglement safely.

Here’s to REAL True Love and Happiness!

Your unique guided recovery coaching

Breaking Up With Evil

Breaking Up with Evil: Escaping Coercive Control on Amazon

Five women’s true stories of being ensnared hauled through the confusion, lies, fear, and pain, and breaking away.

Told in their own words, they leave nothing unsaid. Find validation and see new glimpses of the truth as they share their stories… Stories that could be any of ours.

Time to Thrive!

the Podcast: Narcissistic Abuse Unwound

SD Voyager interview

True Love Scam Recovery on Medium

True Love Scam Recovery on Facebook

Add these to your contacts
so you don’t miss a newsletter!
jennifer@truelovescam.com
info@truelovescam.com

As a certified coach, upholding industry standards I strive to inform, educate, invite thought and dialogue, to co-plan, co-strategize, advise, consult, refer, recommend, train, teach, guide and coach people in guided recovery and discovery specific to these crimes, and from hell and broken in the aftermath to whole again, and more. You decide what winning is.

Visit truelovescam’s profile on Pinterest.

True Love Scam on Tumblr.
Tweet to @truelovescam.