A woman who claims to be a diagnosed psychopath has shared some of the most common traits that define people with the personality disorder – although not all experts agree
A woman who claims to be a diagnosed “psychopath” has shared some of the most common traits that could indicate that you also have the personality disorder. The woman, named Vic, posted a video on her TikTok account in which she said she has been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), which is the term medical professionals use for the disorder more often than psychopathy.
However, Vic uses the term “psychopath” to describe herself, and has said there are three traits that she believes all people with psychopathy or ASPD have. She claimed that if someone identifies with any one of the three personality traits, then “they are a psychopath” – although it should be stressed that her definitions differ from the beliefs of experts.
In one of her videos, Vic said: “I’m a diagnosed psychopath – except I’m not. That’s a lie because psychopathy can’t actually be diagnosed. This is a very common comment that I get on all of my videos, so today I’m going to clear up why I call myself a psychopath and why I don’t just use the term ASPD to describe myself.
“The reason I call myself a psychopath is because I identify much more with the traits of a psychopath than I do with the traits of a sociopath. And using the word ‘psychopath’ in the intro of my videos helps me grab the viewers’ attention and gain views.”
She considers herself a psychopath because sociopaths are usually “formed out of trauma”, while psychopaths are born with their personality traits. She claimed sociopaths are also “more emotional and impulsive” as they are “ruled by their feelings”, while psychopaths are “much more calm and collected”.
In another video, she then went on to share the three traits she most commonly associates with psychopathy.
1. They seek adrenaline
First, Vic said psychopaths have a desire for adrenaline. She claimed that extreme sports such as bungee jumping or skydiving tend to be things that thrill-seeking psychopaths enjoy.
While not everyone trusts a parachute or a harness as the only bridge between life and death, psychopaths may feel a need to push themselves to the edge.
2. They like getting their own way
Vic’s second trait involved a need for psychopaths to “get what they want”. She insisted people diagnosed with the disorder often exhibit charismatic and manipulative behaviours, and will “do anything to achieve something”.
Often, this occurs without considering how it might make other people feel.
3. They can be pretty calm
Finally, Vic said people with psychopathy or ASPD tend to have “low stress levels”.
Psychopathic individuals have the ability to maintain very low levels of anxiety in social situations or when meeting new people, although this trait is highly debated among experts.
A study by the National Library of Medicine assures that psychopathy and anxiety are independent of each other. The study claims that psychopaths can experience anxiety, but their characteristic charismatic and confident behaviour often covers this fact.
What defines a psychopath?
Similarly to the assumptions offered by Vic, experts have shared that there are three common traits among people who suffer from ASPD, which are somewhat similar to the ones listed by the TikTok user. They are:
- Boldness: They exhibit an extremely calm and comfortable confidence in dangerous situations.
- Cruelty: A lack of empathy and consequently harsh and manipulative behaviour towards others.
- Uncontrolled behaviour: They display impulsive actions and a lack of self-control.
According to experts, there are two types of psychopaths within the disorder’s spectrum. On one hand, the primary psychopath is someone who shows little fear, remains calm in dangerous situations, and is cold towards others. On the other hand, the secondary psychopath is more anxious, emotionally reactive, and possibly has a history of traumatic experiences.
Signs of ASPD
According to the NHS, a person with antisocial personality disorder may:
- Exploit, manipulate or violate the rights of others
- Lack concern, regret or remorse about other people’s distress
- Behave irresponsibly and show disregard for normal social behaviour
- Have difficulty sustaining long-term relationships
- Be unable to control their anger
- Lack guilt, or not learn from their mistakes
- Blame others for problems in their lives
- Repeatedly break the law
For more information on ASPD, visit the NHS website.