We, the normal, are in trouble when it comes to close relationships

Hi everyone, 

Do you have any psychopath in your life? If yes, you should know how difficult it is to deal with them.

Between 1% and 2% of the world population are made up of individuals having psychopathic, narcissistic, and sociopathic traits. Extensive research has been done on the causal factors of psychopathology; however, it is not yet clear if psychopaths are born or made because of the environment or life circumstances.  

Brains of psychopaths 

James Fallon, an American neuroscientist who is a professor of psychiatry in the University of California, examined brain activity of psychopathic individuals using MRI scanners and found a considerable reduced activity in brain areas that play a role in regulating morality, emotion, and impulses. 

Role of genes 

Other researchers suggest that certain genes may be linked to psychopathological traits. These genes are selected in evolution, and will most likely persist in the population; therefore, instead of ‘curing’ these psychopaths, there is a need to recognize these people and protect yourself from getting ‘injured’ by them. 

Childhood experiences and trauma 

Some studies have suggested something different, namely, that psychopathic traits may be developed because of traumatic life experiences in childhood. This has been supported by a study published in the European Journal of Psychopathology in 2013 that found that individuals are more likely to develop into psychopaths who experience abuse and neglect in early childhood.  Also, children who are brought up with a psychopathic parent learn these behaviors and practice them often because they think that it is ‘correct’ to be manipulative. This has been observed in a longitudinal study that tested the theories that parental bonding and physical abuse in childhood is associated with subsequent development of psychopathic traits, and that children separated from their parents in early childhood are more likely to develop as psychopaths. The results of the study supported these theories.  

Physical abuse or neglect? 

Neglect affects a child’s personality more profoundly as compared to physical abuse. Neglect may result in psychological scars which may never heal. Maternal care is most important. Children who are deprived of maternal care, or who get less attention from their mothers are grown up to be mentally disturbed.  Related to this is parent divorcing. It has been found that psychopathology, especially depression and anxiety are more pronounced in children whose parents get divorced. Also, these individuals learn how to be manipulative when grown up, and how to play one person against the other. 

Genes or environment? 

These experiences affect different children differently. Some children grow up as submissive, depressed individuals with low self-esteem, while others as deviant and violent psychopaths who gain pleasure by hurting others. As children, this is manifested in them torturing and killing animals or insects and watch them very indifferently, in a cold, detached way as nothing serious is happening. They are seriously lacking in empathy. Thus it is not simple to say whether nature or nurture would determine if a person would become a psychopath, and that, why some individuals are affected differently than others. Much research is needed to address these issues. 

We, the normal, are in trouble when it comes to close relationships 

We cannot cut psychopaths from our lives. They can be our close ones; siblings or loved ones, and they are familiar with the fact that we would feel sorry for them for having a troubled past and they would use this information to their advantage to manipulate us. They would not empathize with us. Our relationship with them, whether romantic or friendship, would always be asymmetrical, one-sided.