#aspd info

[crowthatweeps]

helloo! i made a diagram showcasing the overlap and differences between npd and aspd(a small continuation of the npd and bpd venn diagram i made), please tell me if i got anything wrong or if some stuff needs revisioning :>>

[psychresources]

Source: Campbell, W. K., & Miller, J. D. (2011). The Handbook of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Theoretical Approaches, Empirical Findings, and Treatments. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118093108 (Summary and free PDF in this post)

[hauntedselves]

Comparison of Personality Styles vs Personality Disorders

- From Handbook of Diagnosis and Treatment of DSM-5 Personality Disorders by Len Sperry (2016)

[jamfingers]

Some Background on That One Super Famous Cluster B Personality Disorder and Some Brief Meta Tying It to Kai Parker’s Problematic (but Fine AF) Ass Because I Said I Would Do This

Okay, this isn’t a research paper, so I’m not going to put ref points throughout the post, but I’ll write down the full names of the texts and articles I used at the bottom in case you’re interested in checking them out yourself. Some info/pics come from old annotated notes, but I likely will only use those for examples provided by previous professors. NONE of these visuals are mine, they’re copyrighted and I’m posting them for educational purposes. I’m making no profit off of this. Obviously. This is a damn fan blog. 

First off, lets talk behavior and psychopathology, then I’ll get into like...the barest bit of some of the complex anatomy and physiology behind them. Then I’ll talk Kai Parker a little and how he fits this. This post is gonna be hellaciously long, since it’s an academic reference/meta, so read more under the cut:

Personality is something pervasive, long term, and generally not mutable in a person. And individual’s personality will develop in childhood and are measured by rating the general patterns of disordered conduct/socializing of traits known as the big 5: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. These traits, like anything dealing with the mind, are measured on a spectrum and patterns of extremely high pervasiveness of traits in some areas and extremely low pervasiveness in others that results in a diminished or troubled quality of life is what results in a personality disorder.

Personality disorders are sorted into 3 groups called clusters:

Kai falls into cluster B - he has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD from here on, can also be noted as APD), historically called “sociopathy”. ASPD is more commonly diagnosed in men than in women, (although this might be in part due to societal/gender biases of both the patient and the clinician, but I digress), with a prevalence in the clinical population of 3.9-5.9% and in the general population of 1.0%-1.8%. It’s rare, but not the rarest personality disorder by any means. No unicorns here.

I personally denote ASPDers as the biggest con-artist assholes you’ll ever have the displeasure of meeting, but that’s not very academic, so I’ll copy my one of my textbook’s format and break this up into a few categories. More information can be found in references.

Clinical Description And Criteria:

“I am entitled to break rules.”

That right there is the sun with which ASPD revolves around. The disorder is characterized by extreme selfishness and disregard for others, highly impulsive and risky behavior (like drug use, reckless stunts, fighting), and unusual emotional responses and fits of rage, but no deficits in reasoning ability. People with ASPD know what they’re doing, understand the social norms/ rules behind them and don’t care. In regards to the Big 5 personality traits this is what they look like (L is low, H is high):

And diagnostic criteria for ASPD on the DSM-5 looks like this:

YOU HAVE TO HAVE DISPLAYED CONDUCT DISORDER AS A CHILD TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH ASPD AFTER 18. Remember an individual’s personality develops in childhood and is long-lasting. Conduct disorder in children is diagnosed with this criteria:

ASPD has a pretty high heritabilty (about 40-50%) and it’s fostered in hostile environments characterized by lack of warmth, exposure to violence, high negativity, parental inconsistency or parental ASPD, and/or poverty.

While ASPD is associated with poor impulse control, there is still no deficit in reasoning ability. ASPDers with a high intelligence quotient (IQ) are less likely to get caught or engage in illegal or destructive behavior because they know the game. They’d rather be free to fuck people over than in a system and can be quite adept at hiding their traits. This leads me to psychopathy. There’s still some debate about whether psychopathy should be considered different from ASPD, but most clinicians these days agree that psychopathy as a subset of symptoms that fall under ASPD. So just like all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares, all psychopaths (at this point) are ASPDers, but not all ASPDers are psychopaths. 

Psychopathy:

Defining characteristics of psychopathy include:

If you’re having a hard time reading this, the red and blue branches indicate what aspects of psychopathy are influenced by what bit of anatomy dysregulation. AMG - amygdala, PCC - posterior cingulate cortex, MPFC - medial prefrontal cortex. The coronal slices (red, bottom blue) are as if you’re looking at a person face to face - your left is their right. Top blue is scanned from the right side (See that scrunchy round thing behind the straight part? Below the “PCC”? That’s the cerebellum behind the brain stem. It’s in the back of your head, to help with orientation.) Middle blue is as if you and the person are facing the same direction, but you’re taller and looking straight down on their head. Hope that helps you out!

In general, with regards to criminal behavior, high IQ psychopaths are called “subclinical” psychopaths and are not generally studied bc...well, they blend in. They find other, legal or discreet ways to fulfill thrill seeking behavior.

Psychopathy has some actual distinct differences in the brain that can be physiologically measured. It’s typically shown by differences in the the right amygdala and the anterior rostral prefrontal cortex (arPFC from here on), especially on the right side. (The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for emotional recognition and expression, while the amygdala controls fear responses/recognition and the PFC in general controls different aspects of higher cognition. In this case, it’s likely the conversion of emotionality to morality, since emotions play a large part in fostering sympathy and from there moral judgement.) See?

Integrative Biopsychosocial Model of APD:

Bio (Genetics and neurobiology): Twin and adoption studies show that ASPD is highly heritable, but it’s the gene-environment interaction that is integral for ASPD development. ASPD is an endophenotype - the underlying aspects of disorder are genetic (low levels serotonin and dopamine (the chemical neurotransmitters), or in the case of psychopaths, low levels of serotonergic or dopaminergic axons (the anatomy that receives the NT)) and provide the unique emotional aspects of ASPD, but the social behavior presentation is guided by the environment (early childhood stress, lack of social guidance, etc). The arousal theory, if you’re interested, is based of the endophenotypes and can explain how certain behaviors arise from them (i.e. ASPDers, esp. psychopaths, are stimulation seeking bc of low response in reward systems (serotonergic/dopaminergic)). *I add on dopamine bc it’s an important chemical in the brain’s reward system, but serotonin is the key one.

Psychosocial (mental and environmental): Inconsistent parental punishments, lack of punishment for aggressive/antagonist behavior, environments that propagate violence, high risk-reward and fearless psychology all lend themselves to the development of the disorder. 

The disorder is like a measuring cup and each influence is water filling it until the water level reaches the mark where the disorder presents itself. 

When it comes to ASPD, prevention, not treatment is preferred. Redirecting behavior patterns in kids with conduct disorder is your best bet compared to trying to get a fully formed, highly aggressive ASPD adult to behave.

Here’s a case study from my abnormal psych textbook depicting what the you’d most likely see in clinical ASPD case (i.e. in “the system” , like prison or a hospital):

(See why I said con-artists asshole? Ryan’s a fucking dick.)

References:

“Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach” 7th Edition, David H. Barlow & V. Mark Durand {This is the book I used in my psychopathology class, which is for...understanding pathologies of the mind lol.}

“Neuroscience” 5th Edition, Dale Purves {Great book for detailed anatomy and physiology of neural circuits, and I didn’t get into like I could, but the emotion chapter is dense and that’s a lot of info to slam you with.}

“The Foundations of Behavioral Neuroscience” 9th Edition, Neil R. Carlson {Easy to read and a great general capstone text} 

Okay, so now that we got the science, on to Kai Parker:

Right, so I think it’s safe to say that, canonically, Kai mostly fits the criteria for ASPD, but you’re def free to go back over all that up there and do your own comparison. We all know how Kai is an admitted “sociopath”. Considering Joshua Parker’s behavior, we can probably take a gander on the genetic component and considering the entire Gemini premise, plus the way Kai in particular was raised as the outsider in his family, we have an idea of the hostile and warmth-lacking environment that fostered it.

Because it’s TVD, I do think Kai was written to cater that whole “handsome, suburban white boy gone wrong” schtick, but I also think he’s one of the most subtly well-fleshed characters that show ever produced. There’s this one article I read for a neuro lit course (“Loneliness and associated violent antisocial behavior: analysis of the case reports of Jeffrey Dahmer and Dennis Nilsen.” authored by W.H. Martens and G.B. Palmero) that really stuck to me in a pervasive way and it’s about how chronically festering feelings of neglect and loneliness, of feeling like an unaccepted outsider, drove Dahmer and Nilsen to take their victim’s lives in a misguided way to dissuade the loneliness.

Having read that makes me wonder how Kai, the fictional serial killer, reflects his real life counterparts. The drive for merging and becoming coven leader is something that would force others to acknowledge him, which ties into his “black sheep” speech, his “I was never hugged as a child and my siblings were kept away” complaint (There are a lot of inconsistencies in his dialogued back story that bother me, but it makes me wonder if he ever lied about his past: “my favorite memory is when I finally beat him to death” and the preceding story about Mario Kart with the bby bro seems like something he might have just made up to fuck with Elena), and other vocalizations he’s made about his past which point to him being the misfit and desiring a sense of belonging. While we know Kai’s ASPD is a part of his characterization, this to me seems out of the norm for this disorder, simply because it indicates an understanding of sympathy that is unwittingly emotional.

Of course, Kai could also just want to be able to lord the world’s biggest “FU!” over his abusers.

Either way, anti or not, when using the ASPD/sociopath argument to defend or dismantle Kai as a character, I think it’s a good idea to keep in mind that Kai was written inconsistently. He shows very little impulsivity or recklessness in 1994, one trait which is almost a given with ASPD, nor was he flightly/irresponsible. He always had some end-goal or plan in mind. This was pre-merge. But he was also manipulative and showed no regret about the people he hurt. Obviously, each case of the disorder is unique because they exist on a spectrum, but the pattern and criteria are there due to broad commonalities in each case. The way the media tends to portray ASPD is not all consistent with the way the disorder presents irl.

[hauntedselves]

With all of the PDs, how much of the criteria do you have to fit?

PPD: 4 or more

Suspects w/o evidence that people are planning to harm them

Preoccupied w/ doubts about loyalty & trustworthiness

Reluctant to share info about themselves out of fear that it’ll be used against them

Misinterprets innocent remarks or behaviours as threats

Holds grudges

Quick to get angry or [counter]attack people based on what they think are threats

Suspects partner of cheating

+ Must not be part of schizophrenia, other psychotic disorder, bipolar disorders, but can be premorbid to schizophrenia

SZPD: 4 or more

Doesn’t enjoy close relationships

Almost always chooses to be alone

Asexual

Finds little pleasure in activities

Lacks close friends, other than family

Appears indifferent to praise or criticism

Flat/cold emotional expression

+ Must not be part of schizophrenia, other psychotic disorder, bipolar disorders or autism, but can be premorbid to schizophrenia

STPD: 5 or more

Ideas of reference (not delusional)

Odd beliefs or magical thinking (not delusional)

Unusual perceptions/illusions (not hallucinations)

Odd thinking & speech

Suspicion or paranoia

Inappropriate or flat emotional expression

Strange behaviour or appearance

Lacks close friends, other than family

Social anxiety & paranoia about social interactions

+ Must not be part of schizophrenia, other psychotic disorder, bipolar disorders or autism, but can be premorbid to schizophrenia

ASPD: 3 or more

Doesn’t conform to social norms esp. in regards to the law

Deceitful

Impulsive

Irritability & aggression

Reckless & disregards their & others’ safety

Irresponsible

Lacks remorse

+ Must be at least 18, have had symptoms of Conduct Disorder before 15, & not be part of schizophrenia or bipolar disorders

BPD: 5 or more

Frantically avoids abandonment

Splitting, unstable relationships

Unstable sense of self

Damaging impulsivity

Self harm & suicidal behaviour

Mood swings

Feeling empty

Intense anger

Dissociation &/or paranoia

HPD: 5 or more

Uncomfortable w/o attention

Inappropriate sexual behaviour

Mood swings

Uses appearance to get attention

Speech mimics others’, lacks detail

Dramatic

Suggestible

Overestimates intimacy

NPD: 5 or more

Grandiose sense of self

Fantasies of success, power, etc

Feels special & unique

Needs admiration

Feels entitled

Exploitative

Lacks empathy

Jealous

Arrogant

AVPD: 4 or more

Avoidance b/c of fear of criticism, disapproval, rejection

Unwilling to have relationships unless certain they’ll be liked

Restrained in relationships b/c fear of shame, humiliation

Preoccupied with fears of criticism or rejection

Restrained in social situations b/c of fear

Views self as inadequate

Reluctant to do new things out of fear of embarrassment

DPD: 5 or more

Difficulty making everyday decisions

Needs others to be responsible for major areas of life

Difficulty being assertive b/c fear of loss of support

Difficulty doing things by themselves b/c lack self-confidence

Feels uncomfortable or helpless when alone

Urgently finds a new relationship when one ends

Unrealistically preoccupied w/ fears of being alone

OCPD: 4 or more

Preoccupied with details, rules etc so that the point of the activity is lost

Perfectionism that interferes with life

Workaholicism that interferes with life & relationships

Overly inflexible & hyperaware of morals, values

Things have to be done their way

Hoards money in case of future need

Rigid & stubborn

[hauntedselves]

Differentiating between NPD and ASPD

Graph made by me using data from Stanton and Zimmerman, ‘Unique and Shared Features of Narcissistic and Antisocial Personality Disorders: Implications for Assessing and Modeling Externalizing Traits’, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2019.

The ICD-11 and DSM-5 also list the following traits that can overlap or help differentiate between NPD and ASPD:

NPD:

Hypomania (”narc high”)

Extremely sensitive to criticism - may lead to a spiral of shame, humiliation, and self-criticism (”narc crash”)

Overestimating abilities while underestimating others’ abilities

Idealisation of others who are seen as special, important

Fragile self esteem

High expectations (of self and others)

Susceptible to eating disorders

May be unwilling to take risks or compete if there’s a chance of loosing (and therefore showing imperfections, flaws)

ASPD:

Poor planning skills

Unable to tolerate boredom (which is often intense)

Irritable

May have a history of some Conduct Disorder symptoms in adolescence

Callous, cynical, ruthless

Susceptible to anxiety

Has concern for own needs and wants but not others’

Both:

Manipulative

Overestimating own abilities

Susceptible to substance abuse

Need to be right all the time

Excessively opinionated

Superficially charming

Requires admiration (excessively in NPD)

Attention seeking (in a positive or negative way)

Susceptible to depression

[hauntedselves]

Personality Disorder Attributes by Personality Domain

(Includes some of Millon’s theorised PDs - Depressive, Sadistic, Negativistic & Masochistic)

- From Millon, Personality Disorders in Modern Life (2004)

[hauntedselves]

What would a person with ASPD and Anxiety act like? (since its so comorbid)

this post and this post are one person with aspd's experience of anxiety

anxiety wouldn't "cancel out" any symptoms of ASPD, but it may present differently than in a person who doesn't have AsPD. some quotes from the posts linked above:

"I don’t experience racing thoughts typically, and anxiety tends to be mostly physical."

"it can often act up when I plan to do something like break a law, and thus dissuades me for the sake of it being an unpleasant feeling."

"My anxiety causes me to impulse lie more often"

"I may be too anxious to do something like run into oncoming traffic, or I may just catapult head in to try to get the anxious feeling to fade sooner."

"I am more prone to getting anxious before I grow irritable, but the two often go hand in hand"

"My anxiety likes to take the place of my guiltlessness."

"The emotions I experience often are anxiety and sadness. These emotions are almost always in the background when apathy is not."

"There’s also a disconnect between my emotions and my thoughts. As such, to fill empty space instead of making me happy, my brain might make me anxious."