Do mental health professionals, misunderstand, psychopaths

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
The pitfalls of not understanding psychopathy. So a lot of
mental health professionals don't seem to have a different understanding
of psychopathy, and some don't understand it very well at all.
Some believe there's a hurt child beneath the hate and
the aggression that just really wants empathy and understanding. What

(00:22):
some people really don't see is that they want you
to hurt. Psychopathy is real, and it's a recognized psychological condition,
often characterized by a lack of empathy, shallow emotions, manipulativeness,
and a propensity for antisocial behavior. And the research shows
that psychopathy is not about a hurt child seeking empathy,

(00:43):
but rather a stabled pernersonality trade with neurological and genetic underpinnings.
Studies also indicate that psychopaths often lack the emotional depth
to genuinely desire or respond empathy, and their behavior is
driven more by self interest or gratification than unresolved trauma.
Psychopathy is indeed relatively uncommon, though and estimate suggesting it

(01:05):
effects about one percent of the general population or less.
We do have studies showing that it's about fifteen to
twenty percent prevalent in the prisons. This means most people
are unlikely to encounter a true psychopath regularly, but it's
not so rare that it's impossible in everyday life, especially
in high stakes or competitive environments, where traits like charm
and manipulativeness can thrive and they're characteristic of psychopaths. Some professionals,

(01:31):
again in mental health or fields, underestimate or misinterpret psychopathy,
particularly if they approach all clients with the assumption that
empathy and understanding can fix harmful behaviors. This approach does
work for many, but psychopathy is an exception, as individuals
with this trait often exploit kindness rather than reciprocate. It
doesn't mean all aggressive or harmful behavior stems from psychopathy.

(01:54):
Many other factors, like trauma or other disorders can drive
such behaviors, and those cases may indeed benefit from empathy.
The advice to give the benefit of the doubt and
err the side of guindness is generally sound for fostering
positive interactions, as most people are not psychopaths. However, it's
wise to pair this with situational awareness. Psychopaths can exploit

(02:15):
trust for recognizing red flags. Consists of manipulation. Lack of
remorse is important