# Is it possible to be both psychopathic and socially anxious?



## lazy (Nov 19, 2008)

What do you think? Share your thoughts.

If it is, it wouldn't make any sense. A psychopath makes great CEO's and social phobics make great victim to bullies. With that said this sounds like a stupid question all of the sudden...


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## Hypomania_hunter (Dec 12, 2008)

*few questions can be answered with just yes or no*

Social phobics worry about the feelings of others, because they feel inadequate for some reason.
Psyhopaths don´t care the slightest about what other people feel, because they´re SIMPLY the BEST! 
They might on the other hand care about what they think, because that is how they learn how to manipulate / intimidate.

Narcissists (some kind of psychopath) are vulnerable to personal attacks. They need the reasurrance from other people to feed their pathological ego, which acts like some kind of shield for the true self (as it is called). 
So well... Psychopaths I think can have social anxiety issues, if they have the narcissistic traits.

Narcissists feed on self esteem from others, (and are therefore dependent on others). Take away their "fanclubs" and they will feel empty and depressed.
Psychopaths (the CEO-type) feed on material things like money, power and status. The latter does not seek constant approval. Obedience will do just fine 

I THINK!


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## Asthmatic. (Jan 7, 2009)

What about people with schizotypal personality disorder?? They are kind of psychopathic because they have strange thoughts and visions, but they are socially anxious usually not because they are afraid of what people will think of them but because they are paranoid.


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

lazy said:


> If it is, it wouldn't make any sense. A psychopath makes great CEO's and social phobics make great victim to bullies. With that said this sounds like a stupid question all of the sudden...


Well, psychopathy can be coupled with narcissism, and often is (like someone else in this thread said), and narcissists feel profound anxiety over the possibility of having their ego threatened. There's a ton of research on ego-threat leading to anxiety (which is most pronounced in people who think way too highly of themselves). Since a narcissist has an unrealistic, grandiose sense of self-worth, there's a greater pool of potential feedback that can be deemed unacceptable/offensive, and the result is a high arousal feeling, either anxiety or anger. So, like someone else said, I think it is very possible for someone high in psychopathy to have social anxiety, since there's a tendency for psychopaths to be narcissistic. The two aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, I believe several researchers have claimed a link between psychopathy and social anxiety (I know someone who studies research in that area, but I've not personally read any of the literature).


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

Asthmatic. said:


> What about people with schizotypal personality disorder?? They are kind of psychopathic because they have strange thoughts and visions, but they are socially anxious usually not because they are afraid of what people will think of them but because they are paranoid.


That's actually more descriptive of a psychotic disorder, not psychopathy. Psychopathy is more along the lines of someone with very strong violent or sexual impulses (who lacks the ability to suppress them), or people who feel no remorse after hurting others (usually done purposely to obtain some reward or simply for intrinsic satisfaction).


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Sure its possible, but unlikely.


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## Brightpaperwarewolf (Oct 16, 2008)

Drella said:


> Well, psychopathy can be coupled with narcissism, and often is (like someone else in this thread said), and narcissists feel profound anxiety over the possibility of having their ego threatened. There's a ton of research on ego-threat leading to anxiety (which is most pronounced in people who think way too highly of themselves). Since a narcissist has an unrealistic, grandiose sense of self-worth, there's a greater pool of potential feedback that can be deemed unacceptable/offensive, and the result is a high arousal feeling, either anxiety or anger. So, like someone else said, I think it is very possible for someone high in psychopathy to have social anxiety, since there's a tendency for psychopaths to be narcissistic. The two aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, I believe several researchers have claimed a link between psychopathy and social anxiety (I know someone who studies research in that area, but I've not personally read any of the literature).


I can speak from experience this is something that holds my entire life back and it never was explained so clearly than in that paragraph and I'm not sure why I act this way. Little things can bring me intense paranoia or intense anger where I end up lashing out at someone or wanting to pick a fight with someone. And the anger developed from it makes me not want to interact with anyone. I am just lucky I managed to keep a few friends and okay relationships with my family, but it's harder and harder everyday, I see everyone getting sick of my narcissistic ways and my thoughts and ways are becoming more dark. All because if my inadequacy to express myself.


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## nihlanth1 (Oct 24, 2008)

Brightpaperwarewolf said:


> I can speak from experience this is something that holds my entire life back and it never was explained so clearly than in that paragraph and I'm not sure why I act this way. Little things can bring me intense paranoia or intense anger where I end up lashing out at someone or wanting to pick a fight with someone. And the anger developed from it makes me not want to interact with anyone. I am just lucky I managed to keep a few friends and okay relationships with my family, but it's harder and harder everyday, I see everyone getting sick of my narcissistic ways and my thoughts and ways are becoming more dark. All because if my inadequacy to express myself.


I could have said exactly the same thing. Criticism angers and depresses me greatly (both self-hate and outward-directed hate). Things like a bad grade(even though I tried very hard), or verbal put-downs will make me withdraw and brood planning retaliation (against myself and others - sort of like inflicting universal punishment upon me and everyone else). In which I feel like picking a fight even to my own detriment even if there is no way for me to 'win'. Positive praise does not affect me very much because of my depression and negative thinking.

The only thing that fuels my adrenaline is criticsm or put-downs or percieved victimization of myself by others.


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## Bredwh (Jan 24, 2009)

Hypomania_hunter said:


> Social phobics worry about the feelings of others, because they feel inadequate for some reason.
> Psyhopaths don´t care the slightest about what other people feel, because they´re SIMPLY the BEST!
> They might on the other hand care about what they think, because that is how they learn how to manipulate / intimidate.
> 
> ...


I have SA but don't really worry about what others think, it is more a compulsion not to talk, socialize, etc. I don' feel inadequate at all and really can't find anything wrong with me besides my SA. I'm the the most stylish person I've ever met and always look fantastic. I'm smarter than most people (I was the smartest kid in my grade in school and never studied or read the books or anything, still receiving the highest grades). I'm one of the funniest people I've ever seen (It's not just me that says this ). I may not be "the BEST" but I'm definitely pretty damn good.
I'm not narcissistic though because I don't care what people say or think because I know the truth, which is why I am not offended by anything.

This is why I am extremely frustrated by my SA, as it is, literally, the only thing holding me back, and I know I have no reason to be this damn shy!:x

I've sometimes wondered if I am a psychopath or have psychopathic tendencies but I don't think so since I don't like being antisocial and am in control of my impulses. (This is one of the reasons why I don't drink. I'm afraid of losing control, of what I might do.:evil:twisted)


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

I'm reading a book right now (it's actually more of a meta-analysis on psychopathy) that supports the argument that individuals high in psychopathy can experience anxiety, particularly social phobia, agoraphobia, OCD, and panic disorder. The findings in the literature are, of course, controversial, but the link has been argued. The risk-taking, lack of remorse, and so on normally associated with psychopathy don't seem to negatively correlate with anxiety (at least, according to this set of research). These findings could simply be attributed to the fact that anxiety disorders are quite prevalent in clinical populations, such that the people assessed clinically who were high in psychopathy or diagnosed as APD _just so happen_ to also have a comorbid anxiety disorder. That may or may not be a stretch, and whether that reflects a true relationship between the two or not, well, who can say? Both sides argue for and against the relationship, and, at this point, either could be correct. More research needs to be done.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

My thoughts are that a psychopath is a person with ideas that are considered "out there" and not in a good way, thus they may develop a social phobia because they can't find others who relate to their "out there" thoughts/ideas.


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## braink37 (Apr 28, 2014)

Bredwh said:


> I have SA but don't really worry about what others think, it is more a compulsion not to talk, socialize, etc. I don' feel inadequate at all and really can't find anything wrong with me besides my SA. I'm the the most stylish person I've ever met and always look fantastic. I'm smarter than most people (I was the smartest kid in my grade in school and never studied or read the books or anything, still receiving the highest grades). I'm one of the funniest people I've ever seen (It's not just me that says this ). I may not be "the BEST" but I'm definitely pretty damn good.
> I'm not narcissistic though because I don't care what people say or think because I know the truth, which is why I am not offended by anything.
> 
> This is why I am extremely frustrated by my SA, as it is, literally, the only thing holding me back, and I know I have no reason to be this damn shy!:x
> ...


This is my life, except my SA very very very rarely lets up. When it does I feel like I desperately need attention and just do tons of funny **** constantly. I may be minipulative and narciscistic, even if its subconciously. Is it possible though that while my SA is in charge that I will have good morals? I think a reason that I developed morals is to simply keep me out of trouble, because I do the dumbest things tht end up getting me caught. I think that my SA is what causes me to be constantly distracted, thus making me screw up all the time. Seeing this from an evolutionary standpoint, a psychopath would seem to benefit from SA, if I am truely one. The only problem is tht I'm done rationalizing my anxiety. In fact up until last week i didn't know tht anxiety was causing my problems cause I was just born with it. I just figured it was something i just have to accept and deal with. I've since given up and am getting meds


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## bottleofblues (Aug 6, 2008)

I seriously doubt it, about as much chance is there is of someone having depression while being happy at the same time. A psychopath might have some anxieties, but i doubt its SA, how could a personality type that has no empathy for others also have a condition where they worry excessively that others are thinking negatively of them?!
They are polar opposites.


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## anxiousmofo (Feb 5, 2014)

Anxiety replaced word phobia at some point in the past, and phobia esentially is irrational fear, since the psychopaths are fearless, it just does not add up.


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## talia68 (Jul 3, 2015)

i don't believe psychopathy and *social* anxiety would ever co-occur. psychopaths could get generally anxious, say when they are bored, or possibly when narcissistic supply is threatened, but they literally do not care at all about other people, and believe they are *superior* and entitled. they only care about what other people think insofar as it effects their ability to dominate and manipulate, and live for power. feeling powerful and feeling anxious i think are incompatible in themselves. i'm not sure that they do it to compensate for any feeling of being powerless, i think they do it to compensate for having a lack of ability to feel anything much at all.

my ex-BF (a clinical psychopath), if he was ever anxious at all, rarely was in touch with it and certainly never expressed it. he just went straight to rage. possibly he just couldn't tolerate anxiety long enough to experience it, but i really don't think he actually felt much of anything except rage, jealousy, and lust for anything that could give him a feeling of pleasure or being alive. sex, drugs, booze, danger, violence, speed, duper's delight, whatever.


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## wrongnumber (May 24, 2009)

Drella said:


> I'm reading a book right now (it's actually more of a meta-analysis on psychopathy) that supports the argument that individuals high in psychopathy can experience anxiety, particularly social phobia, agoraphobia, OCD, and panic disorder. The findings in the literature are, of course, controversial, but the link has been argued. The risk-taking, lack of remorse, and so on normally associated with psychopathy don't seem to negatively correlate with anxiety (at least, according to this set of research). These findings could simply be attributed to the fact that anxiety disorders are quite prevalent in clinical populations, such that the people assessed clinically who were high in psychopathy or diagnosed as APD _just so happen_ to also have a comorbid anxiety disorder. That may or may not be a stretch, and whether that reflects a true relationship between the two or not, well, who can say? Both sides argue for and against the relationship, and, at this point, either could be correct. More research needs to be done.


I know this thread is like, 6 years old, but... interesting.

All I know is one of my cousins has sociopathic / sadistic traits, and he's also socially anxious. Also kind of socially retarded. I think those guys who go shoot up schools or convert to Islam just to join ISIL, have that sort of psychiatric profile.


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