''Psycho'' is a shortening of what exactly? ''Psychotic'' or ''Psychopath''?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

They're different things, you know. A psychotic person is someone who lost grasp of reality. (Hears voices, hallucinates, thinks he's Jesus etc.) A psychopath is someone who's incapable of feeling empathy or remorse.

Just a random linguistic curiosity of mine.

[edhopper]

1. Actually what you describe second

is a Sociopath.
A Psychopath is, by definition, psychotic.
On is a noun the other an adjective.

[CBGLuthier]

5. Not according to current usage.

a psychopath is someone who lacks empathy.

a sociopath is someone who is disturbed to some degree. the basic summation being that psychopaths walk among us without our knowledge, are more genetic in nature, and are able to function quite well.

While sociopaths are the ones that pretty obviously need help, usually a traumatic event instead of genetic, and with poor impulse control.

[edhopper]

33. I don't know where you get that

"current usage". But the definitions as far as the field of psychiatry is as I described.
A psychotic illness usually means a break with reality. Schizophrenia a common one (this is not the dubious split personality.
While a lack of emotions also accompanies some psychopathology, it is different than the lack of empathy that sociopaths show.

[woo me with science]

36. You are mixing up "psychopathy," "psychopathology," and "psychosis."

"Psychopathology" is the science or study of mental disorders. Someone studying psychopathology will study everything from depression to anxiety disorders to personality disorders.

"Psychopathy" is a mental condition characterized by amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to establish meaningful personal relationships, egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc. People with severe antisocial personality disorder including an inability to empathize with others are often described as psychopaths. The labels "psychopath" and "sociopath" are often used interchangeably by laymen, but the former emphasizes inborn characteristics and the latter social influences in the development of the condition. Neither "psychopathy" nor "sociopathy" are diagnosable mental disorders in the DSM-IV handbook of mental disorders. Rather, they are terms used in research and in attempting to describe, explain, or understand the condition. People with these characteristics are most likely to be diagnosed with "antisocial personality disorder."

"Psychosis" is a mental disorder characterized by impaired contact with reality, delusions, hallucinations, etc.

Psychopathy has absolutely nothing to do with psychosis/being psychotic, as you stated in your initial post. In fact, the most successful psychopaths are very much in contact with reality and demonstrate that by successfully planning their actions to manipulate others.

[PassingFair]

6. What is the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?

The best definition I've come across:

A sociopath is a psychopath who gets caught.

"Sociopath" is generally used to describe a "criminal",
or one who has entered the criminal justice system through
their pathological behavior.

[fascisthunter]

8. Psychopaths murder and kill people

sociopaths get others to do their dirty work for them.

[PassingFair]

10. Read above: "Sociopaths" are "psychopaths" who get caught.

"Sociopath" is a term most used in
association with criminal terminology.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. Actually, most psychopaths don't actually commit violent acts.

They limit themselves to achieving their goals by lying, cheating, intimidating and stealing.

Read: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-psychopath-means

[PassingFair]

13. Right, when they DO break the law and get caught...

we are more likely to label them "sociopaths"

[fascisthunter]

23. I'm not sure that is correct

"I applaud your thoughtful consideration of an often misunderstood set of behavioral symptoms. However, there has historically been recognized a clinical differentiation between sociopathy (characterized by superficial charm, narcissism, and a lack of empathy) and the more problematic psychopathy (characterized by the aforementioned symptoms, plus aggressive and predatory behavior). Unfortunately, such a distinction has been ostensibly lost in recent clinical training. This distinction among antisocial presentations is important to acknowledge. Whereas sociopathy may not be recognized in many individuals, psychopathy can be expected to certainly take a larger societal toll.


Respectfully,

Jason Kaufman, Ph.D.
Inver Hill Community College"

THIS is what I have learned...

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. Aggressive and predatory is not necessarily violent.

Example: somebody destroys other people's careers through rumors and character assassination.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. Corrected the grammar. But about the second definition not being of a psychopath...

...I don't think so.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-psychopath-means

It's an excellent article and I recommend you read it whole, but here's an excerpt:

2. All psychopaths are psychotic. In contrast to people with psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, who often lose contact with reality, psychopaths are almost always rational. They are well aware that their ill-advised or illegal actions are wrong in the eyes of society but shrug off these concerns with startling nonchalance.

Some notorious serial killers referred to by the media as psychopathic, such as Charles Manson and David Berkowitz, have displayed pronounced features of psychosis rather than psychopathy. For example, Manson claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, and Berkowitz believed he was receiving commands from his neighbor Sam Carr’s dog (hence his adopted nickname “Son of Sam”). In contrast, psychopaths are rarely psychotic.

[originalpckelly]

15. Dude seriously, it's like no one knows anything about any mental illness.

They are not the same thing, no a psychopath is not psychotic. Psychosis is losing touch with reality and being delusional, as well as having hallucinations.

Unless they also happen to have psychotic symptoms, psychopaths are not treatable with medicines like anti-psychotics.

It's just like when people say "schizophrenic" and really are referring to multiple personality disorder. Which, by the way, is a diagnosis up for debate among psychiatrists, as to whether or not it really exists.

[originalpckelly]

12. No.

Sociopaths and psychopaths are different. It is a different diagnosis. And I wish people who know nothing about the topic would stop making false statements.

If you don't believe me, go look it up. The word psychopath is out of date, and it has been replaced with antisocial personality disorder.

And the word "psycho" is a lumping of the two different conditions into one. A mangling and maligning of all kinds of people who have psychotic episodes, which are temporary, or mental illnesses that have longer term psychotic symptoms, like schizophrenia or schizo affective disorder.

[PassingFair]

18. Do you mind telling us what the difference IS then?

snip>For better or worse, there are few differences between psychopaths and sociopaths. Some medical dictionaries even consider them to be synonymous. Both disorders cause one to engage in extremely anti-social behavior that includes acts of extreme violence. While psychiatrists often class sociopaths and psychopaths together, criminologists differentiate between them based on their outward behavior.<unsnip

[originalpckelly]

21. Oi vey. They are close.

But what I've read says that psychopaths are worse than sociopaths, but it's along the same lines, just that it's more excessive in nature.

[fascisthunter]

26. interesting

[Riftaxe]

29. This subject has come up before

So i can just steal from a previous post of mine :)

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/forensic-focus/2010/07/sociopathy-vs-psychopathy/">Sociopathy Vs Psycopathy

In other words, in the mental health field there is some consensus that psychopathy is more of an innate phenomenon whereas sociopathy, which has a similar clinical presentation to psychopathy, is more the result of environmental factors (poverty, exposure to violence, permissive or neglectful parenting, etc.). This is of course difficult to prove, as the nature versus nurture debate never seems to have a winner, and for good reason–it is very likely that both our biological components and environmental exposures influence and shape us fairly equally.

However, other differences between psychopathy and sociopathy, aside from origin, have been cited. The capacity to feel attachment and empathy towards another and to feel guilt and shame after doing something wrong is not associated with psychopathy; however it is suggested that sociopaths can emotionally attach to others, and feel badly when they hurt those individuals that they are attached to. The sociopath will still lack empathy and attachment toward the greater society and will not feel guilt in harming a stranger, or rebelling against laws, but does not lack empathy entirely, as is typical with the psychopath.

[virgogal]

2. Psychopath. eom

[CBGLuthier]

3. What was Ed Gein?

I would not presume the that word Psycho originated with Robert Bloch's book but it probably entered more common usage at that time.

Norman Bates was very loosely based on the very real Ed Gein. By your definitions I would say he was psychotic for sure.

So I would go with psychotic.

At least with Castle's excellent Homicidal! there is no doubt.

[edhopper]

4. Thinking he was talking to

or actually was his mother, I'd say psychotic.

[meegbear]

9. Bachmann

[yawnmaster]

14. psychopath. eom

[LiberalAndProud]

16. I can't figure out the different between

narcistic personality disorder and sociopath.

They seem like the same disease to me. Likewise psychopath / sociopath. It seems like the symptoms of those diagnoses are interchangable.

[originalpckelly]

19. OK from the DSM quoted in Wikipedia, you know if you were curious...

you could always find out, but hey:

Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. Requires excessive admiration
5. Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Sociopath (Antisocial Personality Disorder):
A) There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three or more of the following:
1. failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
2. deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
3. impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead;
4. irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
5. reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
6. consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
7. lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another;
B) The individual is at least age 18 years.
C) There is evidence of conduct disorder with onset before age 15 years.
D) The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of schizophrenia or a manic episode.

Psychopath, they are basically a subset of people who are sociopaths, but their symptoms are extreme in nature (this isn't :
1. Superficial charm and good "intelligence"
2. Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking
3. Absence of nervousness or psychoneurotic manifestations
4. Unreliability
5. Untruthfulness and insincerity
6. Lack of remorse and shame
7. Inadequately motivated antisocial behavior
8. Poor judgment and failure to learn by experience
9. Pathologic egocentricity and incapacity for love
10. General poverty in major affective reactions
11. Specific loss of insight
12. Unresponsiveness in general interpersonal relations
13. Fantastic and uninviting behavior with drink and sometimes without
14. Suicide threats rarely carried out
15. Sex life impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated
16. Failure to follow any life plan.

Narcissistic personality disorder looks to be mostly about needing attention and thinking one is all that.
Sociopaths are manipulative SOBs, but psychopaths are scarier and even more manipulative.

[PassingFair]

25. Again, pretty clear that "sociopaths" are "psychopaths" that veer into criminal behavior.

Much of the behavior normally associated with psychopaths
is not CRIMINAL, in fact, the behaviors and motivators can
spur them onto great success in the business world of today.

If they happen to become entangled in the criminal justice
system, they are far more likely to be called "sociopaths".

[LiberalAndProud]

32. Wikipedia actually simplifies the symptoms.

There are many symptoms that cross over the diagnoses. As best as I could decipher while looking into the various disorders is that a sociopath is a criminal version of the narcisist.

[SidDithers]

17. Isn't Psycho the root of both psychopath and psychotic?...nt

Sid

[originalpckelly]

22. Psychosis is like LSD or shrooms.

Psychopaths are evil SOBs and it never really goes away.

[Warpy]

20. It's a catchall. It means

"That boy just aint right in the head."

[ZombieHorde]

27. Psycho is just a casual adjective and shouldn't be considered a diagnosis.

Technically it's short for psychopath, but psycho is not meant to used as a clinical term. It's more of an insult.

[Morning Dew]

28. It comes from

a fellow named Cyrus Kosar, inventor of the wingnut.

[kctim]

30. Ex-girlfriend

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

31. It's a short way of saying republican. nt

[applegrove]

34. I just know that many people use the term psychotic to descrie a psychopath which is wrong.

[SoCalDem]

35. "Psycho" is probably a slang term that can encompass many different mental "issues"

and it probably is just a term that almost anyone can readily "understand".

"That man/woman over there is a PSYCHO", pretty much warns the person receiving the information to stay away from them, without delving into the nuances..

will that person kill you, cannibalize you, rape you, or will they steal your money, trick you into doing something illegal or dangerous..?

A sociopath "can" be "psycho", but many times they just want to steal from you or manipulate you
Their sympathy/empathy centers are whacked out, so they feel nothing of your pain..physical, emotional, financial. A "nice" sociopath may end up with your money , your car, your house, but you live to see another day. A different sociopath may do all of the above AND kill you.

The problem is that you often don't know what "kind" they are until it's too late..
A shrink once told me that many of our "professions" are loaded with sociopaths...in the legal field, and banking world. They also make great sales people.

Psychotic people often end up harming only themselves because many times they are lucid enough to try to "get away from" the voices in their heads, but if they are also sociopathic, they probably act on what those voices "tell" them to do..

The term psycho is like saying "kleenex" or "Xerox".. You could be using Scott tissues, but still call them "kleenex" or be making copies on a Canon copier, but still referring to them as xerox copies..