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Questions about psychopathy
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hello everyone. I just made this thread over on another mental health forum but they closed it because I am only 17.
So I wanted to ask, can a psychopath know that they're a psychopath? The reason I ask is because the last few years I have started to become aware of what I'm doing, I don't feel bad or anything but I just know it's not normal.
The last few years I have noticed that I get great enjoyment from manipulating people, getting them to do what I want and tricking them into thinking something that may not be true. It might just be something simple like hiding my mothers oven gloves from her when she is cooking and she will look for them for 15 minutes and then I'll put them somewhere really obvious and she'll be all confused as to why she didn't notice them.
There have been other slightly more serious things where I will befriend someone in school and manipulate them into doing something bad and they'll get into trouble for it. I know what I'm telling them to do is wrong because I won't do it myself, so I'll trick someone else into doing it and it makes me feel good that I have that level of control over someone. I've made girls break up with their boyfriends by installing doubt into their minds and I've caused others friendships to end by turning each against the other.
I've never caused any physical damage or severely affected anyone but I do wonder how far I could go... How far could I manipulate someone? Is there a limit? The best part about it is they think I am being a good friend and that I care and want to help so they come to me with their problems and I pretend to care and sympathise with them when in fact I honestly do not care.
I also manipulate people so I get what I want. I'm not a violent person and I never used violence or have outbursts of rage or anything, but instead I prefer to carefully construct a situation that results in me getting my way without the other person acknowledging I'm getting my way. Or they see that I'm getting my way but they don't think I'm doing it on purpose. Just a side note I don't do drugs or smoke, I do drink occasionally but prefer to get tipsy rather than full on drunk.
My parents have mentioned it to me before that I'm a very suggestive person, I'll often get my younger sister into trouble in the house by tricking her into doing something which I know my parents will get mad at her for, although she is only 11 and it's not much of a challenge so I've not really been doing this recently.
I guess I just enjoy knowing that I have the ability to instil ideas or thoughts into other people whether it be family, friends, teachers, or strangers that I only just met. Knowing that a person acts because of what I have constructed in their minds. I am off to university next year and wonder what my life will be like there...
I've been reading about psychopathy recently and I have a lot of the symptoms but I am aware of what I'm doing... Maybe not right there and then but as the process goes on I realise that everything I'm telling this person is the opposite of what might be beneficial to them. Does this mean I'm not a psychopath? As psychopaths do not know what they're doing is wrong?
I know this is a pretty lengthy post but I just wanted to ask, if I do consult a psychiatrist, will they tell my parents that I have spoken with them? Or can I request my parents not be told anything between me and a psychiatrist?
Thanks for reading
So I wanted to ask, can a psychopath know that they're a psychopath? The reason I ask is because the last few years I have started to become aware of what I'm doing, I don't feel bad or anything but I just know it's not normal.
The last few years I have noticed that I get great enjoyment from manipulating people, getting them to do what I want and tricking them into thinking something that may not be true. It might just be something simple like hiding my mothers oven gloves from her when she is cooking and she will look for them for 15 minutes and then I'll put them somewhere really obvious and she'll be all confused as to why she didn't notice them.
There have been other slightly more serious things where I will befriend someone in school and manipulate them into doing something bad and they'll get into trouble for it. I know what I'm telling them to do is wrong because I won't do it myself, so I'll trick someone else into doing it and it makes me feel good that I have that level of control over someone. I've made girls break up with their boyfriends by installing doubt into their minds and I've caused others friendships to end by turning each against the other.
I've never caused any physical damage or severely affected anyone but I do wonder how far I could go... How far could I manipulate someone? Is there a limit? The best part about it is they think I am being a good friend and that I care and want to help so they come to me with their problems and I pretend to care and sympathise with them when in fact I honestly do not care.
I also manipulate people so I get what I want. I'm not a violent person and I never used violence or have outbursts of rage or anything, but instead I prefer to carefully construct a situation that results in me getting my way without the other person acknowledging I'm getting my way. Or they see that I'm getting my way but they don't think I'm doing it on purpose. Just a side note I don't do drugs or smoke, I do drink occasionally but prefer to get tipsy rather than full on drunk.
My parents have mentioned it to me before that I'm a very suggestive person, I'll often get my younger sister into trouble in the house by tricking her into doing something which I know my parents will get mad at her for, although she is only 11 and it's not much of a challenge so I've not really been doing this recently.
I guess I just enjoy knowing that I have the ability to instil ideas or thoughts into other people whether it be family, friends, teachers, or strangers that I only just met. Knowing that a person acts because of what I have constructed in their minds. I am off to university next year and wonder what my life will be like there...
I've been reading about psychopathy recently and I have a lot of the symptoms but I am aware of what I'm doing... Maybe not right there and then but as the process goes on I realise that everything I'm telling this person is the opposite of what might be beneficial to them. Does this mean I'm not a psychopath? As psychopaths do not know what they're doing is wrong?
I know this is a pretty lengthy post but I just wanted to ask, if I do consult a psychiatrist, will they tell my parents that I have spoken with them? Or can I request my parents not be told anything between me and a psychiatrist?
Thanks for reading
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Comments
This is a really brave post; being so open about our own thoughts in this way is not easy, particularly when they can have negative effects on others. From what you've said, it sounds like over a period of time, you've identified certain patterns in your behaviour and thought processes that you generally recognise as being harmful to others. You said that you tend to enjoy manipulating people and now see that as abnormal as you don't feel bad as a result. And for that reason you now think you might fit the description of a psychopath.
The way you've written your post come across are pretty neutral. Is that reflective of how you feel about what you've written?
Given that you've posted here and mention the possibility of seeing a psychiatrist, it sounds like you're keen to explore everything a bit more. We're more than happy to start that process here
What are you hoping to get out of support? (both here and from a psychologist)
Finally, to answer you question, if you receive any kind of treatment from the NHS, it'll be covered by their confidentiality code of practice, meaning:
Thanks for your reply. I guess I'm pretty neutral, I've just acknowledged that certain things I do, others don't. Chances are if you're the only one doing something, it's probably not "normal". Think of it like a Lion that befriends an antelope, it's not wrong in the lions mind, but no other lions do it, so the lion becomes aware of this and questions; "why are none of the other lions befriending antelopes"?
I don't see the things I do as wrong or bad, I just know society would think it's abnormal, after all if it was normal, everyone would be doing it. A friend of mine comes to me after having an argument with his parents, a golden opportunity arises to exploit his emotions and get him to believe or adapt his beliefs to what I want, what I think to be true.
As I understand it others would help him mend his relationship with his parents, but this has no appeal to me, I don't see any joy in it. Another situation is perhaps someone I dislike in school is dating someone, again another opportunity to get one over on him. I can make subtle suggestions or create situations in which the relationship becomes problematic for him or her and I love knowing that I am the creator of this problem. I made this happen, I am the orchestrator of this
With regards to a psychologist I just thought there is no harm in sitting down with one and just having a chat, explaining the things I do and why I do them in an attempt to understand why others do not do these things and why they are wrong. Even though I don't perceive them to be.
I genuinely love it when people come to me for advice or help about something, I'll listen for hours. Putting it into a short sentence I would say I enjoy steering people to my way of thinking.