The 10 differences between psychopath and psychotic

These words sound similar but refer to different psychological phenomena.

The mind is a complex object of study, which sciences such as psychology and psychiatry try to explain, and even more so when we are faced with conditions that hinder the functioning of the person or that cause discomfort and suffering.

In order to try to analyze the particularities of these types of functioning and mental disorders, a rich and varied vocabulary has been generated, but sometimes for those who are not used to handle such terms can be confusing. An example of this is between the terms psychotic and psychopath, which beyond phonetic similarities have little in common.

Let us see what is the difference between the terms psychopath and psychoticthroughout this article. Because no, they do not mean the same thing.

What is a psychopath?

To begin to be able to stipulate the existence of differences between both conditions, it is useful to make a small definition of each of them and their main characteristics.

Psychopathy is the name given to a condition in which a person manifests lack or absence of empathy, emotional detachment, lack of guilt, and insensitivity to the needs and needs of others. and insensitivity to the needs and feelings of others, tendency to lie and deceit, as well as to the pursuit of their own gratification regardless of its consequences, instability, parasitic lifestyle with their environment, impulsivity, irresponsibility, inability to follow and maintain a life plan, little behavioral control and little respect for social norms.

There is also usually a very restricted and volatile emotional sphere, their emotions often being classified as proto-emotions.

In addition, they stand out for a high capacity for seduction and manipulation, they stand out for a high capacity for seduction and manipulation.. In general, they tend to be indifferent to other people (although in some cases they may feel respect or esteem for very specific and close people) and are often seen as a means to achieve their ends.

Although psychopathy is especially known for cases of serial killers and other Blood crimes, the truth is that not all psychopaths have a behavior of this type. not every psychopath has a belligerent and criminal behavior.. There are also well-adjusted psychopaths, who generally have a tendency to seek positions of power and are often found in the upper echelons of the business world or even at the political level.

It is also common for some unusual behaviors, such as the mistreatment and mutilation of animals, to be manifested as early as childhood.

Clarifying the term psychotic

When we speak of the term psychotic we are referring to a type of mental alteration or disorder characterized mainly by the presence of a rupture or split of the mind or psyche with reality.This, together with neurosis, is one of the main groups of types of mental disorders.

Those who suffer from a psychotic type of disorder suffer from some type of condition in which they generally suffer from perceptual deceptions, that is to say, perceptions without a real object that are basically a mental projection that is perceived as coming from the outside. These alterations of perception are what we call hallucinations..

It is also common that, often derived from such perceptions, delusions appear: false and implausible beliefs or ideas in relation to reality or part of it that are held with conviction and are very resistant to change, regardless of the existence of evidence to the contrary or the lack of support from the environment.

Hallucinations and delusions are some of the most common and well-known symptoms of psychotic disorders, but in this type of disorder other symptoms may appear such as flight of ideas, incoherence and loss of logic in the thought, very high emotional lability, alterations in the brain and the brain's ability to think.emotional lability, very high emotional lability, behavioral disturbances, attention problems, decreased reasoning ability, catatonia, affective flattening, agitation, logorrhea, anhedonia and/or social difficulties.

It is a type of severe mental disorder that generates great impact and alteration in the life of the sufferer and usually appears in the form of outbreaks, but although it does not have a curative treatment, it can be treated in such a way that a normal life can be led.

Differences between psychopath and psychotic

The concepts of psychopath and psychotic are sometimes confused at a phonetic level, but as we have seen, they do not have a great similarity between them at a conceptual level. That is why we can find a large number of differences between psychopath and psychotic. We can therefore find a large number of differences between the terms psychopath and psychotic, some of which are indicated below.some of which are indicated below.

1. Hallucinations and delusions

One of the differences between people with psychopathy and those with psychotic disorders can be seen in one of the key conditions of the latter: the presence of hallucinations and delusions.

Although the presence of perceptual delusions or hallucinations and/or delusional ideas are one of the main criteria that would indicate a psychotic-type disorder, these are not present among psychopaths, these are not present among psychopaths, who do not suffer from any type of perceptualwho do not suffer from any type of perceptual alteration.

2. Capacity for empathy

Another of the main differences is found in one of the distinctive characteristics of psychopathy: the absence of empathy. Psychopaths are characterized mainly by the absence or minimal ability to put themselves in the other person's place, to understand him/her and to feel his/her emotions and feelings.

However, this absence of empathy is not among the defining characteristics of psychotic disorders (although in some cases it may occur, although in some cases it can (although in some cases it may occur, and especially when there is associated cognitive impairment).

3. Break with reality

Schizophrenia and the rest of psychotic disorders are understood as alterations that cause a rupture of the patient's mind with the reality that surrounds him, so that the person finds himself in a situation that prevents him from acting in a way that is consistent with that reality.

This does not occur with psychopaths, whose appreciation of reality at the cognitive level is in almost all cases quite clear..

4. Emotionality

Another differential aspect between psychopath and psychotic can be observed at the emotional level. Specifically, the psychopath has an emotionality which, although not empty of content, is usually superficial and shallow, often being considered as experiencing proto-emotions or very basic emotions without fully developing this sphere.

The psychotic patient in this sense can be much more variable.The following may occur: they may be extremely labile and suddenly experience very intense emotions, or in other cases they may experience a very marked affective flattening and anhedonia (although before these alterations they experienced a wider range of emotions).

5. Imputability

Precisely because of what was mentioned in the previous point, in the case of a judicial process psychopath and psychotic person have different legal consideration since they start from different points.

And the fact is that when a person with a psychotic problem triggers an outbreak, their perception of the world is altered in such a way that they may even issue responses that they would not have if these perceptual alterations did not exist.

Thus, some of their actions may be completely outside of their will.. This could mean that in a criminal proceeding in which it is demonstrated that they were acting under the effects of a psychotic outbreak, they could be considered not imputable.

On the other hand, the psychopathic subject has a clear cognitive awareness of what is happening around him and has sufficient volitional capacity to be aware of what he is doing at all times.

Thus, in the case of psychopaths we would be in almost all cases before imputable subjects of any crime they commit, because They have full capacity to decide and understand their behavior and consequences (although at a cognitive level). (albeit at a cognitive and not at an emotional level).

6. Difficulties in adapting to society

Although this difference is not so noticeable nowadays, since the progress of treatments for psychotic disorders makes it possible to lead a normotypical life, one of the main differences that exist between the two concepts is found in their different capacity to adapt to society.

As a general rule, the population with some type of psychotic disorder usually suffers some type of social adaptation problem, either due to the symptomatology or to the social stigma that this type of disorder still generates.

However, in the case of psychopaths, they are usually much better adapted and accepted by society, even if only on a superficial level. In fact, while there are subtypes of psychopathy there are subtypes of psychopathy in which there is social withdrawal, it has generally been found that psychopaths are much better adapted and accepted by society.In general, it has been found that a large number of people with psychopathy are highly seductive and charismatic (although their personal interaction tends to be very superficial and utilitarian).

7. Physical appearance

Although this point is somewhat relative given that it depends on many factors, in some cases it can be observed that while people with psychotic disorders tend to neglect and neglect their self-image (especially when there is cognitive impairment). (especially when there is cognitive impairment), psychopaths on the contrary tend to be extremely careful with it, partly due to the presence of feelings of self-worth and grandiosity and partly because this facilitates their tendency to seduce and use others as instruments.

8. Cognitive difficulties and alterations

In addition to the above, another point on which the two problems differ is the fact that while the psychopath has a preserved general cognition and no cognitive problems, in psychotic disorders, depending on the case, negative symptoms are observed, which usually imply a certain deterioration at the cognitive level. usually imply a certain deterioration at the mental level (impoverishment of speech and thought, loss of coherence and logic...).

It is also very common for the population with psychotic disorder to manifest alterations at the attentional level in comparison with the non-clinical population.

9. Mental disorder or not

A final fundamental difference between psychopath and psychotic is to be found in whether or not we are dealing with a mental disorder. In the case of psychotic disorders, it is clear that we are dealing with a psychic disorder or alteration that alter to a great extent the behavior and perception of the sufferer and that generates suffering and limits his or her usual functioning. and limits their normal functioning.

However, despite the existence of alterations such as an inability to empathize and compromise, instability and very limited emotionality, psychopathy is not considered a mental disorder per se.

10. Treatment

Although neither condition currently has a "curative" treatment, the fact is that they also differ in what can be achieved at the therapeutic level.

Although both are workable, in the case of psychotic disorders, the use of medication and the medication and follow-up of medical prescriptions combined with psychotherapy can go a long way toward helping these individuals to a great extent to enable these people to lead a normal life, and even free of symptomatology.

As far as psychopathy is concerned, although various treatments are proposed and carried out that may prove to be of some use, it is usually a condition considered irreversible in which no methodologies have yet been found for the treatment of psychopathy. methodologies have not yet been found to bring about major changes..

In some cases it has been possible to increase the capacity for empathy through training and some behaviors have been modified, although generally at a more cognitive level than at a felt level.

However, psychopaths are usually highly resistant to therapy, and a high degree of manipulation of the situation and the therapy by psychopaths can be observed.

Bibliographical references:

• Buckels, E. E. E.; Jones, D. N.; Paulhus, D. L. (2013). "Behavioral confirmation of everyday sadism". Psychological Science. 24 (11): 2201 - 2209.
• Marcus, D. K.; John, S. L.; Edens, J. F. (2004). A Taxometric Analysis of Psychopathic Personality. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 113 (4): 626-35.