An emotional psychopath is someone with a disorder known as an antisocial personality disorder, which is characterized by a lack of empathy and disregard for the feelings and rights of others. People with this disorder often engage in manipulative or aggressive behaviors to get their way, and are prone to extreme mood swings. They may display extreme jealousy, and possessiveness, and have difficulty empathizing with other people’s feelings. They may also use intimidation tactics such as threats and verbal humiliation to control their victims emotionally.
My experience
When I was in a relationship with a man, he left me feeling powerless. He treated me as if I was beneath him and had no regard for my feelings or emotions. I often found myself questioning my sanity and doubting my own judgment when I was around him. He used his words to tear down my sense of self-worth and confidence until there was nothing left. It felt like he had taken an axe to the foundation of who I thought I was as a person, leaving me feeling broken inside. Despite how much pain he caused me, it’s difficult to recognize you’re being emotionally abused when you don’t know what to look for.
It wasn’t something I could see right away, but rather something that slowly revealed itself over time. But now looking back I can see the classic traits of an emotional psychopath—they lack empathy and often have shallow emotions they manipulate people in order to gain power or control; they are prone to explosive outbursts of anger or rage with little provocation they don’t accept responsibility for their actions and blame others and they use intimidation tactics such as threats or verbal humiliation in order to control emotionally.
Having been in a relationship with this type of person, I now understand why it’s so important to be aware of these signs so that you can protect yourself from another encounter with an emotional psychopath or sociopath.
What is a psychopath and what is a sociopath?
A psychopath is a psychological term for an individual with an extreme lack of empathy and conscience. They may exhibit violent and manipulative behavior, often without remorse. They can be charming, yet show little regard for the rights or feelings of others. Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by shallow emotions, grandiosity, impulsivity, blame externalization, risk-taking, deception, and disregard for social norms.
A sociopath is a term used to describe someone who acts without caring for what society deems acceptable. Sociopaths often have difficulty forming emotional connections with people and have an increased risk of criminal behavior. They are often perceived as irresponsible, callous, and deceitful. Other characteristics may include superficial charm, lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, grandiose sense of self-worth, manipulative behavior, chronic lying, and the inability to take responsibility for their own actions.
The difference
The main difference between psychopaths and sociopaths is that psychopaths are more likely to be sadistic and manipulative, whereas sociopaths demonstrate more impulsive behavior, often without remorse. Additionally, psychopaths are usually calculating and do not display the same level of superficial charm as sociopaths.
Let’s break down the signs that indicate that you might be in a relationship with an emotionally abusive psychopath
Unpredictable Mood Swings
People who display emotional abuse can be prone to rapidly changing moods, often from calm and collected to angry and hostile within minutes.
Jealousy
Are they overly possessive or jealous? A sociopath may display extreme jealousy when you talk to other people, spend time with family and friends or engage in activities outside the relationship.
Manipulative Tactics
Abusive people commonly use manipulative tactics such as guilt-tripping and gaslighting to control their partner’s behavior. They will often go out of their way to make it seem like any decisions you make are wrong or bad – even if they agreed to them initially.
Aggression
Do they become violent or aggressive when they don’t get their way? While physical violence is obviously an extreme form of aggression, emotional abusers may use aggressive language, deny responsibility for their actions, blame others or act out in other ways that can make the person on the receiving end feel unsafe and uncomfortable.
Lack of Empathy
Emotional abusers are typically unable to empathize with other people’s feelings, often showing no concern for their partner’s emotions and preferences. This can include not listening when you’re speaking, refusing to compromise in arguments, belittling your beliefs and opinions, or exhibiting a general lack of understanding for human needs.
Intimidation
Many sociopaths employ intimidation tactics such as threats, explicit or implied, mind games designed to weaken their victims emotionally, verbal ridicule and humiliation, sabotage through social media & text messages, isolating them from family &friends, making false accusations; stalking them online/offline, public embarrassment/humiliation etc, which instill fear & powerlessness in the individuals being subjected to such behaviors.
Blaming Others for Their Actions
A psychopathic individual will always try to lay the blame on someone else when things go wrong instead of taking responsibility for themselves – this could include blaming you for how they behave instead of recognizing that it’s their own behavior which is causing problems in your relationship
Is it possible to identify a psychopath and how to protect yourself
It is often difficult to spot a psychopath, as they can be very charming and manipulative in order to get what they want. However, some signs to look for include:
- Constant lying or deceitfulness
- Manipulative behavior, often subtle but gradual
- Lack of remorse or guilt for violating social norms or laws
- Difficulty forming emotional connections with others and apparent lack of empathy
To protect yourself from a psychopath, it is important to be aware of their tendency towards manipulation and take steps to ensure your safety. This may involve setting boundaries with them, distancing yourself emotionally and physically, and maintaining control over any conversations you have with them. It is also important to seek help if needed from mental health professionals or support groups if you feel overwhelmed by the situation.
