The 10 differences between psychopath and psychotic

The mind is a complex study object, which sciences such as psychology and psychiatry try to explain, and even more when we are faced with conditions that make it difficult for the person to function 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, but sometimes for those who are not used to handling such terms can be confused. An example of this occurs between the terms psychotic and psychopath, which beyond phonetic similarities have little in common.

Let's see How do the terms psychopath and psychotic differ?, throughout this article. Because no, they don't mean the same thing.

• Related article: "Psychopathy: what happens in the mind of the psychopath?"

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 one of them and their main characteristics.

The name of psychopathy is a condition in which people manifest

a noticeable lack or absence of empathy, emotional detachment, absence of guilt and insensitivity to the needs and feelings of others, tendency to lie and deceit, as well as to achieve their own gratification regardless of its consequences, instability, parasitic lifestyle with their environment, impulsiveness, irresponsibility, inability to follow and maintain a life plan, little behavioral control and little respect for the rules social.

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

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

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

It is also common that from childhood some unusual behaviors are manifested, such as the mistreatment and mutilation of animals.

Clarifying the term psychotic

When we speak of the term psychotic, we are referring to a type of mental disturbance or disorder characterized mainly by the presence of a break or split of the mind or psyche with reality, which forms, together with neuroses, one of the main large group of types of mental disorder.

Those who suffer from a psychotic type disorder suffer from some type of condition in which deception is usually suffered perceptions, that is, perceptions without a real object that are basically a mental projection that is perceived as coming from the abroad. These alterations of perception are what we call hallucinations..

It is also common that, often derived from such perceptions, delusions appear: false beliefs or ideas that are not very credible in relation to reality or part of it. that remain with conviction and that are very resistant to change, regardless of the existence of evidence to the contrary or the lack of support from the media.

Hallucinations and delusions are some of the most common and well-known symptoms of psychotic disorders, but other symptoms may appear in this type of disorder, such as flight of ideas, incoherence and loss of logic in thought, emotional lability very high, behavioral alterations, 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 those who suffer from it and that usually appears in in the form of outbreaks, but although it does not have a curative treatment, it can be treated in such a way that one can lead a life normal.

Differences between psychopath and psychotic

The concepts of psychopath and psychotic are sometimes confused on a phonetic level, but as we have seen they do not have a great conceptual similarity to each other. It is because of that we can find a large number of differences between the terms psychopath and psychotic, some of which are listed below.

1. hallucinations and delusions

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

Although the presence of perceptual delusions or hallucinations and/or delusions are one of the main criteria that would tell us about a psychotic type disorder, these are not present among psychopaths, which do not suffer any type of perceptual alteration.

• You may be interested in: "Hallucinations: Definition, Causes, and Symptoms"

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 another's place, understand them and feel their emotions and feelings.

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

3. break with reality

Schizophrenia and the rest of psychotic disorders are understood as disorders that cause a break in the patient's mind with the surrounding reality, so that the person is in a situation that prevents them from acting in a manner consistent with that reality.

This does not happen 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 on an emotional level. Specifically, the psychopath has an emotionality that, although it is not empty of content, is usually superficial and shallow, often considering themselves to experience proto-emotions or very basic emotions without fully developing this sphere.

The psychotic patient in this sense can be much more variable: It is possible that he is extremely labile and experiences very intense emotions suddenly, or in other cases he may find himself a very marked affective flattening and anhedonia (although before these alterations they experienced a wider range of emotions)..

5. imputability

Precisely due to what was commented in the previous point, in the case of psychopathic and psychotic legal proceedings they have different legal considerations since they start from different points.

And it is that when an outbreak is triggered in a person with a psychotic problem, their perception of the world is alters in such a way that they can come to emit responses that they would not have if these alterations did not exist perceptive.

So, some of his acts may be completely outside of his will. This could mean that in a criminal proceeding in which it was shown that they were acting under the influence of a psychotic outbreak, they could be considered not liable.

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

Thus, in the case of psychopaths, in almost all cases we would be facing subjects attributable to any crime they commit, since have full capacity to decide and understand their behavior and consequences (albeit on a cognitive and not an emotional level).

6. Difficulties adapting to society

Although this difference today is not so noticeable since the advancement of treatments for psychotic disorders allow us to lead a normotypical life, one of the main differences that exist between both concepts is in their different ability to adapt to society.

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

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

7. Physical appearance

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

8. Difficulties and cognitive alterations

In addition to the above, another of the points in which both problems differ is found in the fact that while someone who is a psychopath has a general cognition preserved and has no problems at the cognitive level, in psychotic disorders, depending on the case, negative symptoms are observed, that 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 show alterations at the attentional level compared to the non-clinical population.

9. mental disorder or not

One last fundamental difference between psychopath and psychotic is found in the fact that we are facing a mental disorder or not. In the case of psychotic disorders, it is clear that we are dealing with a mental disorder or alteration that greatly alters the behavior and perception of those who suffer from it and that generates suffering and limits its normal operation.

However, and despite the fact that there are alterations such as the incapacity for empathy and commitment, the instability and very limited emotionality, psychopathy is not considered a mental disorder per se.

10. Treatment

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

Although both are workable, in the case of psychotic disorders the use of medication and the follow-up of medical prescriptions combined with psychotherapy can help to a large extent to these people being able to lead a normal life, and even free of symptoms.

With regard to psychopathy, although various treatments are proposed and carried out that may manifest some utility, it is usually a condition considered irreversible in which Methodologies have not yet been found that allow generating great changes.

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

However, in general, psychopaths tend to have a high resistance to carrying out therapies, in addition to observing a high degree of manipulation of the situation and therapy by of these.

Bibliographic references:

• Buckels, E. AND.; Jones, d. N.; Paulus, 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.