How does a psychopath react when abandoned?

Movies and series have sold us a very particular image of psychopaths and their behavior. For this reason, it can be thought that psychopathy is a rather strange condition. However, psychopaths are more common than most of us think and we can relate to them without realizing it. To identify them, it is best to learn more about their behavior. In this case, we will talk to you about how a psychopath reacts when he is abandoned.

In general, People with psychopathic traits tend not to tolerate abandonment or rejection in the best way.. When they experience it, a series of attitudes and behaviors related to manipulation, aggressiveness and selfishness can come to light.

Understanding psychopathy beyond pop culture

Usually, when we see the word “psychopath” we usually think of these ruthless villains from film and television. These men or women who do not feel even a bit of empathy for other people and go above and beyond the law. In fact, it is common to believe that psychopaths are people incapable of connecting on an emotional level with others.

To this we must add the famous cases of serial killers who today are considered psychopaths. Although, in reality, within psychology, psychopathy is not a clinical condition at the level, for example, of depression or borderline personality disorder (BPD). Studies even mention that psychopaths can be functional members of society (Viding, McCroy and Seara-Carodos, 2014). In fact, These behaviors that we tend to associate with psychopaths are part of antisocial personality disorder (ASD)..

Much of the scientific community considers psychopathy as a spectrum within human behavior. Thus, we would all be capable of expressing psychopathic traits to a greater or lesser degree. The difference is that those who have APD manifest them in a more marked way.

Those who suffer from APD tend to consider others instrumentally. Dehumanizing them in this way can feed the thought that it is legitimate to try to “own” another person. If for any reason this person decided to distance themselves from them, we could observe how a psychopath reacts when they abandon him and perhaps identify them.

This is how a psychopath reacts when he is abandoned

Abandonment or rejection is a phenomenon that people with psychopathy usually do not handle well.. The reason is their tendency to see others as objects that they own and can control. Following this line, it is unlikely that a psychopath will feel sadness or pain because someone rejects him.

It is more plausible that you feel discomfort, something similar to what most of us can feel when we leave our house keys inside and we do not have another set on hand. Rejection or abandonment becomes a problem that prevents you from achieving your goals. Let’s remember that people with intense psychopathic traits tend to be selfish.

Thus, They may try to get the person back by any means. They could try to contact her through messages, calls, letters or even following her to the places she frequents.

In addition, They could use emotional manipulation -simulate sadness so that a feeling of guilt appears in the other- to try to regain control of the situation. Let’s not forget that psychopaths are usually manipulative and tend to be eloquent.

A psychopath can be very aggressive when faced with abandonment. If they see that the other does not give in to psychological manipulation, they could develop aggressive and dangerous behaviors – they try to achieve with force what they could not achieve with manipulation in the first instance.

However, The most common thing is that they try to get another person to serve them as the previous one served them., just like it happens with the keys. Thus, they do not miss the person, but the function that he performs; When they find someone else who does it, her frustration disappears. This moment is dangerous, because they may try to harm the person who left as revenge.

What should I do if I suspect that someone I know is a psychopath?

The task of evaluating and diagnosing psychopathy falls to a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist. Besides, It is necessary to emphasize that having psychopathy traits is not synonymous with suffering from APD..

There are behaviors such as lack of empathy, manipulation or coldness that people possess and demonstrate in certain situations. However, that does not mean that we are psychopaths. In any case, only a specialist can accurately say a person’s personality traits and their magnitude.

If you suspect that someone close to you may be living with this problem, you could recommend that they seek professional guidance. This way, you will be able to get an exact diagnosis of what is happening to you and confirm if it is psychopathy.

However, keep in mind that he might not accept the help you offer. In many cases, People with psychopathic traits do not usually feel remorse or guilt for their actions. Therefore, it would be strange for them to think that they did something “wrong” and should change.

Finally, now that you know how a psychopath reacts when abandoned, you can avoid falling into the manipulation they usually use. If you feel that you are in danger due to the behavior of another, go to the authorities. Harassment and assault are illegal behaviors that can be punished by law.

You might be interested…