Is My Abuser a Narcissist, Psychopath or Sociopath
Written by Randi Fine, Narcissistic Abuse Expert
Narcissistic Abuse Awareness and Guidance with Randi Fine
Many have asked me, "Is my abuser is a narcissist, psychopath or sociopath."
The confusion comes from the assumption that since psycho/sociopaths and narcissists are both empathy devoid and psychiatrically classified in the same cluster of personality disorders, they are one and the same. They are not.
There is a great deal of false information on the internet about narcissistic personality disorder and its relationship to psychopathy.
All psychopaths and sociopaths are narcissists, but not all narcissists are psychopaths or sociopaths. The blanket diagnosis only works one way. Still the possibility exists that in addition to being a narcissist, your abuser may also be a psycho or sociopath.
Psychopaths and sociopaths fall under a broader class of mental illness known as “antisocial personality disorder.” Just as is true with all mental illnesses and personality disorders, symptoms of antisocial personality disorder can vary in severity. Sociopathy and psychopathy, the most dangerous forms of APD, are found at the extreme end of the spectrum.
Sociopaths and psychopaths have very similar characteristics and behavior patterns so the terms are often used interchangeably. Since there are many similarities between s