3+ years into the trump presidency, a question occurred to me that i never thought about before:

[unblock]

is it possible to be both a sociopath *and* a psychopath at the same time, or are they mutually exclusive?

[sarcasmo]

1. Yep. Trump is all seven deadly sins wrapped into one.

[Cattledog]

2. A psychopath is inherently a sociopath.

But a sociopath isn't inherently a psychopath.

[Blue_true]

6. Someone posted a research treatise here on DU that said something like what you wrote.

It looked at the people involved in some famous crimes, in particular the lead villain in the "In Cold Blood" serial killing episode.

[sop]

3. "No clinical difference between a sociopath and a psychopath.

They're often used interchangeably. Some have attempted to distinguish the two by the severity of their symptoms." Obviously, Trump's symptoms are pretty severe.

[Mike 03]

16. +1

[Laelth]

4. Currently, the DSM 5 groups the two together.

It’s one of four Cluster B personality disorders.

1) NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder)
2) Psycopath/Sociopath
3) HPD (Histrionic Personality Disorder)
4) BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder)

So, to answer your question, the DSM 5 already considers sociopathy and psychopathy to be the same (perhaps only differentiated by degree).

Personally, I think that all four Cluster B disorders are “the same” in the ways that really matter. I don’t see any value in distinguishing between them. That said, mine is the minority opinion.

-Laelth

[Blue_true]

7. Trump seems to have a big case of all four cluster B characteristics. nt

[Laelth]

9. Yep. He's an advanced, textbook case.

He’s also a wealthy and powerful one, and that allows him to GET AWAY with a lot of antisocial behavior.

-Laelth

[11 Bravo]

18. The only one I would question is "Borderline Personality Disorder".

There is nothing "borderline" about the myriad disorders embodied in that jiggling, oozing piece of sub-human garbage.

[Blue_true]

5. Someone posted a scientific study that says that the worst villains

in history were both simultaneously. It was posted here on DU. For example, the worst serial killers have tended to be both.

[LastDemocratInSC]

11. Well, one could say that Trump is getting into serial killer territory

[uponit7771]

15. +1

[2naSalit]

8. Yes. ...nt

[Caliman73]

10. From what I have seen they share traits.

As others have said, the terms are used interchangeably and aren't really used clinically.

One difference that has been a subject of debate among people who study criminality seems to be that a psychopath typically has better ability to regulate their emotions and thus tend to blend in a bit better. Sociopaths are typically not as well regulated and are prone to rage and erratic behavior which interferes with their functioning in society. Again, it is still debated as to whether there are really any clinical differences in the two labels.


As for Trump, he would fall more into the sociopath label in my estimation. He has poor emotional regulation. If it weren't for his money, he would be in prison.

[LastDemocratInSC]

12. Your final sentence states the truth about him.

[pwb]

13. All I know is he is a fucking nut.

.

[abqtommy]

14. tRUMP should be treated with The Three S's: Sedation, Sequestration and Silence!

[Mike 03]

17. As others have explained, psychopath and sociopath are synonymous,

although in some professions (forensic psychiatry), terms are sometimes used to emphasize the severity of behaviors (i.e., Ted Bundy is often described as a psychopath, whereas a white collar criminal a sociopath).

A question I wonder about: Is it possible to be both psychotic and a psychopath? Some psychiatrists who have studied Trump say it is possible, it depends on whether or not he believes his lies.

In that case we would be talking about a psychopath who is completely disconnected from reality.