Strategies for Dealing With a Sociopath in the Family

• A sociopath is indistinguishable physically from anyone else. man at beach image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com

  Sociopath is the term used to describe people who have a list of antisocial personality traits. The behavior also is termed antisocial personality disorder or psychopath. According to the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's manual, "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," the defining traits of this personality type include a lack of remorse, irresponsibility, deceitfulness, lying, irritability and aggressiveness, nonconformity to social norms, a reckless disregard for others and impulsivity.

Preserve Self

• According to youmeworks.com, the best thing to do when you encounter a sociopath is to walk the other way. However, when the sociopath is a family member, this may not be an option. If you cannot exclude this person from your life, try to limit the damage she does to your psyche. First of all, you must be sure that you are dealing with a sociopath, not just a difficult person. To this end, familiarize yourself as much as possible with the signs of sociopathy.

Limit Damage

• Try to limit the damage this person can inflict on you and other family members. Present a united front, and do not allow the sociopathic person to drive a wedge between you. Sociopaths are masters at manipulating people. This may take the form of charming and befriending one person at a time, in order to put another down. The sociopath is adept at seeing any fissures in the family unit and using these to further his own ends.

Refuse to Play Games

• The sociopath can present himself as charming and intriguing. But it is imperative for your own health and sanity, not to get drawn into his web. He may well have you obsessing about his personality and wasting a lot of time and emotional energy trying to understand a personality type that has defeated many of the experts. You cannot rescue a sociopath. The best you can do is to show calmness and consistency in your approach and refuse to allow your own life and mind to be controlled and dominated.

Get Support

• You probably would be wasting your time trying to encourage the sociopath to get counseling or analysis. She may think she does not have a problem. Indeed, she may try to convince you that you are the one with the problem. Seek professional help for yourself if you live with one for, at the very least, emotional support.