Tag: Psychopaths

Healthy Self-regulation vs. Dysregulation

Sam Vaknin explores the concept of self-regulation, emphasizing that it primarily concerns controlling behavior rather than internal processes, and highlights its significance in goal attainment and impulse control. He critiques the traditional notion of the “self” in self-regulation, noting the fluidity of identity and the social context’s role, and discusses the challenges posed by impulse control disorders and emotional dysregulation, especially in conditions like borderline personality disorder. The talk also touches on the distinction between self-regulation and self-management, the biological basis of impulses, and behavioral therapy’s role in developing regulatory strategies.

Read More »

Narcissism is So Hard to Believe! (with Yulia Kasprzhak, Clinician)

In-depth analysis of narcissistic personality disorder, emphasizing the distinction between narcissists, psychopaths, and borderlines, highlighting narcissists as delusional and psychotic with impaired reality testing and confabulation rather than manipulative liars. It discussed the complexities of narcissistic relationships, including “hoovering,” the dynamics of narcissistic abuse, and the detrimental impact on partners, advocating no contact as the only long-term solution. The session also touched on the challenges in treating narcissism, potential future medical advancements, and the interactions and conflicts between narcissists and psychopaths in relationships.

Read More »

Psychopath, Narcissist Manipulate You Differently

The speaker highlighted key differences between narcissists and psychopaths, emphasizing how narcissists manipulate external reality to distort a victim’s internal perception, whereas psychopaths manipulate internal realities to distort external perception. Narcissistic abuse often results in profound, lasting trauma that shatters the victim’s identity, requiring extensive psychological reconstruction, while psychopathic abuse typically causes external harm akin to PTSD. The speaker also warned against glorifying powerful narcissists, noting that many are malignant and harmful despite their public image.

Read More »

Covert Borderline, Classic Borderline – Psychopaths?

The speaker introduced the concept of covert borderline personality disorder, distinguishing it from classic and quiet borderline types by its unique traits, particularly its prevalence in males and its confusion with covert narcissism and psychopathy. The discussion included a detailed comparison of covert borderline and classic borderline personalities across identity, emotional regulation, interpersonal relationships, cognitive style, and social functioning, referencing DSM-5 criteria and emphasizing the covert type’s distinct emotional and behavioral patterns. The speaker concluded by highlighting the covert borderline’s pursuit of love and acceptance, contrasting with the classic borderline’s emotional instability and identity diffusion, and suggested future videos to elaborate on this proposed diagnosis. Covert Borderline, Classic Borderline – Psychopaths?

Read More »