A psychopath is incapable of experiencing love or conscience so how does that make them different?

Question

As a student nurse on Psychiatric secondment I vaguely remember reading about how people with this condition have no conscience and can't experience love and that this is due to a physical difference in the brain so can not be corrected. In Britain they can not be held in a pscyniatric hospital because of being a psycopath because it is untreatable, which really surprised and worried me.

A pschopath is not the same thing as a split personality. That condition is far rarer than that of a psychopath.

by conscience I refer to the ability to feel guilty. On escorting a patient with this condition for a walk I was warned and told about the condition. The Oxford dictionary is not a medical dictionary thank you.

Just had a thought. If he wasn't in hospital for his psychopathic condition what was he in hospital for? I have not idea, I never found out.

Answer 1

I think it is an area that is rarely understood and is difficult to categorise. Psychopathy IS a recognised condition, usually characterized by lack of empathy. As such the person with this condition cannot empathise with others and so cannot understand that other people get hurt. The current Mental Health Bill is seeking to give more powers to psychiatrists to detain people with this sort of disorder, even if they haven't committed any crime, and even if they are untreatable. Is this taking away their human rights? There are no easy answers to this. Here are couple of websites that might help:

http://www.rethink.org/
http://www.sane.org.uk/public_html/index.shtml

Answer 2

I do not fully believe that a person with the labeled condition of psychopathology is indeed incapable of having a conscience. I believe that such a person can choose. Or at least HAD the ability to do so. However, do to the surrender of that ability over time, and by the course of choosing pathological behavior, that person looses the capacity of choice.
So, over time, many of the "just once won't hurt me" or "what will it matter" kinds of choices and behaviors to collect and cause unavoidable consequences.

Answer 3

first of all i think you are in training for the wrong job. what an ignorant person to be doing what you are doing. in the dictionary it states a psychopath is 'An offensive term for somebody with a personality disorder marked by an antisocial thought and behaviour.' and actually for those people unfortunate enough to suffer from a mental illness that has been diagnosed has the appropriate treatment available to them. some Psychiatric hospitals have patients who, if they are a danger to themselves or the community then they are kept long term in hospitals. i suggest you read some of Paul Brittons books. god, i am so annoyed. and you are the future of the NHS, god help us!!

ADDITIONAL NOTES TO YOU
it shows how little you know. no 'psychopath would be allowed a walk with a student female nurse.' being allowed the freedom to walk the grounds for say 20 minutes is a huge privilege and one that only comes with trust. no nurse in the psychiatric field would allow this had this person not been trusted. 'psychopaths, as you refer to, are kept in secure units, worse then prisons. i am even more annoyed now because you were obviously informed by someone who has no respect for those suffering mental health also. a minor care assistant. i have personal experience of this. i would dictate my medical dictionary to you also but i think you are embarrassing yourself enough!!!!!!!!! i wonder whilst doing your coursework how many times you refer to a dictionary!!

MORE ADDITIONAL NOTES

maybe he was in hospital for a PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS..i give up with you....we will see if your question is still here tomorrow!!!

Answer 4

apsychopath is some one with two different personalaites a little bit like jekily and hyde and basically what they have an illness it depends i don to know enough about it some illnesses like psycsophrenia are treatable through drugs but a pasycopath isnt because it is a personaliuty disorder and may need to be worked my advice to you is to do some more research and find out more talk to more expereinced dosctors who deal with thsi sort of thing or try and book a visit to broadmoor and see if you can get any information form their

Answer 5

Who says they have no conscience? They may have SEARED their conscience, but believe me they'll find it when they meet God. But by then it'll be too late.