Psychopathy Men
Psychopathy Is...
not a synonym for violence or crime.

Psychopathy does increase the risk for violence and criminal behavior. But in many people psychopathy leads mostly to less serious behaviors, such as manipulation, lying, stealing, and bullying.
Psychopathy cost
Psychopathy Is...
the most expensive mental health condition in existence,

costing the criminal justice system an estimated $460 billion annually. Every $1 invested in treating psychopathy saves over $7.
Gun
Psychopathy Is...
a major risk factor for gun violence.

Children with psychopathic traits are over four times more likely than other children to use a gun during a crime. Investing in better treatment options for psychopathy will reduce gun violence.
Bullying
Psychopathy Is...
a major risk factor for bullying.

Bullies are over twice as likely to have psychopathic traits as children who don’t bully. Children with psychopathic traits are more likely to become bullies even if they were never bullied themselves. Investing in better treatment options for psychopathy will reduce bullying.
Common Disorder
Psychopathy Is...
a common mental disorder.

It is more common than schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or anorexia. But, unlike these disorders, psychopathy receives almost no federal research funding. Such funding is needed to identify mechanisms, preventions and treatments.
Psychopathy Treatment
Psychopathy Is...
something a person has, not something a person is.

Psychopathy is a mental disorder, like depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It is not a disorder a person chooses to have. And symptoms can improve with treatment.
Graphic of human brain
Psychopathy Is...
very difficult to detect.

Unlike many other serious mental disorders, psychopathy can be invisible to observers. People with psychopathy often present a “mask” of normalcy despite their serious emotional and behavioral disturbances. There are no cues that reliably signal that someone has psychopathy.
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About Us

Raising awareness, voices and funding

Psychopathy Is co-founder Abigail Marsh on why some people are more altruistic and others are psychopathic.

PSYCHOPATHY IS... About hope. About letting people know the disorder is treatable. And that you don’t have to live in fear of violence, when you can estimate the risk of it.

PSYCHOPATHY IS... About truth. Separating fact from fiction. Freeing people from stigma. And helping them find a place where they feel free to share their story.

PSYCHOPATHY IS... About community. Creating local networks that have the same questions and fears. Have resources to share. And always have your back.

PSYCHOPATHY IS... About to change the conversation surrounding psychology's most misunderstood disorder.

More About Us

What it's like to live with Psychopathy

What is your background, and how did you come to realize that you had psychopathy?

VIEW INTERVIEW

What are some things you've done as a result of your psychopathy?

VIEW INTERVIEW

What is it like to go through life with psychopathy?

VIEW INTERVIEW
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Learn More About Psychopathy

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THE SIGNS
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FACTS & FIGURES
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TAKE A SCREENING
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
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TREATMENTS
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BOOKSHELF

Personal Stories

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A Psychopath’s Story

Remorse is alien to me. I have a penchant for deceit. I am generally free of entangling and irrational emotions. I am strategic and canny, intelligent...
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A Sociopath’s Story*

As a wife and a mother, I have learned how to tell the truth. Which is why I always know when my husband is lying. My husband was trying to tell me...
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Portrait of Lillyth Quillan

A Parent’s Story

How do you sum up a lifetime of abuse in 700 words? I don’t think you really can. The abuse didn’t just come from the child I carried for nine months when...
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Abigail Marsh at Ted Talk

A Researcher’s Story

If you ever have felt compassion for anyone in your life, feel compassion for the parents of children with psychopathy. I have spent many hours...
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