Could a sociopath experience PTSD? (writing question)

[Ceke2002]

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Just looking for some general input on this. I have an author friend who is writing a character who is apparently suffering from co-morbid substance abuse issues and PTSD after doing two tours in Afghanistan. His ex girlfriend considers him a danger to her (in the story I believe he will be) and makes the claim that she thinks he might also be a sociopath.

If a sociopath lacks empathy could they be traumatised enough by their experiences in war to develop PTSD? I mean if they can't really put themselves in another person't place and have that sense of empathetic connection, would it even bother them to see people killed, or to kill themselves?

Just how dangerous could someone be with combined combat PTSD and substance abuse issues? From a psychiatric point of view would the character work better as the 'bad guy' if they were written as a sociopath who had managed to manipulate their way to a diagnosis of PTSD?

 

[michaelrack]

Just looking for some general input on this. I have an author friend who is writing a character who is apparently suffering from co-morbid substance abuse issues and PTSD after doing two tours in Afghanistan. His ex girlfriend considers him a danger to her (in the story I believe he will be) and makes the claim that she thinks he might also be a sociopath.

If a sociopath lacks empathy could they be traumatised enough by their experiences in war to develop PTSD? I mean if they can't really put themselves in another person't place and have that sense of empathetic connection, would it even bother them to see people killed, or to kill themselves?

Just how dangerous could someone be with combined combat PTSD and substance abuse issues? From a psychiatric point of view would the character work better as the 'bad guy' if they were written as a sociopath who had managed to manipulate their way to a diagnosis of PTSD?

Someone with antisocial personality d/o can definitely have PTSD. The reduction in empathy with ASPD is usually not 100%.

 

[wholeheartedly]

From a psychiatric point of view would the character work better as the 'bad guy' if they were written as a sociopath who had managed to manipulate their way to a diagnosis of PTSD?

Not qualified to comment on the first part, but this question totally depends on the storyline. If you want a bad guy readers are somewhat sympathetic to, I think the diagnosis should be real based on his deployment. If you want him to really unnerve readers then have him manipulate the system and fake the diagnosis.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Sociopath with PTSD and substance abuse?

You're giving me PTSD flashbacks to my VA intern year!!!

 

[splik]

I think you misunderstand the concept of the psychopath. It is not that the psychopath is not able to understand another's position (c.f. autism), if anything they tend to be skilled at mentalizing. The issue is they have no emotional reaction to that which leaves them free to exploit people to achieve their own ends. psychopathy and sociopathy and antisocial personality disorder are often used interchangeably in common parlance but there are/were some differences in the term. traditionally the psychopath was born that way, the sociopath was made (i.e. a difference of nature vs nurture). only some antisocials are psychopaths proper.

anyway, a common feature of 'PTSD' is emotional numbing, and callousness, disregard of others, inability to form meaningful relationships with others, to to care about the suffering of others are seen in PTSD.