Sociopath at Work: How to Protect Yourself

“My co-worker’s a real psychopath.” That sort of complaint is heard daily in workplaces. Usually it’s said about colleagues and bosses who explode with rage, or are suspiciously silent yet delight in ruining other people’s days.

In reality having psychopathy – or its close relative sociopathy – is a form of mental illness that affects about 1% of the Canadian population. That’s about 350,000 people.

How do you spot one at work and handle them accordingly? Watch for the signs and get ready to adjust your expectations.

What Is Sociopathy and Psychopathy?

Extreme cases of these psychological disorders are commonly portrayed in media. Images abound of calm, charming characters who remorselessly commit terrible crimes, or of berserk maniacs stalking victims.

The truth is far more ordinary. Both sociopathy and psychopathy are considered anti-social personality disorders (ASPDs) They share several key traits, including:

• Disregard for rules and social norms
• Not caring about the rights and feelings of others
• Failure to experience regret or guilt for their actions
• A tendency to display fury (or violent behavior in extreme cases)
• Blaming anyone but themselves for their botches

People with ASPD’s often have trouble maintaining close relationships. They are likely to repeatedly exploit other people for personal gain.

Differences Between The Two

According to Psychology Today, sociopaths tend to be nervous and easily agitated. They may be volatile and prone to emotional outbursts. It is difficult but not impossible for them to form attachments with people. In the eyes of others, sociopaths probably appear to be disturbed.

Psychopaths, on the other hand, are unable to form emotional attachments or feel empathy with others. Yet to the unsuspecting eye they may seem well-adjusted, holding good jobs and having spouses and children. They learn to mimic emotions, are very manipulative, and know how to gain people’s trust, sometimes to the point of being charismatic.

Should You Be Worried?

Psychopathy is the most dangerous of all anti-social personality disorders. People with this condition dissociate emotionally from their behaviours regardless of how terrible those may be.

However most people with sociopathy or psychopathy tend to be “sub-clinical,” says emeritus professor of psychology Bob Hare at the University of British Columbia. This means they show symptoms of their disorder but generally don’t act out in physically harmful ways.

Typical Behaviours At Work

Not every colleague who steals, or boss that takes credit for your achievements, has an ASPD. For that label to apply these sorts of uncaring and abusive actions need to be part of an ongoing pattern. You must watch for signals because you can’t very well ask the person to take a sociopath test.

However is someone sabotaging colleagues every chance they get? Are you (and everyone else) always afraid of approaching a big bad colleague?

There are many types of horrible bosses. But only those who constantly cheat and lie to get ahead, try to control everyone around them, or detonate each time they’re challenged, might be suffering from an anti-social pathology.

Handling Sociopaths and Psychopaths

Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has some advice for working with affected people. There are several approaches worth trying.

Learn not to take their behaviour personally. Remember that people with ASPDs might be incapable of seeing that what they say or do is hurtful. Also be flexible in your expectations. These fellow staffers may not know how to act in the proper way. See if you can adapt to their different reactions and behaviours.

Another strategy is to focus on positive behaviour. While ASPDs can create difficulties this is not the only side of a person. Look for areas of shared interest such as hobbies. If that doesn’t help, learn strategies for working with people you can’t stand.

Finally, discretely report offending actions to the appropriate authority at work. Pathological behaviours can destroy morale and team coherence. You needn’t sit idly by and bear the brunt.