Psychopaths live among us and some occupy places of power

Psychopaths are associated with the idea of ​​criminals or murderers, but many of them live among us and even occupy positions of power, warns psychiatrist João Carlos Melo, who describes these people as malicious, without guilt or compassion.

In the book “Hidden Places of the Mind. From the darkest to the brightest in human nature” João Carlos Melo writes about these people who hide behind a “mask of sanity” but who “are cold, calculating machines programmed for survival.” and attack.”

In an interview with the Lusa agency, João Carlos Melo explained that psychopaths have a “normal appearance” and some occupy positions of power, which is “the most difficult of all.”

“They disguise themselves as model citizens, irresistible lovers, energetic professionals, and they use speech and gestures appropriate to the situation. But the laws belong to them. They do not obey social rules and do not respect them unless it causes them harm,” says the psychiatrist in the book, which will be presented on Saturday in Lisbon.

These men and women hold power in their families and the groups of which they are a part. “Once they gain power, they reveal themselves as they are, humiliating and destroying others in various ways.”

For a psychiatrist, the “main weapon” in combating this problem is “informing and disclosing” its existence.

“They live among us. We encounter them every day, some we even live with (…). This would not be a problem if these people were harmless,” but they are anything but, so it is necessary to identify them. so that people understand who they are and can protect themselves from “the danger they pose,” he writes.

According to the expert, psychopaths “never ask for help” and when they do, it is because a woman, in the case of men, forced them to undergo psychotherapy under threat of leaving them or because they have symptoms of depression, anxiety or insomnia.

“But why doesn’t he want to lose his wife? Because he needs her to vent this evil, or because he needs her as an object so that he doesn’t feel lonely, but also doesn’t respect her,” he explained.

He said that in such situations it is “very clear”, telling them that “there is no point in doing psychotherapy” because in order to agree to treatment, the person must be aware that they have a problem and that they want to solve it. , what’s wrong.

“So the best treatment for psychopathy is prevention, especially for people who are dealing with these people, leaving the relationship as soon as possible and, in cases where possible, not even getting into the relationship, which is difficult because these are deceitful people. , seductive manipulators who deceive other people,” he emphasized.

Psychopathy and sociopathy are not considered mental illnesses, so there is no reliable data on the percentage of the population suffering from these personality disorders. Therefore, they are also not detected in healthcare.

And they are also not caught by justice, because “the smartest and most persistent (…) study the Criminal Code to understand how far they are inside and outside the law.”

The essence of a psychopath is “lack of feelings, empathy,” which makes him unlike anyone else.

“His emotions are flat and dry, without depth or life,” he describes in the book, which tells the story of neuroscientist and researcher James Fallon, who discovered that he himself was a psychopath during research he was conducting.

João Carlos Melo said he has a “deep desire” to help people who have been or are victims of people with psychopathic and narcissistic characteristics, but admitted that he does not like “those people”.

“If I were a surgeon and such a person needed an operation, I would do it and devote myself completely to it, but I reserved the right to continue to dislike him,” asserted a psychotherapist who conducted “group analysis” for nine years on becoming more prepared to “heal others.”

To the question he raised: “Do psychopaths have good sides, positive and human aspects of their personality,” he replies: “Of course, yes, they are people, but one thing is for sure: there is no cure.”

In João Carlos Melo’s book, he brings together real stories of extreme situations and helps us understand the origins of certain behaviors and attitudes.

“Man is capable of the best and the worst: from the most cruel, sadistic and monstrous acts to the most sublime, generous and grandiose. We are capable of love and hate—all of us, individually and as a species. This is our nature, this is how we are made, whether you like it or not,” writes a psychiatrist, author of several books.