Hi, My boyfriend – who took lots of drugs and cannabis – had a psychotic crisis in March this year. He thought he was a psychopath (not a criminal one) and said lots of strange stuff. First I was OK with it then became very anxious of all that happened, i couldn’t sleep and became very tired. I didn’t have much news neither as he went back to his home country. I didn’t know how things were and became more and more anxious. Made myself movies. Read a lot about psychopaths and psychotic people on the internet and with the tiredness, not having much news I began to think I was a psychopath myself, that I am a very bad person and began to have flashes of me doing bad things to people and i got very scared so i didn’t sleep well again for weeks. Being very anxious. Sometime I am good but sometimes suddenly it comes back and I have panic attacks or very anxious time. I am very scared and it is not possible to live like that. I am scared to ask him if he still thinks he is a psychopath. I know it has never been linked with criminal stuff but I turned it into another way. I don’t know by his family if he still thinks he is. I guess he was just saying shit as he was not doing well.
But now even if my friends, family and psychologist say i am not a psychopath, i still have sometimes, when i am tired or when i have my period, much anxiousness back, images, nightmares etc. And sometimes i feel i got myself back and then it comes back. I can t detach myself from this psychopath word and convince myself I am not a psychopath !!! Being so scared .. Please tell me what you think. Of course you don’t know all the details of all that happened but what do you think ?
This could be an anxiety issue. There is a specific type of anxiety, called illness anxiety, in which people believe that they have some terrible ailment. It can persist without evidence and despite reassurances from friends, family and even mental health professionals.
If you don’t meet the criteria for psychopathy and there’s no evidence to suggest that your behavior is indicative of psychopathy, and the psychologist who evaluated you doesn’t believe that you have psychopathy, then it’s unlikely that you have psychopathy. Believing in reality is ultimately the best cure for anxiety.
Psychopathy is relatively rare. Only approximately one in 100 people is a psychopath. Psychopathy doesn’t come and go when you’re tired, anxious or menstruating. It is a chronic condition that begins in childhood. Nothing in your letter would suggest that you are a psychopath. Just because you fear it to be true does not mean that it is true. In fact, fears are often irrational and likely indicative of illogical thinking.
Mental health treatment is the best way to overcome your anxiety about having severe mental health disorders. If you believe in the facts, participate in treatment and avoid behavior that reinforces your fears, you can overcome this problem. Please take care.
Dr. Kristina Randle
