I’m a forensic psychiatrist and I’m always asked how easy it is to spot a psychopath – here are some ways you can tell

• Forensic psychiatrist Dr Sohom Das, London, worked with many psychopaths 
• READ MORE: Could YOU be conned? Psychiatrist reveals what factors influence the answer – including your personality traits and vulnerabilities

Is it easy to spot whether or not someone is a psychopath? 

London-based forensic psychiatrist Dr Sohom Das, 44, has a channel called A Psych for Sore Minds, where he covers a range of mental health and crime-related topics.

His YouTube biography describes him as a professional Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and expert witness discussing his own real life (anonymised) cases. 

And when it comes to the question of identifying psychopaths, his biography suggests he is one of the best qualified people to ask, saying: ‘Dr Das (MBChB, BSc, MSc, MRCPsych) has ‘personally assessed hundreds of patients in prisons, secure locked psychiatric wards and courts across the UK.’

It can be difficult to identify psychopaths at first, according to an expert, because they can initially seem extremely charming (stock image) 

In a YouTube video titled Spotting a Psychopath: Is it EASY or DIFFICULT, Dr Das shares his thoughts on the topic.

In the clip, Dr Das – who has worked with many formal clinical psychopaths – reveals that there is a question he is regularly asked during interviews and podcasts is.

That question is: ‘How can you spot a psychopath? How can you tell if somebody that you’ve met recently is a psychopath?’ 

The American Psychological Association (APA) says psychopath is a former name for an individual with antisocial personality disorder. 

Describing some of the ways the disorder can manifest in people’s behaviour, the APA lists repeated violations of the law; exploitation of others; deceitfulness; impulsivity; aggressiveness; reckless disregard for the safety of self and others; and irresponsibility – accompanied by lack of guilt, remorse, and empathy. 

What is a ‘psychopath’? 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA),  psychopath is a former name for an individual with antisocial personality disorder.

Describing the presentation of the disorder, it says it is the presence of a chronic and pervasive disposition to disregard and violate the rights of others. 

Manifestations include repeated violations of the law, exploitation of others, deceitfulness, impulsivity, aggressiveness, reckless disregard for the safety of self and others, and irresponsibility, accompanied by lack of guilt, remorse, and empathy. 

The disorder has been known by various names, including dyssocial personality, psychopathic personality, and sociopathic personality disorder. 

It is among the most heavily researched of the personality disorders and the most difficult to treat. 

Speaking during his video, Dr Das says: ‘My answer is this: it’s actually really, really hard to spot them, almost by definition.’

Explaining why this is the case, the forensic psychiatrist says that psychopaths are ‘really good at sort of being chameleon and blending in’.

On top of that, he adds that they are ‘charming…they’re friendly…they’re entertaining’. 

‘So, I don’t think you can really spot a psychopath, at least the first few times you meet them,’ Dr Das says.

However, this does necessary continue to be the case, as the expert explains.

He continues: ‘Over time, you begin to realise that they’re kind of quite manipulative. 

‘So they’re using you for something. 

‘They’re not being your friend because they like your chat, and they like your jokes.

‘They’re being your friend because they want to somehow get something from you. 

‘They’re trying to manipulate you.’

And it is not just you who may be the target of this manipulation, he explains in the video.

Dr Das continues: ‘You might also notice that they do this to other people around them.’

This may manifest as them having lots of friends and contacts because they’re friendly, and they’re charming.

However, these connections don’t necessarily last, because, as Dr Das says, ‘they use people and then move on’. 

He goes on: ‘They don’t have any kind of long term friends who they emotionally connect with. 

‘They just have people that they use to get something from and then move on.’

Dr Sohom Das can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as YouTube.  

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