We watch it on television. We read about it in tabloids. We become armchair experts on the subject, sometimes even joking around and accusing each other of being one. But, what is it truly like to live with a psychopath?

What is a Psychopath?

According to the DSM-IV-TR, the diagnosis of “psychopath” does not exist. That seems hard to believe considering the fact that we hear the word so often in our culture.

Dr. Stephen Diamond wrote a great article on how we often hear about violent behaviors and seem to instantly diagnose the perpetrator as a psychopath, without really taking all the necessary factors into consideration (and usually without the qualifications or experience to make the claim in the first place). Continue reading →