Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Insane
In*sane"\, a. [L. insanus. See In- not, and Sane.]
1. Exhibiting unsoundness or disorded of mind; not sane; mad; deranged in mind; delirious; distracted. See Insanity, 2.
2. Used by, or appropriated to, insane persons; as, an insane hospital.
3. Causing insanity or madness. [R.]
Or have we eaten on the insaneroot That takes the reason prisoner ? --Shak.
4. Characterized by insanity or the utmost folly; chimerical; unpractical; as, an insane plan, attempt, etc.
I know not which was the insane measure. --Southey. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This psy·cho·path Audio Help (sī'kə-pāth') Pronunciation Key
n. A person with an antisocial personality disorder, manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior without empathy or remorse.
To me insane means you have lost all connectivity to reality. You can no longer differentiate what is real and what is in your head. Being a psychopath to me means that he deviates from the norm on all levels. He still knew what was real and what was not because of the fact that he took deliberate steps to hide his cellar children even from his OWN wife and kids. A psychopath is one that harms others without guilt or remorse for their actions.
Fritzl by those definitions is not insane - but psychopathic. JMHO.
That is just it. Psychopathology is a form of insanity, or mental disorder. Again, antisocial personality disorder is a diagnosis under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual as used by the psychiatric and clinical psychological and clinical counseling professions to diagnose mental disorders (or insanity, of you prefer).
You definition first says, "unsoundness of mind". Antisocial personality disorder is an unsoundness of mind. Thoughts and behavior are both deviant. I don't think anyone would believe that one could come up with the deviant acts that Josef Fritzl devised and still be considered to be of sound mind.
Here is what the DSM IV (TR) has to say about anti-social personality disorder:
Individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder frequently lack empathy and tend to be callous, cynical, and contemptuous of the feelings, rights, and sufferings of others. They may have an infalted and arrogant self appraisal )e.g. feel that ordinary work is beneath them or lack a realistic concern about their current problems or their future)and may be sxcessively opinionated, self-assured, or cocky. They may display a glib, superficial charm and can be quite voluable and verbally facile (e.g. using technical terms or jargon that might impress someone who is unfamiliar with the topic). Lack of empathy, inflated self appraisal, and superficial charm are features that have been commonly included in traditional conceptions of psychopathy that may be particularly distinguishing of the disorder and more predictive of recidivism in prison or forensic settings where criminal, delinquent, or aggressive acts are likely to be non-specific, These individuals may also be irresponsible and exploitative in their sexual relationships. They may have a history of many sexual partners any may never have sustained a monogamous relationship. They may be irresponsible as parents, an evidenced by malnutrition of a child, an illness in the child resulting from lack of minimal hygiene, a childs dependence upon neighbors or nonresidentail relatives for food or shelter, a failure to arrange a caretaker for a young child when the individual is away from home,m or repeated squandering of money required for household necessities, The individuals may receive dishonorable discharges from the armed services, may fail to be self supporting, may become impoverished or even homeless, or may spend many years in penal institutions.
Here are the diagnostic criteria:
A. There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by 3 (or more) of the following:
(1) failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
(2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
(3) impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
(4) irritability and agressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assualts
(5) reckless disregard for the safety of self or others
(6) consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
(7) lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another
B. The individual is at least 18 years.
C. There is evidnece of Conduct Disorder with onset before age 15 years.
D. The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of Schizophrenia or a Manic Episode.
There are degrees of insanity. One does not have to have a full psychotic break to be considered metally ill.
