#aspd subtypes

[60inchyugiohheadcanons]

On Jōnouchi's ADHD (1.39k words)

This headcanon is probably the longest on this blog; it's some compiled thoughts on how growing up with (undiagnosed) ADHD has affected Jōnouchi. It's halfway between headcanon and fanfiction piece, and was requested by @bloodyscott, whom I kept waiting for too long for a response. I apologise sincerely for the delay.

This headcanon begins below the cut, as it's obscenely long. You may find it more comfortable to read this from the blog page, or on Archive of Our Own (NOTE: tumblr is acting strange. To access the page, copy the link and manually remove the href.li portion and the second https), rather than on your dashboard/search, in terms of formatting and such.

From infancy, Jōnouchi wailed his way out of his crib, out of his room, out of his house—as a baby, he thrashed towards whatever freedom he could find. He loathed the four walls of the crib; he'd scarce room to move. A skin infection brought him, aged 4, to hospital, and the very sight of overrun grey plastic seats and skinny cubicles exhausted him more than his illness had ever threatened to.

In primary school, others’ desks would blend together in a whir. Here he was, stuck, dizzyingly sedentary—the longer he sat, the foggier the world seemed to grow. When he kicked and whined at other children throughout electric lunch breaks, and they shrank from his vitality, he learned to eat alone. As his peers trudged from class in packs, watching the pavement, he sat, sullen, as his father drove him home. Somehow, Katsuhiro had never trusted him not to lose himself in chasing his surrounds. The fabric of the car seat would bite into his shorts, and he’d squirm for the window, squealing towards the noise outside: Birds that cawed; scraps of paper that fluttered and choked on smog. That was a fragile era, when his mother still waited, with dry hands and chipped nails, at home. When his father already stank of beer, but still spoke loudly, deeply, boisterously. Again and again, Jōnouchi’s mother would sit her son down, and write his name, stroke by agonising stroke. She’d recite each mora in time with each character. Yet sound would cluster through his head, and his own name would dissolve amid his mother’s instructions, amid the blaze of sunlight trapped on the windowsill behind her. He would write, and the strokes would come out rushed, mis-ordered, lopsided. 

Iro wa nioedo 

chirinuru wo.

At 10, his father grew quiet, and his mother yet quieter. Silence took up like a plague in Jōnouchi’s head, and swarmed in shapeless formation throughout parched mathematics lessons. Times tables hurled themselves headlong into a skull full of fog, and burst on contact. Are you listening? a teacher asked. How could he listen with a head full of noise, of unspoken words billowing back and forth? He gripped his seat, and glared back. Why should I care, anyway?

When his mother left, his father stopped caring to chaperone him. It had taken Jōnouchi a decade to earn the right to shed his infancy. He resented that it had been this long, so tried to join the huddle of middle schoolers. He told odd stories, and took off, queasy, in front of them. They withdrew their smiles when he approached on the second day. He growled his plaint, and resentment drove him to take the opposite route. He explored back alleys, wallflower convenience stores and dilapidated cinemas; the faster he walked, the more clearly he could see each brick, and the brighter each fleck in the pavement glinted. At speed, he delayed the journey home, and set his eyes on a gorgeous early winter sunset. The colours bellowed, too bold for winter, ungainly and vain. They were glorious.

Jōnouchi came home late. His father glared; fog crashed back down on his shoulders. 

Wa ga yo tare zo 

tsune naran?

A week before she cleared out too few of Katsuhiro’s belongings and packed too few suitcases, Jōnouchi’s mother drove both children two miles to the optometrist. My son, she explained, reads slowly, yet resents reading; it seems he can’t see very well. My daughter’s sight seems clearer, yet she complains of pain. The optometrist forced Jōnouchi to read down a chart of letters; he fidgeted, and, consumed in memories of a lonely lunch break the day prior, passed with flying colours. When the optometrist flashed a light to photograph his eyes, whatever hideous miracle that was, Jōnouchi screamed.

Katsuya Jōnouchi, the optometrist surmised, had perfect acuity of sight. He sought attention, stimulation. Meanwhile, Shizuka Jōnouchi, who had sat entirely still throughout her examination, had more ragged, derelict peripheral vision than her family had anticipated. Untreated, both your children will get much worse.

And in the months after Shizuka Jōnouchi became Shizuka Kawai and Mrs. Jōnouchi became That Bitch Who Never Cared, Katsuya Jōnouchi became horribly aware of how little time he had to be lethargic. He had to survive this schism; yet as he was, he barely felt capable of thinking. He walked, fidgeted, paced to prove to himself that he was a moving, breathing organism. Yet his father’s frustration would brook no exuberance. Long before Katsuhiro fully committed to flinging glass and spurning his son’s misery, Jōnouchi began learning to move silently, slowly, around his father. He memorised which mats snapped and snagged, which bits of fabric hissed when stepped on. He noted which windows opened most quietly. And yet he never managed a perfect, quiet exit. He couldn’t help but be conspicuous; he could only hope to get out too quickly for his father to react. And, to lift the torpor that followed escape, he would run to school, and, after, run back. Never did the sun shine brighter than when he was moving.

Uwi no okuyama

kyou koete.

When he met Hirutani, did he become more violent? No; every punch he threw during his delinquency had waited, kinetic and desperate, for days, months, years. In classrooms, his sole responses to being ordered around had been sullen deference, with sullenness being his sole demonstration of rebellion. Now, threatened with the obsolescence of his ego, of his perceived freedom, he chained himself to violence, over and over. The first time he punched a man in the gut, he found himself shaking. And rather than sink into sallow, domestic remorse, he slathered himself in white rage. And he went back and he went back and he went back, helpless to his own instincts, trying to dredge the noise in his skull out through his fists. No matter how many punches he threw, and no matter how many he received, he could not stop his head from blazing anew the moment he walked away.

Did Duel Monsters afford him any peace? He would be no man’s losing dog; nor would he be confined to dull celebrity. To play as a strategist consigned him to sitting still, committing himself to gambits he could never entirely trust, to moves that demanded a clear head. To play too whimsically would doom him to inferiority. Thus, he gave half his heart to diligence, and half to sheer fortune. Nobody could idolise his kind of folly, nor devalue his kind of skill. This was Jōnouchi’s will—to eschew having to wait in the mire of expectation; to escape the fog of obligation to anyone’s morals but his own. Honour suited him, so long as it was on his meticulous terms. In games of Duel Monsters, he became a knight-errant of sorts: predictably unpredictable, unexpectedly canny, blindly faithful. With this relationship to his own fate laid out so, he could finally draw cards without fearing those next to come. And thus, hyperkinetic, he found a peace in the game. So he played and played until he forgot how long he’d been playing, and Duel Monsters became as second nature.

Asaki yume miji

ei mo suzu.

Two weeks before Jōnouchi’s graduation, Shizuka invited him to her place to dine. Their father was not to join them. Jōnouchi protested, and his desperation died in a pinprick throat. Wisteria spilled itself over the footpath. Each step threatened to plunge, vertiginous, to the ground. 

When Jōnouchi saw his mother, his throat turned to sandpaper. She looked so old.

You cried so much as a baby, she told him. Kicked and screamed to see the world. You weren’t comfortable waiting in your crib—I’d end up coming to you at 4AM, walking you around the perimeter of the house till my heels burned. And you seemed so afraid of all the noises of the night—groaning engines, singing birds. Now, look at you—you’ve grown up so terribly fast.

Could he afford to tell her how even now, he bit down the urge to kick and scream, to launch himself, all fists and sparks, onto his tormentors? No; so, all night, he gripped his glass as tight as he could. The cold lingered and itched on his palms for days. Holding onto things, it seemed, was not so difficult as he’d once believed.

[neurocute]

ASPD Resource Dump

feel free to reblog! here are some resources related to ASPD that i've collected since i've being diagnosed (roughly 5 years).

Sympathetic Articles

An Autistic Sociopath's Story, Cassy, through Special Books by Special Kids (video. an autistic pwASPD talks about her life and experiences with both.)

An Interview with a Sociopath, Dyshae, through Special Books by Special Kids (video. a pwASPD and bipolar disorder talks about his life and experiences with both.)

Life With Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), Andrew, through mind.org.uk (a pwASPD's account of their life and experiences with it.)

The Hidden Suffering of the Psychopath, William H. J. Martens, MD, PhD (a sympathetic view of pwASPD, and some information on the neurobiology of ASPD.)

Factors for Development

Antisocial personality disorder in abused and neglected children grown up., B. K. Luntz, C. S. Widom (from 1994. provides evidence supporting the fact that child abuse/neglect is a predictor of antisocial behavior.)

Antisocial Personality Disorder with Childhood- vs Adolescence-Onset Conduct Disorder, Risë B. Goldstein et al. (from 2006. discusses how symptoms vary in pwASPD whose conduct disorder began in childhood vs in adolescence.)

Predictors of antisocial personality: Continuities from childhood to adult life, Emily Simonoff et al. (from 2018. draws connections between childhood behaviors, diagnoses, etc., and antisocial behavior in adulthood.)

Risk Factors in Childhood That Lead to the Development of Conduct Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder, Stacey E. Holmes, James R. Slaughter, Javad Kashani (from 2001. covers multiple categories that may lead to development of CD and/or ASPD, including environment, genetics, and individual differences.)

Miscellaneous Articles

Antisocial Personality Disorder: Neurophysiological Mechanisms and Distinct Subtypes, Sean J. McKinley (from 2018. proposes three diagnostic subtypes for ASPD: primarily detached, primarily disinhibited, and combined.)

Executive function, attention, and memory deficits in antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy, Michael Baliousis et al. (from 2019. discusses some neurobiology of ASPD, and how it effects executive function, attention, and memory.)

Self-mutilation in antisocial personality disorder, M. Virkkunen (from 1976. reports on self-injury behaviors in pwASPD, and details their motivations.)

[goblingrotto]

Mental Health words you need to stop using wrong or at all

• Narcissist- describes someone with NPD or Narcissistic traits. Your asshole ex was probably not a narcissist and diagnosing others when you don’t treat them in a clinical setting, is not something you should be doing.

• Narcissistic abuse- this doesn’t exist. Your abuse was valid and we support you speaking up against your abuser but you don’t need to demonize an entire disorder to do that. We are trauma survivors too.

• Antisocial- describes someone with ASPD or antisocial traits. You being introverted or a homebody is not the same as having a lack of prosocial emotions and disregard for social customs.

• OCD- I see this one everywhere. You are not “so OCD” for wanting things to be organized. OCD is a disorder that consists of obsessions and compulsions. It also has intrusive thoughts (talked about next). You can have OCD and be unorganized or messy. Organizing can also be a compulsion but it’s not simply that. Compulsions are something you feel like you HAVE to do or something bad will happen. It is not mild discomfort. It is deeply upsetting and dictates your every thought without proper treatment.

•intrusive thoughts- everyone seems to be mixing up intrusive and impulsive thoughts. Impulsive thoughts are something that you suddenly get the urge to do, typically without regard for the consequences. This is something that you WANT to do. This can be something like dying your hair in the middle of the night, getting a tattoo you might regret later, etc. Intrusive thoughts are not at all that. Intrusive thoughts are things that go completely against your moral code. They are a part of OCD. They are horrifying thoughts to have. Intrusive thoughts can be things like thoughts of hurting those closest to you, thoughts of hurting children, or graphic images that won’t go away. Giving in to impulsive thoughts is usually irresponsible. Giving in to intrusive thoughts could be catastrophic. No one is giving in to intrusive thoughts. The whole point is that they are things you would NEVER DO.

• ADD- this is mostly targeted at my mother. Attention Deficit Disorder no longer exists. ADD is now under the umbrella disorder of ADHD. There are three subtypes of ADHD: inattentive, classic, and combined. Predominantly Inattentive ADHD is when a person presents with the inability to focus, stay on track, and remember things like a neurotypical but doesn’t really present with hyperactivity. Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive is basically the other end of the spectrum. Someone may present with hyperactivity and impulsivity but not so much inattentiveness. Predominantly combined is when a person presents with all of those symptoms.

Feel free to add things I missed in reblogs!

[bleue-flora]

Okay I know I said I wasn’t going to talk about discduo anymore, and I meant it. I did. But then I saw the clip of cc!Tommy [post] talking about them and a few people saying how clingy duo didn’t know that they hurt c!Dream, and how c!Dream was just this unreasonable psychopath who drove c!Tommy to want to kill himself… and well I just feel like I can’t stand by while Dream gets slandered after I was being nice to c!Tommy.

So... that brings us here, where to the best of my memory and ability, I’d like to look at c!Tommy as being part of the Antisocial Personality Disorder spectrum. Because here’s the thing, I’ve seen people refer to him as some golden boy, who’s caring and has a good heart, but I’m gonna just be honest, I just don’t see it. From what I can tell, we accuse c!Dream of having no empathy, but I don’t think I’ve really seen c!Tommy show any.

Now granted, I’m definitely no psychologist or whatever, and in the real world diagnosing these disorders is a very intense and extensive process. Especially because there is no true way to know whether an individual has empathy or not since we can’t exactly read their minds or feelings. So we really only have their behavior to study. Having said all that though, here’s why I actually think c!Tommy is perhaps the “psychopath” or since that term is no longer medically used, has Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) in which psychopathy is sometimes considered a subtype of.

And yes, while I am more than aware that I clearly have dsmp favorites and therefore am biased, I have to say when I was rewatching lore I didn’t expect to come to this conclusion, but something about this scene specifically in the finale bothered me.

[clip] Dream: “Why are you–why are you trying to—ruin everything all the time?” Tommy: “Cuz that was just me having fun with my friends, Dream, but I didn’t–I didn’t…” Dream: “Ah-you just stealing my shit and a—griefing my friends’ houses and breaking shit?” Tommy: “I just didn’t realize how much that hurt you.”

Because c!Tommy essentially just straight up admits to enjoying harming others. In fact, is so clueless he doesn’t grasp that killing and breaking and stealing and griefing hurts people. And like how can you possibly tell me that someone at the age of 18 years old can be so oblivious to other people’s suffering. Because he sure didn’t like it when people griefed or trapped his house, stole from him, and killed him, but somehow didn’t know that other people also didn’t like that. I mean, there’s just no way someone can be that clueless, I don’t care how old they are, even children know better than to just push their friend down the stairs because it’s funny. 

Like I don't think this is just the behavior of some flawed teenager, but of someone with a lack of empathy or ASPD, which the National Library of Medicine says this about, “Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive and enduring pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others, typically emerging in childhood or early adolescence and persisting throughout an individual's life. This disorder significantly impacts interpersonal and occupational functioning, often leading to profound impairments in overall quality of life. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder frequently engage in criminal behavior and struggle to learn from the negative consequences of their actions” [source], And I don’t know about you, but doesn’t that sound like c!Tommy? Even further the Millon Theory has this to say about Antisocial (ADAntis) individuals, “Prone to lessened emotional resonance and a marked lack of empathy, those individuals evidencing ADAntis patterns actively seek out what they feel is their entitlement. ADAntis individuals often feel slighted by their circumstances and believe they must take in order to receive. They are impulsive by nature and uncaring about any damage they may inflict on others or themselves” [source].

In other words, someone who does and takes without thinking of others as if they are entitled to it. A great example of this is c!Tommy just up and killing c!Purpled for no reason and stealing c!Tubbo’s resources before they battle c!Dream again for the discs, where c!Tubbo notes that c!Tommy has a ‘shit moral compass’ [clip]. There is also the stream I love to bring up of c!Tommy stealing from c!Tubbo, killing his bee and then burning his house, and not giving anything but a half assed apology of 'I didn’t mean to burn your house down that much’ and ‘I didn’t mean to kill your bee I was just giving him a high five’ [post] and that’s how he treats his best friend, one he drags into war after war. c!Tommy more than once highlights how pain is real in the dsmp whether a non-canonical death or a punch and yet shows no regard for holding back hurting others, whether that's burning c!Techno [clip] or throwing a harming potion at him when he’s found in the basement [clip], lighting c!Dream on fire with a bucket of lava on the first day of Exile [clip & clip], killing c!Alyssa just cuz she’s there and a woman [clip], stabbing c!Dream as he fills in a creeper hole in c!Tommy's yard no less [clip], how bout just dragging c!Tubbo into wars to risk his life and experience pain over some replaceable discs… etc just as some examples off the top of my head or have seen recently. 

I mean he doesn’t seem to care about others. When c!Tubbo needs help, where’s c!Tommy, like when he goes after c!Sam after he killed his husband and kidnapped his son he teams up with all the people who have killed him. Where the freak is c!Tommy - the one he fought so many wars with. Heck in the finale, c!Tubbo charges into what might be certain death, even after disagreeing with c!Tommy and reasoning that maybe they shouldn’t kill c!Dream [clip]. Oh and then of course, I've talked about his behavior towards c!Punz in the beginning too, of him helping clingy duo and then c!Tommy plotting to stab him the next minute [post]. 

And he struggles so hard to separate the value of items over the living [clip], seen no clearer than his struggle multiple times with putting the discs over c!Tubbo. And as I talked about when looking at c!Quackity at some point, people without empathy can love but it’s more like loving chocolate where they can enjoy it but there is no consideration for a candy bar’s well-being or feelings - people are more so just there to be used than cared about, and isn’t that what he does with c!Tubbo? With c!Techno? With c!Dream? Using them as a weapon and for their resources and then tossing them aside. Certainly not having their back when they need it, something c!Techno highlights pretty well in his speech about being a person [clip].

Perhaps our biggest clue should be how revolved his character arc is about understanding the value of items and how people are more important, as he finally in the finale gives up his discs for Tubbo’s life…

I don’t know maybe I’m wrong, but all I’m saying is I have yet to see a scene that really shows c!Tommy as caring or empathic, instead I see more so the telltale signs and behavior of someone with Antisocial Personality Disorder… who’s the psychopath now? *mic drop*

[techramonic]

why is Eric Harris not a psychopath?

Hey, thanks for the great question!

Firstly, psychopathy is not an official diagnosis. According to the DSM-5, it is not an official mental health condition, though sometimes it can be used informally as a term to describe ASPD (Antisocial Personality disorder).

I don’t wanna armchair psychology this dude since firstly, that’s not my job and I am not a professional and second, he’s dead. No one can officially diagnose someone who is deceased. However, I do personally think Eric suffered from ASPD. Though ASPD has different subtypes and it's difficult to figure out which one affects him. 

What I can say with the diagnosis that the FBI made for Eric is that although they have officially concluded Eric as a “psychopath”, the diagnosis they have made is rather a stretch. Sure, it’s convenient for the criminal justice system to have “psychopath” function as a label to classify him. Yet the thing with diagnosing a patient who is already deceased is that there is no psychiatric diagnosis where professionals could have further examined him and actually talked with him in person to discern which illnesses he suffered from. An official diagnosis requires a complete medical history, physical evaluation, and psychological evaluation via specifically developed consultation and assessment instruments, none of which he had undergone. 

Furthermore, the diagnosis given to him was rather biased in the process. Completely relying on his journal, which Dr Dwayne Fuselier, the FBI agent and clinical psychologist who studied his journal for years and as well as other professionals who investigated the case, is quite unreliable. The things that you write in a journal are personal notes you jot down based on what you're feeling in the heat of the moment. Eric was not continuous with his journal entries and there were lapses where he skipped writing and then came back.

It's also to note that Eric knew the people would find his journal and most of his writings were quite extreme, almost as if he was making a caricature of himself, which he called REB. Practically created a persona that emphasizes a violent facade he wanted the people to know him as. Analyzing a mere piece of information that Eric purposefully wrote because he wanted the people to see him as that is completely different from treating him as a patient, because if they had then they would've known the underlying problems that affected him and the parts of him that he tries to hide.

A user named Alex Lee on Quora actually evaluated Eric’s case regarding his psychology and he has a very good analysis of him, which you should check out if you want more information.

[mischiefmanifold]

"As long as I know the shape of my soul, I'll be all right."

Mischief ▪︎ 19 ▪︎ he/it

autistic & personality disordered

white & learning about my ancestry (mostly focusing on Greek right now)

hellenic polytheist and Athene devotee (see @skandaliaris)

writing since I was in the single digits (see @mischiefwrites)

I have a NSFW blog that I post and reblog to, if you want it you can DM me

I curate my own blog, and you can too!

NOTE: as a general rule of thumb, I do not reblog or post requests for donations or financial aid. I will, however, reblog masterposts of vetted fundraisers for causes like Palestine. If you message me a link or send an ask requesting donations, I will most likely end up deleting it and blocking you.

Non-traumagenic systems, TERFS/radfems, transandrophobes, pro-contact paraphiles, "narcissistic abuse" believers, and bigots are not welcome here.

LINKS:

NPD Subtypes Masterpost

Diagnostic Criteria & Examples Masterpost

NPD Resources

ASPD Resources

Coping & Distraction

Origins of the Term "Narcissistic Abuse"

Tagging System

Adulting Masterpost

Palestinian Aid Donation Masterpost

[aspd-culture]

what's a system?

A system is a trauma response associated with one of the heavier dissociative disorders: Dissociative Identity Disorder, some subtypes of Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder (1a and 1b I believe are the ones associated with systems but don't quote me on that, though I know they both are systems related I don't remember if they're the only OSDDs that are), and Unspecified Dissociative disorder (which can be a system or not).

The word system refers to a number of "alters" (2 or more, with no upper limit) that are entirely different people essentially that use the same body and brain. Because of how personality and identity are developed, the general idea of how this happens is that young children are theorized to have "ego states" wherein their emotions are actually entirely separated from each other and have no affect on each other, which is why many people say their child is "a different person when they're tired" and why young children can go from extremely distressed to completely fine in a matter of less than a second. It also explains why a child can feel completely happy and great but if you remind them they were sad a few moments ago, entirely fall back into that distress as though it never stopped, because these ego states seem to have some amount of amnesia between them.

Eventually (around 6-10ish), in typical development, these ego states integrate and become one with connected memories between them - life experience and neurological development make this into a defined "personality" and you have what is known in system communities as a singlet; a person with typical development in this regard. In disorders causing a system, some type of trauma makes this impossible. The child is unable to survive with all the emotions and turmoil being aware of everything that's happened to them is causing, and the brain essentially keeps those ego states unfused as a way to have many alters experiencing some trauma so it is spread out, or one alter that experiences the trauma but does not have to go about normal life tasks or interact with people they have to hide the trauma from.

As time goes on, just like it would have with the ego states fused, a personality forms based on the life experience and neurological development, but this time each alter has a different set of life experiences and becomes their own person entirely. From there, the brain uses this method of compartmentalization as a primary coping mechanism (as it is extremely effective), and will create alters in the future as needed even if there isn't necessarily any traumatic experiences causing the need for the new one. Once the brain gets desperate enough to throw away its typical development cycle, much like in ASPD, it no longer is afraid to continue doing so as a means of coping and preservation even in typical daily life.

Plain text below the cut:

A system is a trauma response associated with one of the heavier dissociative disorders: Dissociative Identity Disorder, some subtypes of Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder (1a and 1b I believe are the ones associated with systems but don't quote me on that, though I know they both are systems related I don't remember if they're the only OSDDs that are), and Unspecified Dissociative disorder (which can be a system or not).

The word system refers to a number of "alters" (2 or more, with no upper limit) that are entirely different people essentially that use the same body and brain. Because of how personality and identity are developed, the general idea of how this happens is that young children are theorized to have "ego states" wherein their emotions are actually entirely separated from each other and have no affect on each other, which is why many people say their child is "a different person when they're tired" and why young children can go from extremely distressed to completely fine in a matter of less than a second. It also explains why a child can feel completely happy and great but if you remind them they were sad a few moments ago, entirely fall back into that distress as though it never stopped, because these ego states seem to have some amount of amnesia between them.

Eventually (around 6-10ish), in typical development, these ego states integrate and become one with connected memories between them - life experience and neurological development make this into a defined "personality" and you have what is known in system communities as a singlet; a person with typical development in this regard. In disorders causing a system, some type of trauma makes this impossible. The child is unable to survive with all the emotions and turmoil being aware of everything that's happened to them is causing, and the brain essentially keeps those ego states unfused as a way to have many alters experiencing some trauma so it is spread out, or one alter that experiences the trauma but does not have to go about normal life tasks or interact with people they have to hide the trauma from.

As time goes on, just like it would have with the ego states fused, a personality forms based on the life experience and neurological development, but this time each alter has a different set of life experiences and becomes their own person entirely. From there, the brain uses this method of compartmentalization as a primary coping mechanism (as it is extremely effective), and will create alters in the future as needed even if there isn't necessarily any traumatic experiences causing the need for the new one. Once the brain gets desperate enough to throw away its typical development cycle, much like in ASPD, it no longer is afraid to continue doing so as a means of coping and preservation even in typical daily life.

[alexandraisyes]

Saw the uh. Reblog if it's okay to [insert ask] so. Solar Flare headcanons, if you have any?

HEHEHEHEHEHEH Oh you sweet summer child, I have so many.

General headcanons

He's a clinical psychopath (extremely high-functioning ASPD)

Aromantic - KCsexual (this is only half a joke)

I know he's like 9 ft in canon but I tend to have him at 7'2"

Great fucking cook and baker

The expressionless face we see in canon is just a mask that connects to the sides of his actual face with magnets

Regardless of this fact he still doesn't emote very well/noticeably

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Pure-O Subtype)

He wasn't built to be anything more than a glorified guard dog on the spot, so a lot of his mechanisms are outdated/cobbled together and he's constantly doing self-repairs

Loves telenovellas

Basically a supercomputer with sentience

Rarely gets anything wrong

Always knows more than he lets on

Quiet, doesn't talk unless he deems it necessary

Extremely pragmatic

Awful at relaxing

Hates waiting

And of course, I have some specific AUs where situations are different and such (like cage) but these were, again, just general headcanons I have for him.

[blubushie]

you have aspd? youve never mentioned it before

I've never mentioned it purely because the internet isn't entitled to every last bit of my medical or psychiatric information, but yes. I was diagnosed with ASPD, suspected nomadic subtype (though I also express some paranoia-related malevolent traits) when I was 18.

My determining symptoms were (better be thankful for this cuz I had to get my fucken paperwork out):

"Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviours" I got in fights a lot in high school, I wagged school, I frequently ran away from home even after being threatened with gaol time if I continued, and I was suspended a lot for being late--being late to things specifically is a middle ground because "being late" is also an ADHD thing but at least now I have a complex about Never Being Late To Anything.

"Deceitfulness, as indicated by use of aliases" 9/10 times if someone asks me my name I'm giving them a fake name in case I was in trouble for something. I still do this. Covers my back. Once I stop being strangers with someone they get Blu or my legal.

"Impulsivity or inability to plan ahead" I'm great at making plans even though it's hard to stick to them. I'm very impulsive though.

"Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults" It's specifically repeated physical fights (and verbal arguments with my parents). I don't typically start fights but I do end them. That said my relationship with my parents is much better now that I don't live with my mum.

"Reckless disregard for safety of self" It's specifically disregard for my own safety. Though it was noted that I was "highly sympathetic" to the safety of others. (I will drive recklessly on a dirt track by myself but I am a highly vigilant driver on common roads.)

"Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt or mistreated another." This one's one that my therapist wasn't sure on because my mood fluctuates so much. There's times I won't feel remorse in the moment but will feel remorse after, there's days I feel remorse for nothing and wake up with a mentality of "everyone is on my shit list" where the smallest fuck-up will set me off and I feel zero remorse after, and there's days where I'm constantly apologising for every little thing. We've approached the possibility of me being bipolar though, so it's possible that the remorse fluctuations are simply bipolar mania and depression working their cycle. However my therapist also mentioned that my perception of remorse might be skewed, because when I'm apologising for something I take on a "passive approach" so it seems less like I'm actually remorseful and more that I just don't want someone to be angry or upset with me. If you ask me, I feel bad for upsetting them so yeah, of course I'm gonna apologise. She was right about my passiveness though--a lot of times if I feel I've fucked up with someone, I'll continue being passive with them because I feel I owe it to them to let them be an arsehole to me. Anyhow, the jury's out on my lack of remorse, but what I'm confirmed to have is a "considerate lack of empathy." So that's neat. Also adding on it was hard for my therapist to figure this one out because I usually feel justified in the actions I take, and there's a difference between lack of remorse knowing you've hurt someone, and lack of remorse because you feel you were justified in your actions against or toward them, especially in cases of defending yourself. (For example, "I don't feel bad for hitting him because he knows I have CPTSD and I react violently to people startling me from behind, therefore it's not my fault and he knew the risk he was taking so I don't feel bad.") Apparently she couldn't get a straight answer out of me and I was "avoiding" the topic, so I'm written down as lack of remorse. Personally I'd argue against that cuz I feel a lot of remorse about a lot of things, it's just that often I feel I'm entirely justified in whatever I've done and therefore shouldn't feel bad about something.

The jury's also out on whether or not I have an addictive personality. Up until my diagnosis I'd been doing shrooms (I still do shrooms) but I used them responsibly as they're non-addictive. However I was expressing behavioural addictions like dermatophagia and dermatillomania for years (a habit I didn't break until two years ago), and trichotillomania when I was around 12, but my psychiatrist thought that all of these may have been a symptom of the OCD I'm suspected to have instead of my ASPD, or maybe a combination of both. While I've used addictive drugs, I practise harm reduction to prevent myself from becoming addicted. Alcoholism is the only legitimate addiction I've ever had, but apparently my sexual proclivities can be filed under reckless behaviour, so I'm really not doing myself any favours here. 😅

[takeyourcyanide]

INTRO + MASTERLIST

INTRODUCTION:

You can simply refer to me as “Cyanide,” if you’d prefer.

On this blog, I primarily write Soul Eater fanfiction and detail my experiences with certain psychological ailments. In terms of my writing, I often explore themes of violence and gore, trauma, and mental illnesses/disabilities such as schizophrenia, psychopathy (not always a diagnostic label, and some view it as being “outdated” but is still in use within not only research papers but also amongst the aspd community, for example, to differentiate between sociopathy and psychopathy/two subtypes), and autism spectrum disorder. My works act as explorations and psychoanalyses. All this to say, my writing may not always be (honestly, never is) suitable for all audiences, depending on the work. It’s best that those interacting with my blog be at least above the age of thirteen, if not older. This blog is more suitable for teen and up audiences. I typically post in English, though you may find that I ramble in Russian at times. I’ll most likely post in any language I happen to learn, but English and Russian are my two primaries.

POSSIBLE TWs FOR MY BLOG:

Mentions of r@pe, suicide, homicide, and self-harm

Detailed descriptions of violence and gore, including the likes of self-mutilation

Unreality, such as beliefs that would be considered “delusional,” and may trigger those in a fragile state of mind

Addiction; excessive smoking, drinking, etc. to cope

TAGS OFTEN USED ON MY

BLOG:

Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/No Comfort, (Often Underage) Smoking, (Often Underage) Drinking, Schizospec, ASPD, Unreality, Autism, (SFW) Age Regression, Schizophrenia, Soul Eater, Psychopathy, Mental Illness, Soul Eater Fanfiction, My Writing, My Fanfiction, etc.

REQUESTS:

I accept any and all writing requests. If I am, for any reason, uncomfortable with a topic, then I will make that known. All this to say, if you’re someone who worries whether or not the other person will set boundaries, you needn’t worry with me in any sense at all. Simply send a request in through my asks (👁️), and I’ll complete it when I’m able to.

I would like to add that I do happily accept constructive criticism and suggestions, as I’d like to improve!

MASTERLIST:

While I have considered writing for other fandoms, I have found an outlet in the Soul Eater fandom. So, if needed, this will be updated to accommodate other fandoms, though I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Key:

👁️ - Angst

🪆 - Fluff

💪 - Action/Adventure

🩻 - Smut

FRANKEN STEIN ADJACENT:

Desperation: A Collection - 👁️(?) - 802

Кошмар - 👁️/🪆(?) - 2 914

Starving - 👁️/🩻/🪆 - 1 813 (so far)

I Know That The Writing’s On The Wall - 👁️ (?) - 744

Child Psychology - 👁️ (?) - 1 525

Pathetic - 👁️ - 4 289

Rationality; a Supposed Loss and Deterioration - 👁️ - 2 408

Sundown - 🪆 - 1 676

Icky - 🪆 - 1 600

Flatline - 👁️/🪆 - 759

Oxytocin - 🪆 - 1 246

Equilibrium - 👁️/🪆- 1 448

A Star-filled Night - 👁️ - 323

Жизнь просто бесконечный круговорот - 👁️/🪆 - 800

Loss - 👁️/🪆 - 2 550

A Tarantula and a Praying Mantis - 💪 - 5320

Woeful - 👁️/🩻 - 10 192

Do What You Will - 👁️ - 6 978

That Which Destroys You, You Adore - 👁️/💪 - 3 733

Leaches - 👁️/💪 - 4 786 (total, so far)

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell - 👁️/🪆 - 2 710 words

Muse of Tragedy - 👁️ - 1 130

Prey - 👁️ - 3 315

Until I Ache - 👁️/🪆 - 2 113

Closer - 👁️ - 1 893

Forest - 👁️/🪆 - 3 165

Ceaseless - 👁️/🪆 - 3 164

There Will Come a Day - 👁️ - 796

Mutt - 👁️ - 3 501

Too Much - 👁️ - 4 009

Cycle - 👁️/🪆 - 4 209

Сигареты (Cigarettes) - 👁️ - 1 073

Anguish - 👁️/🪆 - 5 578

Бесконечный ад (Endless Hell) - 👁️ - 1 395

Blood Red - 💪 - 2 475

Bells - 👁️/🪆- 2 650

Self-Cannibalism - 👁️/🪆 - 2 491

Пустой (Empty) - 👁️ - 2 926

Repulsion - 👁️ - 14 434

A Buzzing - 👁️/🪆 - 2 973

Time - 👁️/🪆 - 2 867

Adoration - 🪆 - 2 893

Secret - 👁️ - 1 419

Cute - 🪆 - 2 411

Reflection - 👁️ - 1 983

A Sense of Calm Before the Inevitable Storm - 👁️/🪆 - 948

SPIRIT ALBARN ADJACENT:

Sundown - 🪆 - 1 676

Icky - 🪆 - 1 600

A Tarantula and a Praying Mantis - 💪 - 5320

Woeful - 👁️/🩻 - 10 192

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell - 👁️/🪆 - 2 710

Until I Ache - 👁️/🪆 - 2 113

Closer - 👁️ - 1 894

Forest - 👁️/🪆- 3 165

Too Much - 👁️ - 4 009

Cycle - 👁️/🪆 - 4 209

Anguish - 👁️/🪆 - 5 578

Blood Red - 💪 - 2 475

Bells - 👁️/🪆 - 2 650

Пустой - 👁️ - 2 926

Repulsion - 👁️ - 14 434

I Want a Divorce - 👁️/🪆 - 6 084

Secret - 👁️ - 1 419

MARIE MJOLNIR ADJACENT:

Oxytocin - 🪆 - 1 246

Equilibrium - 👁️/🪆- 1 448

Жизнь просто бесконечный круговорот - 👁️/🪆 - 800

Loss - 👁️/🪆- 2 550

Do What You Will - 👁️ - 6978

Ceaseless - 👁️/🪆 - 3 164

Too Much - 👁️ - 4 009

Сигареты - 👁️ - 1 073

Anguish - 👁️/🪆- 5 578

Self-Cannibalism - 👁️/🪆- 2 491

Пустой - 👁️ - 2 926

Repulsion - 👁️ - 14 434

A Buzzing - 👁️/🪆 - 2 973

Time - 👁️/🪆 - 2 867

I Want a Divorce - 👁️/🪆- 6 084

Adoration - 🪆 - 2 893

Cute - 🪆 - 2 411

A Sense of Calm Before the Inevitable Storm - 👁️/🪆 - 948

~*{}——————{}*~

Have a song now that you’ve reached the end!

[hauntedselves]

I know you've covered AsPD/NPD, PPD, and SzPD comorbidity but what would SzPD and NPD comorbidity look like? (Please feel free to redirect me to it if you've already covered it)

Here is what one person has said about NPD and SzPD:

"I think schizoid and narcissistic comorbidity is a very interesting dynamic! In my opinion there can be a decent amount of overlap, and it’s one of the reasons I’m suspicious about the possibility of me having narcissistic traits in addition to SzPD. There’s a webpage produced as a project from Appalachian State University (though it’s from 2001) which talks about a variety of PDs versus NPD in the context of differential diagnosis. Of SzPD in this framework, it says: “Emotional aloofness and lack of mutual interpersonal relations or genuine deep interest in other people are common characteristics in both schizoid and narcissistic personality disorders” … which I thought was a good description of overlapping traits. (Link) It’s definitely true that both are described as involving lack of empathy, so it makes sense to have such similarities."

And some other quotes from other posts I've written:

SzPD is completely different from that need for (perfect) relationships/perception of themselves as perfect - although both NPD & SzPD use superiority as self defence, SzPD has no need for people to see them as perfect/admirable/etc, and no hypersensitivity to criticism

both SzPD & NPD will value things other than relationships, but NPD will seek out relationships for validation

[Both] use fantasy as an escape method (+ self-esteem booster in NPD). Fantasies are often linked to a need to feel in control, which is also common in [both]

someone with NPD will find it difficult to manage anger. SzPD tends to see (any) emotions as dramatic and distasteful, so won’t express anger readily

Greenberg theorises a subtype of SzPD with NPD features (the “Narzoid”)

I think the biggest similarity between [both] is relationship fear. This presents itself in vastly different ways: [...] NPD “uses” people, and avoids revealing their true self for fear of their flaws being seen (again, rejection and criticism); and SzPD avoids for fear of engulfment/control.

All may idealise people they see as safe (+ superior, in NPD)

SZPD & NPD also have similarities [...], particularly grandiosity and idealising people they see as superior (may be “safe” people, as in PPD & SZPD). all of these also have “not feeling like a ‘real’ person”/having a “false self” that they use to interact with the world (masking).

the two NPD traits that are conflicting with SZPD [...] are fragile self-esteem and needing admiration. [SzPD doesn't have] particularly low self-esteem, and [...] may be uncomfortable with admiration/praise [...] due to fear of engulfment/control

so someone with [NPD & SzPD] would have their NPD low self-esteem and need for admiration conflict with their [...] SZPD, but overall would feel grandiose, idealise people (to a lesser extent than someone with just NPD), [&] mask their true self

[cerastes]

Hey Dreamer, I believe you once said that rather than occupy the same niche, Specter Alter and OG Specter have different roles. Could you elaborate a little on that?

Guard Specter has a huge HP value, innate regen, high attack, ability to attack 3 enemies at once, and her signature skill, Bone Fracture, which allows her to survive absolutely everything in the game, with two exceptions (FrostNova 2 and Emperor's Blade Pursuer instakills), for 15 seconds while dealing immense damage to the enemy and stalling them. Thanks to these characteristics, Guard Specter excels at three things: Independent lane holding, drop-in assassination (aka helidropping), and boss/key unit stalling. Specter is what in other games you could consider a Brawler, having high bulk and damage both. Her only weakness is her high DP cost (which only goes up each time you want to helidrop her). Due to this versatility, you can use Specter in several ways, all of them important, hence why she's a common face to see in high end content.

The Unchained is a different unit altogether, though she does share some characteristics with Specter. Their statlines are very similar, actually, with Unchained having higher HP, no innate regen, slightly higher attack, slightly lower defense, and 2 block instead of 3 block, as per her Dollkeeper archetype. Now, the thing with Dollkeepers is that they are pretty much the essence of “We Didn’t Want To Make Yet Another Guard Subtype Just Yet So We Made It A Specialist Instead, But These Are Your 2-Block Non-Swordmaster Guards, With A Gimmick”, and so Dollkeeper is something you treat as a Guard that at the same time is a Kinder Surprise egg that only opens when the Operator dies, and their skills help them die! In addition to being numerically strong skills, Dollkeeper skills also tend to in one way or another make it easier for the user to Die so they can activate their Kinder Surprise: Kazemaru, for example, has her S2, which gives her a decent attack steroid but also spawns a clone of herself with a high damage explosion that also benefits from the buff, meaning she more than doubles her damage output with burst to boot. It also costs half her HP, and when she dies, she explodes into the clone again, and then comes back after 20 seconds. Dollkeepers love dying!

Now, how does Unchained factor into this lego castle: She doesn’t have the sheer stalling power that her 3-block, naturally regenerating, aoe cleaving version has, instead, she focuses more on having very high killing power, with skills to fit different situations: S1 trades her HP% with the unit in range with the lowest HP%, so an application of this could be to keep a dwindling Surtr S3 alive for a few more seconds, or saving an essential unit from a section of a map they otherwise simply could not without sacrificing more deployment slots for healers or mitigators, all while giving her an attack buff. S2 is a revamp of her Guard S2, Bone Fracture, in that it gives her a huge Attack and ASPD buff, and makes her unkillable for 20 seconds (5 more!), but instead of stunning her afterwards, it kills her outright, which means it’s Kinder Surprise time, and she starts her diss track that deals Arts damage and slows enemies around her until she revives herself. S3 slows down her attack a bit, makes her do AoE attacks again, gives her a truly massive attack buff and a truly insane Max HP boost (her HP reaches 9k!), and if she attacks an enemy with higher HP% than her, she hits an additional time for reduced damage per attack, while against enemies with lower HP%, she takes 3% Max HP damage. This means maximizing the damage from this is a bit difficult, but if done correctly, the sheer damage she deals is truly insane.

So, in comparison? Unchained is more of a team player, because she can plug many needs in a team just by herself and how versatile her skills are. Guard Specter is versatile herself, as we mentioned before, but Unchained can cover needs in a more widespread manner, between her Slow, immortality, immense damage, ability to swap HP% with a unit, and bulk. She is not as helidroppable as Guard Specter, and this is why a lot of people thought she was bad initially, but then people started experimenting with her in virtually any other situation and she pays dividends real hard. Guard Specter remains the best at what she does, and that likely will not change for a while, but when it comes to raw damage and utility, in addition to also being able to immortal stall, Unchained can do all that, and then some. It’s particularly useful to have Dollkeepers in stages that are hard on DP, since that’s a unit that you don’t have to worry as much about having to keep alive, leaving you to dedicate resources in other parts of the map.

Dollkeepers might be Weird Guards, but they are still Specialists: They excel in what they do, but if the map doesn’t call for their particular talent, then there’s no shame in bringing the right units instead. Both iterations of Specter cover different needs, so deploy one or the other... At least until the Siracusano event drops in 6 months, and then you can just deploy both at the same time, wwwwww.

*I’m not getting into Modules because advanced Modules come later and they are kind of a Big Game Changer for Unchained in particular, but know that they make her Very Very Very Strong.

[wet-canid]

I know some people have been asking about psychopathy and aspd. I ended up finding subtypes and how they differ from each other. It’s interesting because school shooters tend to be different then aspd and the impulse component. It also explains how the fear works and all that etc. It’s a very long study/research. it’s very informative of how the subtypes work.

https://www.psycheblog.uk/2018/05/14/antisocial-personality-disorder-neurophysiological-mechanisms-and-distinct-subtypes/

I'm aware of the subtypes! I think they're actually really important to be aware of, but also be aware that not every socio/psychopath falls into these, or they might fit into multiple of these. It really depends. But it is a helpful thing to have! As for the school shooter bit. Yeah. that is technically true, but not everyone who does that has ASPD and not everyone with ASPD that falls into that subtype is one. Subtypes are important but they can also be dangerous in terms of ASPD stigma

[manie-sans-delire-x]

What are some of the symptoms that fit some criteria.

There's a base criteria for having any personality disorder at all, and then theres specific subtypes of a personality disorder on top of that.

The first few pages here outlines ASPD and the base PD (page 1). I fit almost every single criteria, so I'll just post this instead of typing it all out.

[gcldfanged]

I think people may mischaracterize Jae as a psychopath, but then I started thinking: Just what IS a psychopath?

In society's eyes, a psychopath can be one of two types that are frequently used in media:

Evil Psychopath: Someone who derives pleasure from hurting others.

Emotionless Psychopath: Someone incapable of feeling any empathy towards anything or anyone.

Examples of #1 certainly exist in society, but we also narrow-mindedly think that a 'true' psychopath can only be one of these two examples.

You could say that Jae-hyo is somehow both, but it's probably more accurate to say that Jae is neither of these examples.

Psychopathy is poorly understood and there are those in the psychiatric field who believe that psychopathy should be viewed as a spectrum disorder similar to autism.

Psychopathy was replaced by ASPD in the 3rd edition, but the DSM-V's closest diagnosis to psychopathy is a youth diagnosis of conduct disorder with the addition of so-called “callous unemotional” (CU) traits- which manifest as a lack of guilt and remorse, a callous lack of empathy, a lack of concern about one’s performance on important activities, and a general lack of emotional expression.

Christopher J. Patrick proposed a “triarchic model" of three separate trait constructs:

Disinhibition: impulsiveness, irresponsibility, difficulty regulating one’s emotions and behavior, and mistrust of others.

Meanness: deficits in empathy, contempt toward and inability to bond with others, and predatory exploitativeness.

Boldness:  dominance, social assurance, emotional resilience, and adventurousness.

Patrick hopes to identify and study differing subtypes of psychopathy according to these models, such as those who exhibit "Bold-Disinhibition" versus "Mean-Disinhibition".

There is a lot of evidence pointing towards the importance of nature AND nurture in examining and preventing the development of psychopathic traits in early childhood.

In studies, a majority of children with CU exhibiting psychopathic traits or had a strong genetic possibility of inheriting psychopathy managed to be steered away from said traits worsening through positive reinforcement and 'right-parenting focused interventions'.

Jae was seemingly almost a dead-wringer for what they are now calling 'Secondary Psychopathy': youths with traits that look like precursors to psychopathy—those who display anger, hostility, and emotional volatility after experiencing serious traumas.

The issue is that most children considered in a secondary psychopathy category show more emotional dysregulation and high levels of anxiety- as opposed to fearlessness/diminished threat response.

Jae-hyo may not have had loving parents, but he understood what it was like to be loved via his grandfather, so it can't be said that he 'doesn't understand' what love is and can be. He knows there is what others call 'morally right' and 'morally wrong', but refuses to live by the exact same set of ethics and ideals- There is only what benefits him and what does not benefit him/puts him at a disadvantage.

In fights there are no rules or sense of 'fairness', you either live or you die. Cheap shots, running away, and taking hostages are all intelligent and viable options that SHOULD be utilized, in his mind.

Jae-hyo has no qualms killing children (you can't tell me Shinra's never fought wars against armies using child soldiers before- They literally use child soldiers) or with killing children and adults back when he was a child himself, but he notoriously doesn't tolerate violence against female-identifying individuals well- in fact, witnessing such will likely make him angry and possibly triggered. He has some sense of 'rightness' and 'wrongness', but it hinges entirely upon his personal experiences and perceived justifications for violating those personal boundaries.

He himself is a victim of SA and he himself would not threaten female-identifying individuals, but displays zero qualms threatening those who oppose him and identify as male. He responds to threats from other people differently due to perceived gender, as well. He is more likely to use violence, threats, and strong-arming with people displaying stereotypically masculine traits than he is with those who show more stereotypically feminine traits.

He is capable of feeling joy and amusement in innocent ways, but also derives amusement and pleasure from dominating others. He manipulates and lies because it is his job, because it serves his interests, and because it has the best chance of getting what he wants. More importantly, he does enjoy if he manages to get the upper-hand over someone he particularly dislikes or sees as 'wrong'.

From a sexual standpoint, when Jae definitely gets endorphins from dominating others, it's not about about proving superiority or hurting them- It's a display of trust and intimacy.

He can feel a range of complicated emotions towards other people, being capable of genuinely caring about others. He is loyal and capable of expressing love towards those he cares about, but as seen with Verdot, he can also place others so high on a pedestal that his self-worth hinges upon how Verdot sees him. If he is useful then that's the only thing that matters in his world- It doesn't matter if others dislike or even hate him so long as Verdot sees worth in him. The value of the lives of others is entirely subjective to him to begin with, yet once Verdot steps into his life that subjectivity begins to be colored by the outside influence of his own worth and value to his savior. Even despite this, he never directly antagonizes people such as Tseng or experiences emotions such as jealousy or hatred towards him, even though he has every seemingly 'logical' reason to feel that way.

I'm beginning to lose track of what I really wanted to say and explore with this, but TL;DR:

Is Jae-hyo a Sociopath?

No.

Is Jae-hyo a Psychopath?

Probably...? Just not in the way that one would normally think.

[violentviolette]

hi jack! can you elaborate more on your idea of npd and hpd being possible subtypes of c-ptsd? I've gone on online forums wherein people with C-PTSD report questioning if they have NPD, and a lot of people asking for the key differences between the two disorders.

in my opinion i dont think there are key diferences and i think the reason theres so much overlap and confusion there is precisely why npd should be classified as a c-ptsd subtype my logic and thought process is basically that c-ptsd is what happens when people are abused for prolonged periods of time, but theres so many different factors that go into abuse and our responses to it that make things look differently for people. so then, depending on the differences of various factors, the specific ways that c-ptsd will manifest in someone would make up the subtypes. so for example, if someone is abused for a prolonged period of time during and throughout early childhood into adulthood, in specific ways where their self worth becomes dependant on outside factors and they rely on overcompensating through a delusional sense of self worth, ect. then that means that persons c-ptsd symptoms will manifest as what we think of as npd whereas if someone is abused for a prolonged period of time and there is a heavy sexual component to the abuse, either sa or grooming, or things like that, that persons c-ptsd is more likely to manifest like hpd with things like hypersexuality and using sex and sexual appeal as a maladaptive coping mechanism

because npd and hpd cannot manifest without abuse. they are at their core, an abuse response. and all of their symptoms are caused by abuse, there are no npd or hpd syptoms that would exist without the abuse. this is what i think sets it apart from aspd and bpd. aspd and bpd each contain unique nuerological symptoms that can and do manifest without abuse. aspd's lack of empathy and bpd's rapid mood cycling and hypomania. both of those symptoms, while they can absolutely be caused by abuse, can also be rooted in nuerological differences that can manifest naturally. autism and bipolar disorder, both purely nuerological with zero environmental causes, are examples of this so since the symptoms of npd and hpd cannot exist without prolonged psychological abuse usually starting in early childhood and throughout development, that means it cannot exist without c-ptsd. because there's no going through that without developing c-ptsd, there is no way to abuse someone for a prolonged period of time starting in childhood and have them be perfectly mentally healthy and not develop some form of ptsd. so since they cannot exist without c-ptsd, i feel like it would make more sense and be easier to treat when viewed through that lense i think people would have a much better and more successful time in treatment if npd and hpd were looked at trauma first, if they were classified first and foremost as abuse responses, as a specific presentation of cptsd. then recovery can begin from a place of healing, which is overwhelmingly the more successful approach in helping people with cluster b disorders

and while i do think aspd and bpd would also benifit from that kind of treatment and being looked at in that light, i think those disorders, specifically because of their persistent and lifelong nuerological/non-trauma related symptoms, require a more complex and multi-pronged approach

so thats my thought process and like i said, im sure im wrong about certain things or missing information and theres always the chance new research will come out that will better our understanding and change my thoughts on this, but this is where im at currently