Sadistic personality disorder is a personality disorder diagnosis involving sadism which appeared only in an appendix of the revised third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R). The current version of the DSM (DSM-IV) does not include it, so it is no longer considered a valid diagnostic category. The diagnosis Personality disorder not otherwise specified may be used instead. However, the disorder is still studied for research purposes.
Sadism is a behavioral disorder characterized by a callous, vicious, manipulative, and degrading behavior expressed towards other people. To date, the exact cause of sadism is not known clearly. However, many theories have been given to explain the possible reasons underlying the development of a sadistic personality in an individual.
Read more about Sadistic Personality Disorder: Definition of Sadism, Comorbidity With Other Personality Disorders, Familial Patterns/Childhood Experiences and Sadistic Personality Disorder, DSM-III-R Criteria For Sadistic Personality Disorder, Removal From The DSM, Millon’s Subtypes, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words sadistic, personality and/or disorder:
“The sadistic person is as dependent on the submissive person as the latter is on the former; neither can live without the other. The difference is only that the sadistic person commands, exploits, hurts, humiliates, and that the masochistic person is commanded, exploited, hurt, humiliated. This is a considerable difference in a realistic sense; in a deeper emotional sense, the difference is not so great as that which they both have in common: fusion without integrity.”
—Erich Fromm (1900–1980)
“Ethics and religion differ herein; that the one is the system of human duties commencing from man; the other, from God. Religion includes the personality of God; Ethics does not.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“When the soul drifts uncertainly between life and the dream, between the mind’s disorder and the return to cool reflection, it is in religious thought that we should seek consolation.”
—Gérard De Nerval (1808–1855)