PSYCHODRAMA WITH A PSYCHOPATH

Abstract

It is frequently argued that that so-called species of humanity labeled "psychopath" in intractible to psychotherapy. As a matter of fact, the claimhas been made if treatment does occur, then there was a mislabeling! Luckily, this wastebasket term and this primitive thinking is giving way to a more subtle and complex conception of humanity. On the other hand, it does stillappear evident that to induce rapid changes in that class of people who may be labeled "chronic delinquents" is a very difficult matter indeed. The difference between people who act out their aggressions and hostilities (psychopaths) and those who take out their conflicts on themselves (neu- rotics) may simply he that the first class of people set the locus of disorganization in the society while the second class set the locus in themselves. If so, then it may be that two entirely different types of treatment are indicated: there may be no need indeed to search for hidden agendas, primitive psychic insults, or forgotten memories; no need to give insight for the "psychopaths" (using this term for want of a better to mean "chronic anti- social acting-outers").