Revisited – The Psychopath in the Country Club With Dr. Ron Schouten

Sep 14, 2022

We all may know someone who has psychopathy; however, not everyone knows the truth about it, how to identify the warning signs or what to do next once they identify the psychopath. In this revisited episode, Dr. Ron Schouten joins Arden and Diana to discuss the complexities of psychopathy. Dr. Schouten says you should not despair if someone you love shows signs of psychopathy and you should not overreact to their symptoms. Tune in as we chat about what to do when a loved one is diagnosed with psychopathy and how to identify a psychopath at the country club.

 

In This Episode:

 

• [02:05] Psychopath: meaning, signs, and what to know.   
• [14:45] How you can identify a psychopath at the country club. 
• [21:50] What happens when a psychopath comes from enormous wealth? 
• [24:40] Is your loved one diagnosed with psychopathy? Dr. Schouten explains what you can do now.  
• [31:10] Even before you get to the diagnosis of psychopathy, start looking at treatment possibilities. 

 

Key Takeaways:

 

• If psychopaths feel entitled to certain wealth and certain privileges, they will act in any way they can to sustain it.
• Many psychopaths who come from extreme wealth will never face the consequences of their behavior. 
• For children, get evaluations done early and find an adolescent psychiatrist. 
• Some people think residential treatment will be good for psychopathy. However, you need to be careful that the treatment centers are not authoritarian based. 

 

Links Mentioned:

 

Almost a Psychopath: Do I (or Does Someone I Know) Have a Problem with Manipulation and Lack of Empathy? (The Almost Effect)

 

PsychopathyIs

 

Bio: 

 

Ronald Schouten, M.D., J.D. is Director of the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, DC, Director Emeritus of the Law & Psychiatry Service (LPS) of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and Chair of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) Governmental Affairs Committee. Dr. Schouten previously served as Director of the MGH/Harvard Medical School Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship and is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.  

 

Dr. Schouten practiced employment law before pursuing his medical studies and career as a forensic and clinical psychiatrist, in which he has served as an expert consultant in criminal and civil matters. He has served as a subject matter expert and consultant on mass violence, biosecurity, and violent extremism. He was the mental health liaison for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America to the September 11 Victims’ Fund and served on consensus panels drafting guidelines on workplace violence for the FBI and the American Society for Industrial Security.  Dr. Schouten has been a consultant to the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, working with BAU-1 on terrorism and campus shooting matters.