Chances are good that you know or have at least met someone with antisocial personality disorder, aka a sociopath. According to some estimates, up to 4% of the population (mostly men) have the disorder, making it more common even than bipolar disorder.
Although there’s no official diagnosis of a “high-functioning sociopath,” it’s a term that could apply to most people with antisocial personality disorder, because they often don’t have any trouble getting by. Their behavior tends to hurt others more than themselves, which is why so few actually seek or receive treatment.
“Most are out there leaving a trail of broken hearts and pain,” Stephen Salzbrenner, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in Omaha, tells Health.