Well, psychopath, not sociopath.

Some clinical psychologists have been able to "hack" empathy in said psychopaths by basically laying out a really strong and rational argument for empathy, on the basis that said psychopath benefits from empathy (in a selfish way). It's different from the empathy most people naturally have, which (IIRC) is basically a chemical phenomenon that happens in the brain, given to us via genetics and enforced through our upbringing.

It's fascinating stuff, and this is a fairly comprehensive book on the topic, written by a very interesting authority in the respective field.

It is not uncommon for people to cite Foucault on the topic. However, it is debatable whether he can be considered a historian, rather than a philosopher who chose certain historical events and institutions to build a philosophical and critical narrative towards, for example, how psychiatrists and/or psychologists build theories about people, and how society controls its members.

In fact, he is a contentious figure among historians and has been criticized for his choices in historical illustrations, and interpretations of facts and events, e.g.

>Huppert was driven to his "thoughts on Foucault" by the dismayed realization that the historically illiterate were taking Foucault as a reliable guide to the European past.

In fact, Foucault himself distanced himself from the label of historian:

>His attitude toward the discipline was one of wariness mixed with contempt. "I am not a professional historian; nobody is perfect," he once remarked. In the Introduction to the second volume of his Histoire de la sexualité, published just before his death, he tells us that his works are studies of history but that he is not a historian. In short he himself underlined his difference from disciplinary history, and rightly so, for he stands apart from the generally unquestioned conceptual and methodological assumptions that define its boundaries.

This is not to deny any value of his ideas, observations and criticisms, nor to ignore his contributions to the social sciences. But it is important to keep in mind that the history Foucault presents is not the same history historians present, as Foucault had other goals.

---

In regard to recommending any text about the history of "madness" and how society reacted to what we might today consider mental disorders, I would suggest trying to ask /r/AskHistorians if their rules permit it.

Per your reference to how homosexuality, you could check Rachel Cooper's analysis of the DSM and what are its philosophical underpinnings (e.g. its epistemology of mental illness), which she situates historically, specifically in what context the American Psychiatric Association engaged with the issue of homosexuality, what led to its removal and how the definition of mental disorder was changed to avoid similar occurrencesm by adding the harm criterion. She also wrote a book about "diagnosing the diagnostic manual". But, these are not history papers either, although Cooper does describe the history of the DSM to explain the ideas behind it.

>Lately I have been working out regularly, I have lost weight and my strength has increased drastically. But aside from taking care of my body which will give me confidence, and help me with mental health.

>I should have graduated this year but I had to take off a year to help my father with our business (which is doing poorly and is contributing to our stress at home). I feel a bit useless but I should be graduating in Spring 2020.

You have your shit together. You helped your family in a time of need and you're graduating soon. That is having your shit together.

> My mental health is in an okay state, I don’t get panic attacks or anything anymore. I just have mild moments of my anxiety trying to trick me into believing something is wrong with me.

>I also don’t have a proper sleeping schedule, some days I go to bed at 2 AM or 3 AM and wake up whenever I want.

These two might be linked. If you don't get enough sleep then you'll get anxiety. If it's just going to bed late and you're getting enough sleep there is nothing wrong with that as long as you're productive; which seems to me that you are.

Okay when it comes to anxiety here is a copy and pasted comment from all of the stuff I've been doing/ trying to do:

Things I'm Doing Now

• Thought Records With A CBT app
  
  
• Journaling
  
  
• Mindfulness Meditation with Headspace App
  
  
• 30 minutes of exercise a day. Mostly swimming which helps with timed breath.
  
  
• Exposure therapy. I find ways of doing shit that scares the fuck out of me and getting use to it. This is fucking hard.
  
  
• Councilling
  
  
• Group Support
  
  
• Talk to friends
  
  
• No caffeine no stimulants.
  
  
• Beta Blockers for high blood pressure (I want off of them)
  
  
• I had to cut back on work and am trying to learn how to have lower standards for myself and to love myself.
  
  
• I'm trying to get my hands on Universe Sandbox VR (I'm not really spiritual but space helps me feel that grander feeling and that's really good for anxiety.)
  
  
• I also did the Jordan Peterson Self Authoring program. It was okay, but I wouldn't recommend past authoring for people with PTSD. It's just a writing exercise. I found 12 rules for life to be bad, but that's just my opinion. I personally don't recommend Jordan Peterson for dealing with anxiety, but his future planning and present authoring is helpful.
  
  
• I also do no fap, but not really because I believe in all of the shit that r/nofap says. It's just a slight edge.
  
  
• Asserting myself properly. This one takes time to learn. Some people with anxiety just can't say no. I always could and would fight with people, but that's not really being assertive.
  
  Things I Plan To Do
  
  
• Diet Changes with clean protein(boneless chicken breast, chickpeas, beans, non fatty cuts of meat, salmon), carbs(greens, fruits, moderated startchy carbs), and fats (flax, nuts, fish). I also want to work on changing my gut bacteria. (A good note is sometimes your anxious because your blood sugar is low)
  
  
• Finding new interests. I literally have nothing I like to do.
  
  
• Potentially EMDR or hypnotherapy. (These are both controversial)
  
  
• Been busting my ass trying to get a proper sleep schedule together. (THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT) Joe Rogan has a wicked podcast with someone that studies sleep.
  
  Resources
  
  https://www.anxietycanada.com/adults/creating-a-map
  
  https://my.headspace.com
  
  I like the Buddhist Society
  
  Books that I've read that have helped me
  
  
• Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry (Explains the neuroscience of anxiety)
  
  
• The ABCS of Coping with Anxiety: Using CBT to manage stress and anxiety (Explains how to deal with anxiety)
  
  
• Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find - And Keep - Love (Talks about relationship anxiety. Super interesting stuff!)
  
  
• Insecure in Love: How Anxious Attachment Can Make You Feel Jealous, Needy, and Worried and What You Can Do About It
  
  All of those books were written by academics and not just some asshole guru. Mostly phd psychologists, neuroscientists, and medical doctors.
  
  

  When it comes to your negative thinking:
  

  
  You're pretty fucking hard on yourself. Negative thoughts have purpose and ignore that power of positivity bullshit. Learn to be mindful and compassionate towards yourself because you're going to burnout if you beat the shit out of yourself. There is a mindful self compassion workbook by Kristin Neff Phd that you should pick up.
  
  You don't have to do all of the things I do. I recommend that you engage in some hobbies, talk to some friends, find community, and think about the stuff you did for your dad as meaningful. You have a lot that you've done and to be absolutely honest I'm a bit envious.
  
  Meditation will help with your sleep. Take breaks. Don't spend too much money, and just try to be understanding of yourself man. Talk to someone before mental health gets to be too much.

For those who mentioned being interested in books in this thread:
[Asperger Syndrome Employment Workbook] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Asperger-Syndrome-Employment-Workbook-Professionals/dp/1853027960/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468747819&sr=8-1&keywords=Asperger+Syndrome+Employment+Workbook)

Survival Tips for Women with ADHD - Suitable for more than just women, and more than just ADHD.

[Build Your Own Life: A Self-Help Guide for Individuals with Asperger] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Own-Life-Individuals/dp/1843101149?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc)

A Field Guide to Earthlings

Been There. Done That. Try This!: An Aspie's Guide to Life on Earth

The Guide to Good Mental Health on the Autism Spectrum

Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age

Autism Equality in the Workplace: Removing Barriers and Challenging Discrimination - Some parts are more for employers or those supporting autistic people into work but others are more for autistic people.

Sensory Issues for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Very Late Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome

Living Sensationally: Understanding Your Senses

Aspies on Mental Health: Speaking for Ourselves

The Hidden Curriculum of Getting and Keeping a Job: Navigating the Social Landscape of Employment

Asperger's Syndrome Workplace Survival Guide

The Complete Guide to Getting a Job for People with Asperger's Syndrome

Unemployed on the Autism Spectrum

Asperger Syndrome and Employment

I'm going to stop there, though I could add loads more books. No single book has all the answers obviously and some are better than others in their presentation and approach. I've read most of them, but there are a couple that are still on my "to read" list so I won't make a sweeping comment about the usefulness of all of them - but the ones I have finished have contained useful advice.

Absolutely:

Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents and Adults

Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders

If your daughter also exhibits anxiety symptoms (mine sure does, and it's often tied in to giftedness because their little heads can think of things they're not emotionally ready to handle) there's also:

Freeing Your Child from Anxiety

Helping Your Anxious Child: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents

And for executive function deficits, there's:

Coaching Students with Executive Skills Deficits

Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential

Sorry to hear it. It's risky, but just ask around in the right places. If there's a Psychedelic Society or somesuch in your city/town, that might be a better place to ask than online. But use a lot of filters. You can find cops, who will fuck you up, and you can also find hack therapists who can also fuck you up.

If you have time, I highly HIGHLY recommend this book dedicated to filtering out hacks and New Age cultists when looking for a therapist: https://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Mindfield-Separating-Science-Pseudoscience/dp/1591024676

I've used this one and have seen it on the shelves of many colleagues who work with anxiety: link

I can't answer all your questions, but I just want to second what /u/bluntlybipolar wrote and add a little more encouragement. As they said, it's totally normal to feel the way you feel, and if you didn't, I would probably be more worried about you.

I'm a huge fan of this book. It's simple, straightforward, and written in very short question/answer sections, so you can pick it up and put it down. If you're younger, this version may be more helpful.

Getting a mood tracking app is also a pretty good self-care starting place. Filling it out can help you learn to develop the habit of paying attention to how you're feeling. I know that Daylio is pretty popular on this subreddit, but I prefer the T2 Mood Tracker because I find I'm more honest when I have to fill out lots of sliders. I'm also a little paranoid and like that they don't save my information on their servers.

You will probably make mistakes and have setbacks, but that's okay, because it's part of the learning process. Everybody on this subreddit has made them and most of us will be happy to give you support and the benefit of our experience.

I also want to say that, although having a mood disorder really sucks, this is probably the best time in human history to have one. We have a lot more effective medications now, and there are many to choose from, so if something doesn't work for you, you and your doctor can keep trying new things. The internet also gives you access to more information and to people like you, who know what you're going through.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that what I've said can be helpful for you.

read "animal madness" by Laurel Braitman before you do that - you can also get the audio version read by the author https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Madness-Compulsive-Elephants-Understand-ebook/dp/B00GEECHH0

This is just standard anxiety. You could try CBT, which is basically what you typed: you identify which thought is irrational or toxic & you change it. It takes time & effort but it’s very doable.

Alternatively you could try to fix it yourself. I’m in the UK but you should be able to find this where you are: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Overcoming-Anxiety-Depression-Autism-Spectrum/dp/1849059276

Meditation & yoga also really help. More than anything though is simply trying hard to change those thoughts. Maybe one day you manage to “fix” one out of 20, then after a month it may be 5, & so on.. it’ll take time, so be patient & kind to yourself, & it’ll work out.

Read about them! Stop by the nearest library and see what they've got. This book worked for me, but I bet any in-depth book would do.

Hey there, don't feel like a failure. My mother's been supporting me through a very severe episode of OCD all summer, and she doesn't think she's 'failed' just because her (grown-up) kid got sick - if anything, I think in the end she's proud that we teamed up and beat OCD together :) OCD isn't caused by bad parenting; the scientific research shows it's probably caused by genetics, biological issues with brain inflammation, chemical imbalances and sometimes life stresses. It's not something children get because their parents necessarily did anything wrong.

Your son's issues do sound a lot like OCD. There seem to be two main ages that OCD symptoms start - a lot of us, either we've had obsession and anxiety problems since we were young children, or we get sudden OCD symptoms around 18 - 25. So it's not unusual that your son might have OCD difficulties at 10/11. The extreme perfectionism and worries over perceived moral or social mistakes are very typical of OCD.

It's good that you're seriously listening to him and addressing his talk around dying. Trying to get along in life with major untreated OCD is understandably a really, REALLY horrible way to spend your days, so it's pretty common for a lot of us with OCD to start thinking thoughts like these. Obsessions are so full-on, they're 24/7 and they're absolutely tormenting, so you never get a break unless you're asleep/unconscious! The idea of going to sleep, and not having to wake up and deal with yet another day of endless screaming obsessions, is an idea that can come to seem like a relief. I realize this is a really dark and disturbing thing to discuss, but I just want you to know that there's an explanation for the way your son's talking and it's got an understandable reasoning behind it when you look at the full picture. It does NOT mean everyone with OCD is constantly suicidal - OCD is very treatable and many of us make a great recovery! But it's good to be sympathetic and understand the intensity of full-blown OCD, and take the issue seriously. I'm glad you're not dismissing it as just daft things kids say.

You're doing the right thing looking for a child psychologist. Second choice would be any psychologist who specializes in treating anxiety and OCD. Whatever you do, please make sure that the psychologist you choose uses the RIGHT, scientifically-proven methods to help. If it OCD (and it does sound like it), it should be treated using a mix of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and exposure-and-response-prevention therapy (ERP) (write that down somewhere and make sure!), or some similar variant. The reason we warn each other about this is because using the wrong methods on OCD can actually make it worse. The techniques you want are ones that encourage your son to face his fears in a controlled way and learn to just let meaningless dark thoughts pass by. Any technique that encourages him to over-analyse or repeatedly talk about his fears without facing them, is a no-no. We know from psychological studies that obsessions just get worse the more you over-analyse them. Unfortunately there are still a lot of unlicensed or underqualified (and some qualified!) ones who use the wrong methods on OCD.

There are some excellent books aimed at children and families on how to recover from OCD. Your son might like this one, which focusses on 'standing up to' the scary thoughts as if they were a bully? : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Talking-Back-OCD-Program-Parents/dp/1593853556/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1487352207&sr=8-10&keywords=ocd+children

There's also 'Breaking Free from OCD: A CBT Guide for Young People and Their Families' ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Free-OCD-People-Families-ebook/dp/B00ENSRTWW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1487354438&sr=8-4&keywords=ocd+children ) and What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide for Overcoming OCD ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-When-Brain-Stuck-What/dp/1591478057/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487354438&sr=8-1&keywords=ocd+children ).

One list of resources you might find really helpful for your son is actually at OCDkidsmovie (a charity project to help kids with OCD feel less alone, by seeing other children who've recovered). There's links to the main OCD charities you can contact if you're having trouble accessing paediatric therapy, OCD support groups for parents and some specially-written pieces for children with OCD, to help them understand their scary thoughts better: http://www.ocdkidsmovie.com/ocdresources

All the best to you in overcoming OCD - it's not easy and it's not quick, but it's totally do-able. Your son can learn to feel much, much better, with the right therapy :)

Anxious: Using the Brain to Understand and Treat Fear and Anxiety - 2015: Fairly advanced textbook (College-level psychology is a basic requirement) with good logical progression, takes you step-by-step through the modern view on emotion, fear, and anxiety research.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Basic Science and Clinical Practice - 2009: High-level research book, made up of several reviews written by different authors. Delves into the nitty-gritty of PTSD research.

Handbook of PTSD, Second Edition: Science and Practice - 2015: Comprehensive research book on PTSD from a clinical point of view. Delves into modern view on PTSD research, and treatments. Made up of several reviews written by different authors.

I am unsure what your level is, but if you are an undergrad or a well read-out layperson, I would recommend book #1, if you are a researcher or grad student, I would recommend book #2 or 3, if you are a Clinician I would recommend book #3 (but also #2 for a more in-depth look at the science behind PTSD). Although I would say book #1 is also a good (but much less thorough) read for researchers and clinicians.

https://www.amazon.com/Acceptance-Mindfulness-Treatments-Children-Adolescents/dp/1626253315

It's been a while since I read the 2005 Broken Mirror and I no longer have it to compare, but the 2009 book seems to cover some stuff I don't remember seeing. Maybe compare the two via Amazon previews? (Also, the newer paperback seems to be on sale for $5.98!)

Last week I learned that there's more than just postpartum depression, there's also postpartum anxiety, stress, and PTSD. I think it would be helpful to see a therapist, but in the meantime maybe you could read "This Wasn't What I Expected".

This may be a little different from what you were looking for but this book has a lot of good, detailed information. It’s written for counselors but you don’t have to be one to read it.

Top thing, don’t try to “fix” your partner. Try to understand them and support them to whatever extent they are comfortable with.

https://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Focused-Couple-Therapy-Survivors/dp/1593851650/ref=nodl_

I haven't gotten around to reading it myself, but your question made me think of Paul Verhaeghe's On Being Normal and Other Disorders: https://www.amazon.com/Being-Normal-Other-Disorders-Psychodiagnostics/dp/1590510895

It's an anti depressant and anti anxiety medication. I started taking it last year after feeling so crushed I ended up curled into a ball crying on my living room floor.

Education isn't everything. I dropped out of university and stopped studying computers formally when I was 16. Now I'm a programmer. Not earning great money, but enough to keep myself content.

I'd suggest you turn the desire to care inwards. It's okay to be selfish sometimes. Ego is like body fat- too much is bad, too little is bad, and how you maintain it is also important. But focus on trying to help yourself.

Give this a read. Can't make promises but it helped me: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ICS8MEI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1