Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns Someone Is AsocialSigns Someone Is AntisocialDifferences Between Asocial and AntisocialSimilarities Between Asocial and Antisocial BehaviorExamples of Asocial and Antisocial BehaviorTreatment for Asocial BehaviorTreatment for Antisocial BehaviorCoping and Management

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Signs Someone Is Asocial

Signs Someone Is Antisocial

Differences Between Asocial and Antisocial

Similarities Between Asocial and Antisocial Behavior

Examples of Asocial and Antisocial Behavior

Treatment for Asocial Behavior

Treatment for Antisocial Behavior

Coping and Management

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Asocial and antisocial are sometimes used interchangeably, but they aren’t synonymous. While they can certainly overlap in some ways, there are lots of differences between being asocial and being antisocial.

Smriti Joshi, lead psychologist at WysaAsocial individuals prefer solitude because they feel more comfortable and at ease in their own company.

Smriti Joshi, lead psychologist at Wysa

Asocial individuals prefer solitude because they feel more comfortable and at ease in their own company.

But what are the other differences? To find out about asocial and antisocial traits, and how to get help, just keep reading.

Why You May Not Know How to Connect With People

Some of the main asocial traits are as follows:

Smriti Joshi, psychologistThey are not disregarding other people’s needs and rights, comply with social norms and codes of conduct, and may not be using relationships as a means to their own selfish goals.

Smriti Joshi, psychologist

They are not disregarding other people’s needs and rights, comply with social norms and codes of conduct, and may not be using relationships as a means to their own selfish goals.

In contrast, here are some of the main antisocial traits:

“When we use the term “antisocial” correctly, we’re usually referring to someone who suffers fromantisocial personality disorder,” says Elena Touroni, PhD, a consultant psychologist, and co-founder ofThe Chelsea Psychology Clinic.

“Antisocial behavior often manifests as a pattern of repeated actions that disregard the rights and welfare of others,” adds Smriti Joshi, lead psychologist atWysa.

What Is Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)?

The biggest difference between asocial and antisocial people, in Joshi’s view, is that asocial behaviors could stem from social anxiety, with a lack of social interaction becoming a comfort zone of sorts; asocial people may just need more support.

Regarding asocial people, she explains: “They are not disregarding other people’s needs and rights, comply with social norms and codes of conduct, and may not be using relationships as a means to their own selfish goals.”

Asocial People Prefer SolitudeJoshi goes on to explain that asocial individuals may choose solitude and time alone over social situations. It doesn’t mean that they have an aversion towards others, or that they dislike spending time with people necessarily, but that they just prefer to be on their own more.

Asocial People Prefer Solitude

Joshi goes on to explain that asocial individuals may choose solitude and time alone over social situations. It doesn’t mean that they have an aversion towards others, or that they dislike spending time with people necessarily, but that they just prefer to be on their own more.

She continues, “Asocial individuals prefer solitude because they feel more comfortable and at ease in their own company.”

Antisocial Behavior Can Often Be Rooted in Selfishness

Moreover, antisocial is often used to describe somebody with antisocial personality disorder—it’s a clinical diagnosis.

Asocial BehaviorCan stem from social anxietyPrefer being alone because it feels more comfortableMight be shy or introvertedCould maintain long-term relationshipsAntisocial BehaviorCan stem from a desire to reject othersPrefer being alone because it helps them achieve their own goalsMay have antisocial personality disorderStruggle to maintain long-term relationships

Asocial BehaviorCan stem from social anxietyPrefer being alone because it feels more comfortableMight be shy or introvertedCould maintain long-term relationships

Can stem from social anxiety

Prefer being alone because it feels more comfortable

Might be shy or introverted

Could maintain long-term relationships

Antisocial BehaviorCan stem from a desire to reject othersPrefer being alone because it helps them achieve their own goalsMay have antisocial personality disorderStruggle to maintain long-term relationships

Can stem from a desire to reject others

Prefer being alone because it helps them achieve their own goals

May have antisocial personality disorder

Struggle to maintain long-term relationships

How to Socialize When You Have Social Anxiety Disorder

Despite there being clear differences between asocial and antisocial behaviors, there are some similarities too.

Asocial people prefer to be alone because they feel more comfortable, whereas antisocial people might prefer to be alone because they disregard the feelings of others, or because it will help them achieve their own goals.

“The overlap between asocial and antisocial individuals lies in the common inclination towards limited social interaction ordetachment,” explains Joshi. The difference is in their motivations and their impact on others. As mentioned earlier, asocial people prefer to be alone because they feel more comfortable, whereas antisocial people might prefer to be alone because they disregard the feelings of others, or because it will help them achieve their own goals.

In other words, asocial and antisocial people might both enjoy being alone, or be perceived as shy or unwilling to interact with others or be sociable, but this desire for solitude comes from different places depending on whether they’re asocial or antisocial.

Things To Do By Yourself

Here are some real-life examples of asocial and antisocial behavior:

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Elena Touroni, PhDThose with antisocial personality disorder would benefit from psychological therapy. But typically, they won’t seek help because they don’t believe anything is wrong with their behavior.

Elena Touroni, PhD

Those with antisocial personality disorder would benefit from psychological therapy. But typically, they won’t seek help because they don’t believe anything is wrong with their behavior.

Joshi suggests three ways to get help: getting a professional assessment, finding professionalmental health support, and joining asupport groupor getting social skills training.

“In some cases, asocial behavior might be indicative of an underlying mental health condition, such as social anxiety disorder or depression and resulting asocial behavior could be causing significant distress or impairing daily functioning, it may be helpful to consult a mental health professional for a comprehensive assessment and appropriate treatment recommendations,” she says.

She recommends therapy for getting to the bottom of underlying issues, exploring potential reasons for asocial behavior, and coming up with strategies for developing social skills and communication.

As for support groups, Joshi explains that they can help “offer opportunities to practice social skills, receive feedback, and connect with others who may have similar experiences or goals.”

But what about antisocial behavior? “Those with antisocial personality disorder would benefit from psychological therapy,” says Dr. Touroni, “But typically, they won’t seek help because they don’t believe anything is wrong with their behavior. They tend to receive help only in a forensic setting when they have committed a crime.”

However, where people show signs of antisocial behavior—particularly in adolescence, parental affection, communication, and behavior control can have a positive effect, perhaps reducing the risk of these antisocial behaviors remaining into adulthood.

Please Help Me: What to Do When You Need Help

Social situations aren’t always easy, whether you have asocial or antisocial traits or not. However, there are things that you can do to help you manage them.

You might decide to make changes to your lifestyle to help you manage social situations better in the long term.

Journalingand using mental health tools like Wysa can help too, making you more self-aware in terms of the factors causing the behavior—it can help you decide whether you need to seek external support. Joshi says: “Surround oneself with supportive and positive influences. Seek out individuals who can provide guidance, encouragement, and accountability throughout the process of change.”

Antisocial vs. Borderline Personality Disorder: What Are the Differences?

2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fisher KA, Hany M.Antisocial personality disorder.StatPearls. 2023. PMID:31536279.Álvarez-García D, González-Castro P, Núñez JC, Rodríguez C, Cerezo R.Impact of family and friends on antisocial adolescent behavior: The mediating role of impulsivity and empathy.Front Psychol. 2019;10. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02071

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fisher KA, Hany M.Antisocial personality disorder.StatPearls. 2023. PMID:31536279.Álvarez-García D, González-Castro P, Núñez JC, Rodríguez C, Cerezo R.Impact of family and friends on antisocial adolescent behavior: The mediating role of impulsivity and empathy.Front Psychol. 2019;10. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02071

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Fisher KA, Hany M.Antisocial personality disorder.StatPearls. 2023. PMID:31536279.Álvarez-García D, González-Castro P, Núñez JC, Rodríguez C, Cerezo R.Impact of family and friends on antisocial adolescent behavior: The mediating role of impulsivity and empathy.Front Psychol. 2019;10. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02071

Fisher KA, Hany M.Antisocial personality disorder.StatPearls. 2023. PMID:31536279.

Álvarez-García D, González-Castro P, Núñez JC, Rodríguez C, Cerezo R.Impact of family and friends on antisocial adolescent behavior: The mediating role of impulsivity and empathy.Front Psychol. 2019;10. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02071

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