Episode 281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns
Being Human
Not every rule-breaker is choosing rebellion. Most are choosing safety — and they've been doing it since childhood. In this first episode of a new series, Dr. Greg takes apart what "antisocial" actually means and traces the pattern back to its source: not evil or criminal, but a deep wound that learned to survive by refusing to trust. Key Topics: * Why "antisocial" has nothing to do with introversion — and what it actually describes * How charm and omnipotent control can be defenses, not personality traits * Why growing up with an unpredictable parent makes rules feel like threats instead of like love * What the interpersonal wish "help me trust you" reveals beneath even the most closed-off exterior * Why the parts of us that push back against rules deserve curiosity, not condemnation * How empathy, education, and direction together create the conditions where rules feel like love * Why the gap between antisocial patterns and ordinary daily life is narrower than we'd like to admit Learn More: * Summit of Integration 2026 — Join us in Dallas, October 20–23, celebrating the Feast of St. John Paul II. * Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: * Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation * Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: * Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation * Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: * Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing: A Deep Dive into the Dependent Defense Pattern * Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: * Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary: Why Real Change Happens through Love not Willpower * Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): * Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens * Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski * Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation. * Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment. Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn