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he can’t seem to adjust. It’s important to note the role that cultural norms play in the definition, as well—as is usual for psychiatrists and psychologists, “normal” is defined by the context of culture as opposed to an objective definition, an approach that puts a real emphasis on a person’s ability to connect with, and relate to, what’s happening around them. Also of importance is the indication that these thoughts and behaviors must be “an enduring pattern.” Though we all have our moments of disagreement with social mores or expectations, and most of us can even think of at least one time when we have impulsively made a major transgression, this is still generally not enough to qualify as a disorder. Getting into a bar fight or streaking through your college graduation ceremony may not be particularly upstanding or dignified behaviors, but so long as they’re not part of an overall pattern of reckless rule-breaking, they tend to fall well within the metric of momentary lapses in judgment and conduct we consider normal. A true personality disorder is a long-lasting problem that essentially pervades all aspects of a person’s life in a way that interferes with their ability to function in society. This would seem to fit the serial killer, and the crack addict, with equal emphasis.

Although the specifics of his story might divide professional opinions on whether he fits the clinical definition of an addict, for the purposes of this essay it is safe to say that Dexter displays both addictive behavior and a personality disorder.

Whether personality disorders cause addiction or whether the addictive behavior brings about the development of these disorders seems to depend on the circumstance, but these two afflictions undoubtedly support one another, to the tune of a three times higher prevalence of personality disorders in addicts versus the general population. Similarly, in Dexter, Dexter is not the only addict with a personality disorder—or personality disorder sufferer with an addiction. Some of Dexter’s other characters give us a look at typical symptoms of three of the most widespread and significant entries in the DSM’s “B Cluster” of personality disorders, defined as the “dramatic, emotional, or erratic” disorders. Known respectively as Antisocial, Borderline, and Narcissistic personality disorders, all three have been linked extensively with addiction, in addition to having been diagnosed extensively in killers, violent criminals, and even serial murderers.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Looming largest amongst these disorders is probably antisocial personality disorder, also known as ASPD. The APA defines antisocial personality disorder as “a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.” In other words, those afflicted with ASPD, who are commonly referred to as sociopaths or psychopaths, have little to no ability to feel empathy. That inability to connect to others, and the compulsion to violate those rights, leads many people with ASPD directly into a life of crime. Those with ASPD are known to lie and steal, are highly impulsive, and have problems controlling their behavior and emotions. They are known to display superficial charm and an extreme sense of entitlement, and, as would seem obvious, often have serious and recurring problems with the law.

The clear parallel here is Dexter Morgan himself, an extremely intelligent and genial fellow with a triple-digit body count. From childhood, Dexter has had not only a disregard for the rights of others but a genuine compulsion to violate them in the form of murder. He admits to having no natural compassion for the people around him, a disregard that is mollified only through the strict moral code drilled into him by his adoptive father, a police officer who recognized the signs that his son might turn into a complete monster without guidance. The skills and self-control that Harry Morgan taught Dexter are meant to explain to us how it is that someone as