Who comes to mind when you hear the word psychopath? Charles Manson? Ted Bundy? Hannibal Lecter?

It seems that all the prominent psychopathic characters are men, regardless of whether we are talking about them in the real world or in the movies.
But what about women? Is there such a thing as a mentally ill woman?

The answer is yes. Chances are high that you will have at least one in your life.

It could be your boss, your friend, your co-worker, or your sister. Maybe even your mother-in-law (admit it, you know you’ve thought about this possibility at least once).

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We don’t hear much about female psychopaths. They are rarely depicted in films or books (notable exceptions are “Fatal Attraction”, “Misery”, and “Lost Girl”).

It is also rarely studied in the scientific literature. But the few studies that have examined psychopathic women confirm that they do exist. In fact, an estimated 17% of incarcerated women meet criteria for psychopaths (compare that to 30% of incarcerated men).

But what about outside the prison system, in everyday life? These percentages indicate that your odds of encountering a male with psychopathic personality traits are higher than the odds of encountering a female male, right?

Not so fast.

Psychopathy is a personality disorder — an illness. It is known that diseases appear differently in men and women.

Take heart attacks as an example. Symptoms typically associated with a heart attack — chest pain, tingling in the left arm, and sweating — are common in men. Women who have a heart attack are less likely to experience these symptoms and more likely to experience shortness of breath and nausea.

Well, it turns out that psychopathy also manifests itself differently in men and women.

The stereotypical symptoms seen in films like “American Psycho” and “Silence of the Lambs” — animal abuse, physical violence, superficial charm — are more indicative of a male psychopath.

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Psychopathic women show different symptoms, and are often less violent. As a result, they are more likely to go undetected than their male counterparts.

How do psychological women differ from psychological men?

1. Narcissism

First, all psychopaths have a high degree of narcissism, meaning they see themselves as superior to others. But psychopathic women are more secretive about their narcissistic tendencies.

Male narcissists tend to shout their grandiose self-beliefs from the rooftops (or via Twitter). Narcissistic women think they are better than you behind your back, but they hide their true feelings when they meet face to face.

2. Aggression

What is most distinctive is the way psychopaths express aggression.

Male psychopaths tend to display behavioral aggression. They engage in physical assault, animal abuse, or commit violent crimes.

Psychopathic women prefer relational aggression (think Amy Dunne from “Gone Girl”). They hurt you at work by spreading gossip. They gaslight you to the point that you question your sanity.

They manipulate and trick you into doing their bidding (think Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character in “Single White Female”). If you refuse to move forward, they threaten to hurt themselves in response.

Psychopathic women are skilled puppeteers, pulling everyone’s buttons and pulling people’s strings to get what they want.

Simply put: male psychopaths throw punches; Female psychopaths throw shade.

This difference in aggressive styles likely explains why the proportion of psychiatric patients in men’s prisons is twice as high as that of women’s prisons.

Because male psychopaths are more likely to engage in violent behavior, they are more likely to be arrested and imprisoned. Psychopathic women are better equipped to fly under the radar.

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What do you do if you suspect there is a psychological patient in your life?

The first step is getting to know them, which is harder than you think.

Contrary to what movies tell us, most psychopaths are not psychotic or angry killers. Instead, most of them are what psychologists call “successful psychopaths” — your CEO, your doctor, your lawyer, or a beloved celebrity (all professions with high rates of psychopaths).

So the good news is that if there is a psychopath in your life, they are unlikely to kill you. The bad news is that they are likely to make your life miserable and hurt you in less obvious ways, so uncovering them is key.

But before you start getting paranoid, know this. Not every woman who gossips or threatens to harm herself is mentally ill. Psychopathy is a narrowly defined disorder consisting of a group of traits, not just one.

What if you realized that you had a real psychopath in your life?

The truth is that there is not much you can do to change a psychopath. In many ways, their disorder is rooted in their brains.

For example, when viewing distressing images or immoral behaviors, psychopaths (males and females) show decreased activity in the amygdala, the part of our brain that controls and processes emotions.

So what then? In many cases, the best way to beat a psychopath at his own game is to refuse to play. Don’t participate in their frivolous gossip. Don’t take the bait when they push your buttons. Stand your ground and don’t let them intimidate you.

And if all else fails, do what victims in serial killer movies always do: run away!