Despite the many variations of “be a good neighbor” that range from Jesus Christ to Mr. Rogers, people with antisocial tendencies don’t really see any issues with just being annoying to everyone around them. As a species, this trait should have been evolutionarily weeded out, as social creatures can’t really stand an outright hostile neighbor. Unfortunately, it still exists, propagated by bad families and disagreeable environments. 

This is a vicious cycle, as antisocial behavior creates the environments that help it propagate, leaving everyone else worse off. While in some cases, antisocial behavior is partially genetic, more often than not, it is learned, through poor socialization, abuse and just existing in a particularly bad environment. It’s no wonder that in English, a neighborhood doesn’t just refer to an area, but the people in it. 

All is not lost though, as there are potential treatments for antisocial behavior. The first is preventive, as there are certain, surmountable risk factors, ranging from positive role models to even having good nutrition. Of course, the real issue is that most of the people on this list are already adults, so preventative measures are basically way too late. So instead, a possible solution is Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

It’s important to preface the fact that no one can just make another adult do CBT, no matter how annoying of a neighbor they are. In certain cases, it could be mandated by a judge, but that would require an actual crime to be committed. For better or worse, being very annoying isn’t a crime in most places. But, hypothetically, a person might decide to improve themselves, maybe after a specific incident or after an intervention from loved ones. 

In these cases, a person would attend a number of sessions with a therapist to try and work through how they see themselves and how they can more positively relate to the world around them. Unfortunately, CBT is geared more towards children, as in many adults, antisocial behavior is cemented. Still, should an adult choose to attempt to better themselves, it could heighten the possibility of the treatment “sticking,” but this still requires that the person actually thinks they need help and strives for it. 

This may make it sound impossible to help someone who exhibits antisocial behavior, but in reality, it does happen. It’s also important to differentiate between antisocial behavior and antisocial personality disorder. The latter is more serious and harder to treat. It’s also less common, so in most cases, an annoying neighbor is not likely to become even more of a menace over time. Cold comfort, for those suffering from this issue, but better than nothing.