Researchers at the Massachusetts Intstitute of Technology have found a way to change good memories into bad ones, and bad memories into good ones at least in mice. The researchers used light to switch particular neurons in the brains of mice on and off, which had the effect of changing their memories. Although the findings are very preliminary, experts believe the technique may lead to more effective therapies for people suffering from depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. Light can switch bad memories to good, on USAToday.com. Using light technique, scientists find dimmer switch for memories in mice, on NYTimes.com. …
Struggling with no contact?
No contact is of the utmost importance when it comes to recovering from any unhealthy relationship. Why, then, can it be so hard to maintain? How is it that we can do so well for long stretches and then become instant Jell-O with seemingly little warning? Of the myriad of struggles we may experience during recovery, this seems to be one of the most common snags. The cold reality is that we are going through withdrawal and there is no methadone to ease the pain of this addiction. Making matters worse, each and every time we break it, the clock starts over, feeling worse than we did previously. However, from experience, I know that we do get to the point where we truly do not care to em …
If his eyes could talk when he walked out, they would have said “this pond’s been fished out”
Editor's Note: This Spath story was submitted by Lovefraud reader “Christina2014” I met him while I was working as a designer. He was homeless, penniless, hitchhiking through the country. He told me that his family disowned him and that he is a writer/activist. He introduced himself with a fake name at first, but later, when he realized that I was a worthwhile victim, he gave me his real name and decided to camp out in my life for a while. I helped him get his identifications (he told me he burned them out of protest, finding out years later that he skipped parole in Illinois), drove him to GE classes and helped him even to enroll into College. During the 14 years we were together h …
Students develop scientific way to reduce date rapes
Four students from North Carolina State University invented "Undercover Colors," a nail polish that can detect if a date-rape drug has been added to a drink. A woman wearing the nail polish just stirs her drink with her finger. If a drug is in the drink, the nail polish changes color. The nail polish is a scientific attempt to thwart a nationwide problem. A recent Washington Post analysis showed more than 3,900 allegations of forcible sex offenses on college campuses nationwide in 2012, a statistic that rose 50 percent in three years Undercover Colors is currently raising cash to refine its prototype and pay executives. "We are early in the R&D stage for this important product," sa …
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Robin Williams, suicide and sociopaths
Like millions of fans around the country and the world, I gasped when I heard the news: Robin Williams was dead of an apparent suicide. How could it be? He was so funny! Every time I watch Birdcage I practically fall off the sofa laughing. And he was such an amazing talent! In Good Morning Vietnam, Williams ad-libbed all of the Adrian Cronauer's broadcast scenes. And the movie Aladdin was rejected for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay because Williams, as the Genie, ad-libbed so many lines. See some of Williams' magnificent improvisations here: Robin Williams Ad-Lib: Remembering the late, great actor with 9 of his greatest improvised moments, on IBTimes.com But it turned …
I had a seven-year affair with my sociopath pastor
Editor's note: This story was written by a reader whom we'll call "Carlotta." My story began rather sad. I met the P when I was almost 15. I am 22 now and had dated this man for seven years in a secret relationship that no one knew about. At that time (seven years ago), he was married for a year and was a pastor of a church. He began using his authority to get close to me and hang out with him more and one day approached me and told me that he is attracted to me and loves me, also mentioning that he feels so loved by me and no one else. He said his wife had cheated on him with someone else and he receives no love from her whatever and really loves me. I was confused at the time but …
My ‘knight in shining armor’ turned out to be a sociopath
Editor's note: The following was written by "Cajungirl." I found my "knight in shining armor" as a single mom of a six-month-old baby. My boyfriend was too good to be true to myself and my son. I fell in love quickly and soon life was easier and we settled into home life. Three years later I am pregnant with my second child and decided to marry the man I loved. He traveled 4-5 days a week so we decided I would be the at-home caregiver. My relationship changed abruptly when I began to feel isolated and out of touch. I had to fight for a part time job to have a social outlet. I was a fine dining server and enjoyed the easy money that was mine. I had to work only when my husband was …
My ‘knight in shining armor’ turned out to be a sociopathRead More
Psychopaths as Predators: Protecting Children
A child predator is likely (but not always) a psychopath and not necessarily a stranger. Here are some points to consider when it comes to protecting your children.* Be Present People who prey on children are likely to seek out roles that give them time for intimate contact. That includes coaches, club advisors, teachers, pastors, and so on. Background checks are only useful if the individual has been caught, and let's face it, many are not. A clever psychopath who preys on children is likely to evade detection through charisma, deception, and a values-driven facade. This person may be the last you'd ever expect—the type who spends time with the family even when the children aren't a …
LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: My adopted daughter became her biological mother
Editor's Note: Lovefraud recently received the following letter from a reader who posts as "Hannah4." Donna Andersen will offer comments at the end of her story. V and B join our family I retired from teaching two years ago. I have been married for 38 years to the same man and gave birth to two sons who are now grown. Sixteen years ago, my husband and I became guardians of two girls who are biological sisters (who attended the school where I taught). One of the sisters, V, joined our family when she was nine years old. One year later, her younger sister, B, who had just turned nine, also joined our family. At the time, I taught in a private Christian school where the philosophy was "it …
LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: My adopted daughter became her biological motherRead More
Q&A with a psychopathy expert
Neuroscientist Kent A. Kiehl, Ph.D., has used an mobile MRI scanner to peer into the brains of about 3,000 violent offenders, including 500 psychopaths. Keihl recently came out with a new book, The Psychopath Whisperer The science of those without conscience. In an interview on Wired.com, he answers questions like: What's the difference between psychopathy and psychosis? Why do you see psychopathy as a mental disorder, not just an extreme personality type? What is different about psychopathic brains? Read the full interview: What it's like to spend 20 years listening to psychopaths for science, on Wired.com. …
