How to recognize and recover from everyday sociopaths - narcissists

Q&A with attorney Megan Lyons, an expert in court battles with sociopaths

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Megan Lyons, Esq., who is based in Sarasota, Florida, is the newest member of the Lovefraud Professional Resources Guide. What experience have you had dealing with sociopaths or other disordered personalities—personally, professionally, or both? I have dealt with pathological sociopaths for most of my life in my personal experience, romantically and in the professional arena. As a result of these life changing experiences and relationships, I committed years to studying sociopathy and the recovery from such insidious and sadistic abuse. How do you go about helping clients who have tangled with a sociopath?  Because of my personal experience with sociopaths, I am able to provide genuine …

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Amber Heard, ex-wife of Johnny Depp, speaks out about violence against women

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Amber Heard just released a public service announcement video in which she encourages women to speak up if they are being abused. Heard and actor Johnny Depp divorced in August 2016, after having married in February of 2015. They were romantically involved approximately four years. Heard alleged that Depp abused her during their marriage. Amber Heard won't be shamed any longer in powerful domestic abuse PSA, on HuffingtonPost.com. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: A timeline of their relationship, divorce and domestic abuse allegatins, on ETOnline.com. Story suggested by a Lovefraud reader. …

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10 reasons why sociopaths’ lies seem so believable

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When we finally figure out that just about everything a sociopath told us is a lie, we are shocked. How can anyone lie so fluently? And why did we fall for it? Here are 10 reasons why the lies sociopaths tell seem so believable: Sociopaths tell you how honest they are Early on, sociopaths may tell you how much they value honesty, that truthfulness is the foundation of all relationships. Their objective is to convince you of their trustworthiness, so that when you encounter their lies, you don't see them. Sociopaths lie while they look directly into your eyes Some experts say that if people look up and to their right while speaking, it's a sign that they are lying. Other …

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Con man lies about Iraq injuries to get government benefits and a free house

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In this video, Brandon Blackstone gives his heartfelt testimonial about his devastating injuries in Iraq, and how a charitable organization helped him recover. Problem is, he's lying. Brandon Blackstone, 35, of Arlington, Texas, pleaded guilty of lying about injuries sustained in Iraq so that he could bilk the government and charities out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Blackstone did serve as a Marine in Iraq, but he was not injured in a humvee that hit an improvised explosive device, as he claimed. Blackstone co-opted the story of Casey Owens, who suffered terrible injuries in an explosion, including losing his legs. Owens eventually committed suicide because of his …

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Sociopaths: Breaking hearts for fun and pleasure

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Lovefraud recently heard from a woman in England; we'll call her Suzie. Suzie met a man on LargeFriends.com who said his name was Mike. Mike lived in Oregon, which was 5,000 miles away. Yet they quickly developed a rapport, and within weeks Mike was sending Suzie cards, e-cards, e-mails, drawings and stories written just for her. About a month after they first made contact, Mike declared his love for Suzie—even though they had never met. They exchanged their phone numbers and addresses. They talked on the phone for hours and bought webcams so they could see each other. Mike told Suzie he abhorred infidelity, which was the reason why he wasn't married at age 45—he intended to marry only …

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On Thanksgiving, the energy of gratitude

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  One of the most healing energies of the universe is gratitude. No matter what your situation, finding something to be grateful for can help you move forward. This may seem difficult, especially if you've recently discovered that you've been betrayed by a sociopath. But even under these circumstances, you can be grateful that you have finally learned the truth. My own experience with a sociopath was shattering. But one thing that was demolished was the wall I had built around myself. With that gone, I was able to move forward and find true love and companionship, and for that I am grateful. To all Lovefraud readers, thank you for your contributions to our collective healing. …

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Love scam: Woman targets 92-year-old man, marries him, drains his money

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Aloysius Mack, 92, of Schaumburg, Illinois, visited the same McDonalds restaurant every morning for coffee. One day, Sophie Miller sat down across the table from him. He thought he found love. She found a bank account. Miller got Mack to pay $80,000 for a laundromat business, $40,000 for a van, got on his bank account and tried to get his home. In another case from Cook County, Illinois, 79-year-old Benita Manalo married her caretaker, Phil Cantillas, who was 28 years younger. He took $65,000 from her. The Cook County public guardian said that as baby boomers age, the love scam problem will likely get worse. Fake "love scam" drains 92-year-old man's savings, on CBSNews.com. …

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Singapore launches TV commercials and hotline to fight scams

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Scammers are running amok all over the world, but at least in Singapore, authorities are trying to educate people not to fall for them. In Singapore, victims are losing S$120,000 a day. So the National Crime Prevention Council and the Singapore Police Force have launched a new anti-scam hotline. They are promoting it with television commercials featuring a local celebrity. The commercial makes three simple points: Do not panic Do not believe the scammers Do not give in to their demands I'd like to see other countries educating their citizens as well. Click the link below to see a video report and parts of the commercial. New hotline launched in fight against scammers, on …

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25 years later: Mary Jo Buttafuoco, her cheating husband, and the Long Island Lolita

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On May 19, 1992, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot in the head on the front porch of her home in Massapequa, New York. The assailant was Amy Fisher, a 17-year-old student who was having an affair with Joey Buttafuoco, Mary Jo's husband. Luckily, Mary Jo survived. She wrote a book about her experience called, Getting It Through My Thick Skull: Why I Stayed, What I learned, and What Millions of People Involved with Sociopaths Need to Know. Lovefraud wrote about the book when it came out in 2010. Read the review. Now, 25 years later, the story of the "Long Island Lolita," as Fisher was named by the media, is the subject of a new series on Reelz called, Scandal Made Me Famous. Read more: Joey …

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My sociopathic ex-husband led my son into the lion’s den

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Editor's note: Lovefraud received the following letter from a woman whom we'll call "Eleanor." Names have been changed. The sociopath is my ex-husband. We were married for 10 years, two children, girl and boy. He changed THE DAY we were married. He has alcohol problem, cheated on me, lies. When I asked him to see marriage counselor, he told me to go by myself. I went for counseling by myself for approximately 4 months and was told, "I can either counsel you to live with him or counsel you to live without him." This is way before I figured out he is a sociopath, I decided this was not my idea of love. So I told ex that I was going for divorce. He was enraged. Would not give me money for …

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