Donna Andersen, Author at Lovefraud | Escape sociopaths - narcissists in relationships

Video: Mandy Friedman talks about Self-care for Complex PTSD

March 20, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// Leave a Comment

If you endured physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and/or financial abuse for a long time, you may be suffering from complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). But you can learn how to recognize the symptoms and create your own recovery program. In this upcoming Lovefraud webinar, Mandy Friedman, LPCC, CCDVC, will thoroughly explain the psychological, behavioral and physical symptoms of C-PTSD. She'll explain how this disorder affects your brain. Then, she'll teach you how to advocate for yourself if you seek therapy, and offer strategies for your own self-care. Self-Care for Complex PTSD Tuesday, March 26, 8-9 pm ET • $25 Instructor: Mandy Friedman, LPCC, C …

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People who can ruin your life, and how to deal with them

March 18, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// 6 Comments

BOOK REVIEW: 5 Types of people who can ruin your life - Identifying and dealing with narcissists, sociopaths and other high-conflict personalities, by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. Review by Donna Andersen Yes, millions of people with serious personality disorders have the potential to ruin your life. 5 Types of people who can ruin your life, by Bill Eddy, is the first book I've seen that draws attention to the multiple personality disorders that spell trouble for interpersonal relationships. Bill Eddy is a lawyer and social worker who leads the High Conflict Institute, an organization which educates people about high-conflict personalities and high-conflict disputes. His previous book, …

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Complex PTSD from relationships with sociopaths

March 16, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// 2 Comments

You're pretty sure that you're involved with a sociopath, but you feel helpless to do anything about it. You're afraid of conflict and you feel a sense of paralyzing shame and loneliness. You berate yourself for not being able to make a decision and get out. But your issue may not be a character flaw — indecision, helplessness and shame are all symptoms of complex PTSD (C-PTSD). According to Dr. Karin Huffer, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric injury caused by feeling helpless while in jeopardy. It is generally associated with a single traumatic episode, such a car crash, earthquake or sexual assault, or with combat and the atrocities of war. Complex PTSD, h …

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What do narcissists want?

March 11, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// 1 Comment

At first, narcissists are charming and attentive, but eventually they turn cold and cruel. Many people are totally baffled by the behavior, and come to suspect they’re dealing with a narcissist. They turn to the Internet and ask variations of the question, what do narcissists want? Here are 20 of those questions — with the answers. 1 . What do narcissists want? Narcissists want what is called "narcissistic supply." In her Lovefraud webinar called, Understanding and Recognizing Narcissistic Abuse, Tiffany Kettermann, LPC, CADCI, explains that narcissistic supply is, "Anything or anyone that feeds the narcissistic person's ego and keeps the person artificially pumped up, protecting their fra …

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Can a relationship with a sociopath work?

March 4, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// 13 Comments

You've met someone who is charming, charismatic, fun, attentive and, oh yeah, sexy. Your relationship is the most exciting you've ever experienced — at first. Then you see some red flags, and your relationship isn't as pleasant as it once was. After a few nasty incidents, you Google words like "pathological lying," and see descriptions that sound like your partner. You suspect your partner may be a sociopath. The good times are, or were, really good. You don't want to throw it all away. So you wonder — can a relationship with a sociopath work? The answer depends on what you mean by "work." You cannot have a supportive, sharing relationship with a sociopath If by "work" you mean a f …

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Narcissistic manipulation: Patrick Frazee wanted his girlfriend to commit murder

March 1, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// 2 Comments

Here's one of the worst cases of narcissistic manipulation I've ever seen: Three times, Patrick Frazee, 32, of Florissant, Colorado, tried to convince his girlfriend to murder his fiancée. When the girlfriend couldn't do it, Frazee allegedly beat Kelsey Berreth, the mother of his child, to death with a baseball bat. Then he called his girlfriend, Krystal Lee Kenney of Idaho, to clean up the mess. Frazee and Kenney began an intimate relationship in early 2018 — and Frazee probably began his narcissistic manipulation right away. Eventually, Kenney was "under his spell," as former FBI profiler Pete Klismet said in an interview with KRDO TV in Colorado. On Sept. 23, Frazee wanted Kenney …

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Love Fraud book excerpt: One more massive lie from my sociopath husband

February 28, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// 2 Comments

My husband, James Montgomery, convinced me to move to Florida by saying he had a deal to launch our new Titanic Exhibition. He lied. I was broke. Now what were we going to do? By Donna Andersen By the first week of February 1999, James had been in Orlando for more than two months. I’d been there for six weeks. I was still working on plans for the exhibition at Wild Bill’s, and needed more information about the facility’s dimensions. I called the dinner theater’s office. “We have the Titanic exhibition that’s going into Wild Bill’s,” I said to the manager who answered the phone. “I’d like to stop by and take some more measurements.” “The Titanic exhibition!” exclaimed the manager. …

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How to date after a narcissist, sociopath or other exploiter

February 21, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// 4 Comments

When you're thinking about starting to date after a narcissist, sociopath or other exploiter, the last thing you need to hear is some so-called expert telling you to fix your low self-esteem. I just read an article on PsychCentral, and the author says the reason you attracted a narcissist in the first place is because you lack confidence. Hello?? I, for one, was not lacking in self-esteem when my sociopathic ex waltzed into my life. I've heard from plenty of successful, accomplished men and women who also found themselves in relationships with disordered individuals. Self-esteem is not the issue. So what is the issue? Actually there are three: Lack of awareness We fall for …

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Love Fraud book excerpt: Because of my husband, I was about to lose everything

February 21, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// Leave a Comment

Finally, my husband, James Montgomery, found a project that might actually become reality — a Titanic Exhibition. He and a partner had secured investors, we'd assembled a collection of artifacts, I was planning the show — and then it all fell apart. By Donna Andersen On Thanksgiving morning, as usual, James got up long before me and went down to his office in the basement, even though he just flew in from Las Vegas the day before. I was in the kitchen, getting ready to prepare my contribution to the day’s feast—a casserole of carrots and apples—when he came upstairs, wearing his bathrobe. “We should leave around one o’clock for my uncle’s house,” I said. “All right,” James replied …

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3 Tips for polite conversation about relationship abuse

February 18, 2019 // by Donna Andersen// 2 Comments

I recently attended a small party — about 15 people — at a friend's home. I got into a conversation with two women, neither of whom I knew before. They both revealed that, like me, they had endured relationship abuse. We started swapping stories. The first woman worked hard all her life, built a successful career, and then married the guy who, over about seven years, took advantage of her assets. She described his lies, mostly about money, as "gaslighting." The second woman had three children with a man who turned out to be a controller, moving her away from family and friends. She spent 20 years trying to shield the children from his destructive ways, then finally divorced him. I wa …

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mamo on Name a cockroach after your ex and feed it to a wild animal: “lol, this service sounds insanely interesting and so does friday night funkin’”
mamo on Is Byran Kohberger a psychopath?: “hills of steel is one of the most interesting action game, it may help these psychopaths”
Donna Andersen on After the sociopath, proud of my healing: “Eleanor – Congratulations to you and all survivors. And thank you so much for your kind words. You, too, have…”
sept4 on Am I a sociopath magnet?: “Not me, I am one and done! My sociopath ex husband wrecked my life and I have never wanted to…”
sept4 on My psychopathic ex-husband is dead, and his pedophile brother is in prison: “Thank you Donna for sharing. My sociopath ex husband is a convicted criminal and continued his criminal activity after a…”