How to recognize and recover from everyday sociopaths - narcissists

You are here: Home / Archives for Donna Andersen

New webinar Sept. 19: How to Start Your Recovery from Emotional and Psychological Abuse

//  by //  Leave a Comment

By the time it sinks in that you're involved with a sociopath, you're a mess. You've been betrayed, beaten down and abused. You know you need to make a change, but you don't know where you'll find the strength. Lovefraud's new webinar can help. Mandy Friedman, LPCC, is the instructor in one of Lovefraud's most popular courses, Self-Care for Complex PTSD. In her new course, she's taking a broader look at how to move forward. Start your new life by joining her! How to Start Your Recovery from Emotional and Psychological Abuse Instructor — Mandy Friedman, LPCC, CCDVC Thursday, September 19, 2019 • 8 pm ET $37.50 for 90 minutes of instruction Sign up today! …

New webinar Sept. 19: How to Start Your Recovery from Emotional and Psychological AbuseRead More

50 classic warning signs of sociopathic behavior in one BBC story

//  by //  2 Comments

A Lovefraud reader recently sent me a story from the BBC about a relationship with a sociopath, although the article never comes out and says it. Here's the summary: When Anna, an actress, fell in love with an older and more successful actor he seemed like the perfect man. They quickly became engaged - but then he began to change. It took time for her to realise that her fairytale romance had become an abusive relationship. The article highlights typical behavior of a predatory sociopath, and the typical responses of his unsuspecting target. I point out 50 warning signs below. But first, I invite you to read the article. Emotional abuse: 'My fiancé seemed perfect - but he wanted to …

50 classic warning signs of sociopathic behavior in one BBC storyRead More

Deception: the sociopath’s key strategy

//  by //  12 Comments

My blog article last week was entitled, Why falling for a romance scam doesn’t mean you’re stupid. I related several stories of people who thought they were in romantic relationships, but everything their so-called partners told them was a lie. One woman lost $100,000. Another lost her life. In response to the article, I received the following comment from a reader: I’ve figured out that the common denominator with all these love scams, is lack of SELF love! Why are there so many ppl that don’t love themselves enough to not place themselves in these crazy scenarios? In some cases, there may be truth to this observation — yes, some people do not think highly of themselves. But I do …

Deception: the sociopath’s key strategyRead More

Why falling for a romance scam doesn’t mean you’re stupid

//  by //  3 Comments

A woman from Queensland, Australia, trying to help her online lover, found herself in the middle of a $6 million romance scam. The 60-year-old woman met the man, who claimed to be American, 18 months ago. He convinced her to send him $100,000 of her own money. Then she gave the man her bank details, and he deposited $6 million into her account — money that had been swindled from a South Korean business. In a news article on ABC.net.au, Detective Senior Sergeant Daren Edwards gave his opinion of the woman's actions in the romance scam: "I think it's just blatant stupidity — there's no other word for it." Those of us who've lost money to sociopathic love interests usually do feel stu …

Why falling for a romance scam doesn’t mean you’re stupidRead More

3 vital concepts about sociopaths that are key to our survival

//  by //  6 Comments

Two Lovefraud readers recently sent in articles explaining their views regarding their experiences with sociopaths. Their opinions are almost completely opposite from each other. In The importance of recognizing the complexities of sociopath relationships, the reader “Andrea19” suggests a nuanced way of looking at our experiences with sociopaths. Yes, her ex-husband is manipulative and deceptive, she writes, but she acknowledges that she has her own mental health issues that contributed to the dysfunctional relationship. The Lovefraud reader “Lanie19” takes a different view. In her article, I lived among sociopathic monsters all of my life, she comes out and says, “They are all monsters.” H …

3 vital concepts about sociopaths that are key to our survivalRead More

‘Listen to your intuition,’ says a woman who didn’t, and died regretting it

//  by //  6 Comments

Last year, I had an email exchange with a woman whom we'll call, "Amy." I sent out a newsletter that included an article about staying safe from sociopaths by listening to our intuition. Amy responded: *** Nov. 13, 2018 Hi Donna, This is so true about intuition. The biggest mistake I made was not trusting my gut feeling that there was something wrong with the man to whom I was engaged. I asked everyone, friends and family, for support and they all said i should marry him. Now I realize that the quick engagement was a trap to get me hooked and committed, to be hesitant to break it off. I see it now as a real tactic to get me hooked. Back then, it seemed like the worst thing to be …

‘Listen to your intuition,’ says a woman who didn’t, and died regretting itRead More

The sociopath preys on young girls with vulnerabilities

//  by //  3 Comments

Editor's note: This story was written by a Lovefraud reader who posts as "stars4healing." I'm not a good storyteller. I just want to try my best to put some facts out there in case it helps someone. This is just a couple easy to explain things he put me (and others) through. He is an engineer, very smart man. Comes off as perverted, "creepy" (he hates that word), and desperate. He likes to seem like a helper. This way he can look like a victim when his "helpers" report his abuse. He preys on young girls with vulnerabilities, mainly drug addicts. Thanks to me, he's mastered the art of exploiting and humiliating an addict. I wasn't addicted when I met him. I was a teenager; he was 10 …

The sociopath preys on young girls with vulnerabilitiesRead More

7 Classic lies from sociopaths and how to spot them

//  by //  5 Comments

Sociopaths lie. No matter what type of relationship you have with a sociopath — romantic, family, business or casual — sooner or later the sociopath will lie to you. The circumstances may vary, the scale of the lie may vary, but at some point the sociopath will tell you something that simply isn't true. Following are seven classic lies from sociopaths (people who could be diagnosed with antisocial, narcissistic, borderline, histrionic or psychopathic personality disorders). How many have you heard? I love you Sociopaths are incapable of love, as you and I understand it. Real love includes caregiving, and sociopaths simply cannot put someone else's well being before their own. How …

7 Classic lies from sociopaths and how to spot themRead More

Michelle Carter claims urging her boyfriend to commit suicide was “free speech”

//  by //  4 Comments

On July 12, 2014, two Massachusetts teenagers, Michelle Carter and her boyfriend Conrad Roy III, were texting about suicide. Specifically, Carter urged Roy to commit suicide. She wrote: "Just go somewhere in your truck and no one is really out there right now because it's an awkward time. If you don't do it now you're never gonna do it, and you can say you'll do it tomorrow, but you probably won't. Tonight? Love you." Roy got back in his truck and committed suicide. Almost three years later, Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Carter's conviction was upheld by the Massachusetts Supreme Court on February 6, 2019. She is now serving a 15-month prison sentence. But a few …

Michelle Carter claims urging her boyfriend to commit suicide was “free speech”Read More

What to do with your anger at the sociopath

//  by //  24 Comments

When I finally realized that my husband, James Montgomery, had lied to me, cheated on me, and targeted me just to take my money, I was angry. Furious. Outraged. With each lie I discovered, my internal upheaval grew. Yes, he was cheating with multiple women, and taking money from them as well. No, he was not a Hollywood screenwriter, although he pretended to be. No, he had never served in the Australian military, even though he claimed to have won its highest honor. I felt the anger deep within me. I had a hard time concentrating on what I needed to do to extricate myself from the mess. I couldn't sleep. Perhaps you know what I mean. Anger management Dealing with anger was …

What to do with your anger at the sociopathRead More