If you are targeted by a sociopath, you will endure emotional abuse. Sociopaths — meaning people with antisocial, narcissistic, borderline, histrionic or psychopathic personality disorders — live their lives by manipulating and exploiting others. So if you have any kind of extensive or ongoing involvement with a sociopath, you will be manipulated, deceived and betrayed. It's just a matter of how badly. Manipulation, deceit and betrayal are all forms of emotional abuse. Why? Because society runs on trust, and sociopaths violate trust. When the trust you place in someone is violated, you suffer an emotional wound. But will emotional abuse become physical abuse? The answer is, may …
Signs of a sociopath: Belgian woman allegedly scams 7 men
Semia B., a Belgian woman who was not fully identified, is on trial for pretending to love seven men and scamming them. Her story includes signs of a sociopath. Nele Poelmans, the public prosecutor, claimed Semia B took a total of 385,000 euros over three years, although one of the victims put the total at 550,000 euros. According to a news report in The Brussels Times: The men were questioned and all gave similar statements. The woman promised a longterm relationship, but it never came to that. According to public prosecutor Poelmans, there also weren't any sexual relations. "The victims had to undergo an std-test first, or she would find another excuse." According to the …
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Signs of a female sociopath: Outrageous lies and manipulative behavior
Most people who tell their stories on Lovefraud were targeted and abused by sociopathic men. It's important to remember that women can also be sociopaths. The signs of a female sociopath are pretty much the same as those for men. They lie, manipulate and exploit. They are self-centered and feel entitled to anything they want. They use other people without shame or guilt. Here are some recent examples from the media: Anna Sorokin, fake German heiress, on trial for scamming $275,000 Anna Sorokin, now 28, called herself Anna Delvey. She infiltrated New York City's artsy-chic-cool social scene, telling all her new friends that she was a German heiress worth about $25 million. She had big …
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Did a suspected psychopath make you question your memory of a past event?
University of Windsor researchers still in need of participants to complete online survey about experiences in relationships with psychopaths Researchers are interested in hearing about your experiences with suspected psychopaths. Use the link below to complete a screening questionnaire to determine if you are eligible to participate in the study: Screening questionnaire For this screening questionnaire, you will be asked about a specific time when someone you suspect is a psychopath made you question your memory for a past event. This may have been because they told you that your memory was incorrect, that the events did not happen, or that other people have doubts about your …
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California hairstylist loses $273,000 in online romance scam
"Yin," a hairstylist from California, went looking for love on Match.com, the online dating site. She thought she found it when she met "David Perez," a divorced major in the Marines with a 10-year-old daughter. Major Perez told Yin he was deployed to Afghanistan. Then he told her that he needed money. Yin sent him $273,000 — her entire life savings. Needless to say, the money is gone. Unfortunately, Yin is not alone. According to the Federal Trade Commission, 21,000 people reported losing money in online dating romance scams last year. How much did they lose? More than $143 million. It's the single largest type of consumer fraud in the country. Watch the video news r …
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Video: Mandy Friedman talks about Self-care for Complex PTSD
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
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
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 …
What do narcissists want?
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 …
Can a relationship with a sociopath work?
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 …