How to recognize and recover from everyday sociopaths - narcissists

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Three-part series on the criminal brain of sociopaths

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NPR radio explores the criminal brain in this three-part series of reports. Part One:  A Neuroscientist Uncovers A Dark Secret James Fallon, a  neuroscientist at the University of California-Irvine, believes that psychopathic tendencies may be passed through the DNA of family members and that upbringing can determine if the tendencies get triggered. Part Two: Inside A Psychopath's Brain: The Sentencing Debate Kent Kiehl, a professor at the University of New Mexico, reports that some psychopaths are born with certain parts of their brain not working like the brains of non-psychopaths. For example,  their emotional circuit does not engage in the same way as non-psychopaths and therefore wha …

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Brains and bad behavior

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Many research studies show that the brains of sociopaths are different from the brains of non-disordered people. Does this mean they are responsible for their bad behavior, or not? Adrian Raine, a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, and Sally Satel, a psychiatrist and American Enterprise Institute scholar, debate the issue. Can brain scans explain crime? on WashingtonPost.com.   …

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Sociopaths and soul mates

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I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, which was the #1 New York Times bestseller when it was published in 2007. Gilbert tells her story of supposedly having everything career, marriage, home yet feeling depressed and unhappy. She left it all, got a divorce, and then spent a year abroad to find herself. She ate her way through Italy, studied spiritual practice in India, and sought to balance pleasure and divinity in Indonesia. While going through her divorce, Gilbert had a relationship with a man whom she calls "David." This didn't seem to be a sociopathic relationship, just normally dysfunctional. Although they broke up, Gilbert, from time to time, pined for David. Her …

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LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: A sociopath in a very senior position

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Editor's note: The following letter was sent by the Lovefraud reader "Speakout." Have you ever wondered what happens when your sociopath goes to the office? Where to start ”¦ I should begin by saying that my experience included getting to know his ex-wife after I was fired, reading the transcripts and emails of their seemingly endless divorce. She is the one who opened my eyes. I reacted poorly to her when she first told me about her experiences with him; I sat there in stunned silence. I had to let it sink in. She told me later that my response confused her. I had no idea such creatures as him existed. I'm a girl geek I'm not good with feelings and people. Some highlights that de …

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How to dump a sociopath

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Suppose you realize that you're in an unhealthy romantic relationship. Or, your instincts are telling you that the person in hot pursuit of you is bad news. How do you end the involvement? When you're romantically involved with reasonably normal individuals, you usually try to spare their feelings. You don't come out and say that they're boring, or needy, or oafish, even if that's what you feel. You make up excuses. You tell them that you're getting back with an old boyfriend or girlfriend, even if that's a lie. You say you're just not ready for a relationship right now, even if that's also a lie. In essence, when breaking up with an okay person who just isn't your type, you try to let …

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The links between callous-unemotional traits in children and antisocial behavior

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Dr. Essi Viding of University College London discusses recent findings on the genetic roots of callous-unemotional traits in children, and how they may evolve into antisocial behavior. Callous-unemotional traits in children, on PsychologicalScience.org.   …

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A neuroscientist and his psychopathic brain

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James Fallon, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry, human behavior, anatomy and neurobiology, discovered that his own brain matches the brains of diagnosed psychopaths. In this radio interview, he talks about psychopaths, their brains, and why he didn't turn into an exploiter. Am I a psychopath? on ScienceFriday.com.   …

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The long criminal history of John R. Sperry, formerly John R. Gorbich

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Sometime between 1966 and 1969, according to Stacey Jaccodie, John R. Gorbich of Neptune, New Jersey, changed his name to John R. Sperry. Gorbich had plenty of reason to want a new name. He was arrested in 1956 for stealing parts from his employer, the Monmouth Radio Supply Company in New Shrewsbury, New Jersey. Gorbich was 30 years old at the time, and claimed to be a disabled veteran. The value of the stolen parts including boxes of television tubes was approximately $70,000, which was a lot of money in 1956. The Asbury Park Evening Press wrote: Gorbich said he sold the tubes for $30 a box, about a third of their value, said the prosecutor. He was quoted as saying he spent the money …

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Dealing with sociopaths: Fight or flight?

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Sociopaths are social predators who live their lives by exploiting people. When you're the person who has been exploited, how should you respond? Do you try to hold the sociopath accountable? Or do you cut your losses and walk away? Lovefraud is an open forum, with many people expressing opinions about what you should do. In the past, some folks have posted comments saying give up, run away, don't fight, you can't win. I don't necessarily agree with that. Yes, in some cases, fleeing is the best course of action. But sometimes the only way to survive is to fight. Or sometimes standing up to the sociopath enables you to reclaim yourself, even if you don't win the battle. I believe you …

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