How to recognize and recover from everyday sociopaths - narcissists

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Predicting recidivism of sex offenders unreliable with current tools

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Psychologists attempt to predict whether sexually violent predators (SVPs) will offend again using evaluation instruments such as the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R).  According to several studies, the scores among the evaluators using these tools are subjective and can vary considerably. Often times the scores vary so much the results may be considered unreliable. SVP risk tools show 'disappointing' reliability in real-world use from ForensicPsychologist.blogspot.ca. Article suggested by a Lovefraud reader. …

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Revisiting Joe Paterno’s involvement in the Jerry Sandusky case

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The Penn State bombshell exploded on November 4, 2011. That's when court documents were posted online indicating that Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant football coach, would be charged with 40 counts related to sex crimes involving minors. Since then, Jerry Sandusky has been convicted and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. Graham Spanier, the Penn State president, Gary Schultz, a vice president, and Tim Curley, the athletic director, were all charged with crimes related to an alleged cover-up of Sandusky's predatory actions. They are awaiting trial. Joe Paterno, the legendary Penn State football coach, was not charged with anything. Paterno died on January 22, 2012.  …

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Another custody battle, another murder

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Christine Belford was shot dead in a Delaware courthouse by her former father-in-law, Thomas Matusiewicz. David Matusiewicz, Belford's ex-husband and father of their three children, had previously had his parental rights terminated after kidnapping the children and taking them to Nicaragua. Documents hint at wider conspiracy in Delaware courthouse shooting, on Philly.com. …

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Love is a leap of faith

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Lovefraud recently received the following email: Hi Donna, I'm a huge fan of LoveFraud and can't thank you enough for making it happen. I know from your story that you've found a wonderful man.  So have I, and we've been dating about a year. He's an upbeat, nurturing person with a great sense of humor and good boundaries! Still, I'm finding it difficult to let go and love him. I'm really surprised how long it's taking me to let go of my fear. (I've been out of my marriage 4 years and did a lot of healing before I met new guy.) Could you address this in one of your articles? I see a lot of info on how to recover, and how to spot a spath so you don't hook up with another one. But …

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Army Specialist Isaac Goodwin marries for money, and his wife commits suicide

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By Donna Andersen, author of Lovefraud.com Katherine Morris, a 22-year-old student about to graduate from the University of Maryland, left a final message on her iPhone: I am SO sorry for doing this to my parents in (sic) my friends, but I don't see myself ever being happy again. When I look at my future I don't see anything. I don't see kids. I don't see a husband. I don't see love. I don't see happiness. don't see a career. I just see more misery. It's easier this way. Please don't let him get away with what he's done & what he's doing. I didn't deserve this. I couldn't handle this. It completely depilitated (sic) me. Katherine's lifeless body was discovered in her car parked at …

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How our brains become addicted to risk

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Ben Thomas, a journalist and independent researcher, studies consciousness and the brain. In an article about brains and risk, he wrote: “See, deep within your brain lies a structure known as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is strongly implicated in weighing fact and emotion, and in viewing your desires through a lens of potential risks. A malfunctioning ACC may play a major part in disorders like schizophrenia, which can involve poor impulse control, whereas an overly active ACC may contribute to excessively harsh self-criticism. The ACC's judgments don't stand alone, though; they can be influenced by a region known as the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), which "lights up" with a …

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EFT Tapping helps you deal with the trauma of sociopaths

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I first learned about the concept of energy psychology a year or two ago. Here's the basic premise of energy psychology, according to David Feinstein, author of The Promise of Energy Psychology: Stimulating energy points on the skin, paired with specified mental activities, can instantly shift your brain's electrochemistry to: help overcome unwanted emotions such as fear, guilt, shame, jealousy, or anger, help change unwanted habits and behavior, and enhance your abilities to love, succeed, and enjoy life. The basic technique of energy psychology, or Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), is tapping. By tapping the endpoints of certain meridians in the body, while focusing on an …

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How do I forgive myself for staying in this relationship?

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Lovefraud recently received the following email: I suspected that my ex boyfriend was a sociopath, but your website confirmed it. I always thought that sociopaths were murderers like Ted Bundy or Casey Anthony, but I realize now that the vast majority lead "normal" lives (whatever that means). I'm a divorced mom with a precious little daughter. My ex boyfriend was the first man I dated after a long and abusive marriage to an alcoholic. I was with my ex boyfriend a little over 2 years, although he exhibited signs of sociopathic (or what I considered narcissistic) behavior, including chronic infidelity, pathological lying, a grandiose sense of self, a total lack of empathy (particularly …

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Sociopathic confidence and conviction, even when they’re lying

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Downton Abbey was on TV last night, and Terry and I are among the millions of fans. Last night's episode (Season 3, Episode 4) ended in tragedy because of behavior that looked so familiar to me. (Spoiler Alert: The following description gives away the story.) Lord Grantham's daughter, Lady Sybil, is about to give birth. Rather than depend on the local country doctor, Dr. Clarkson, Lord Grantham has imported a more socially acceptable obstetrician, Sir Philip Tapsell, to deliver the baby. As the birth approaches, both doctors are in attendance at the estate. Lady Sybil starts acting incoherently. Dr Clarkson fears that she may be toxemic. He recommends that they rush to the hospital …

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