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O.N.Ward

You are here: Home / Archives for O.N.Ward

Why A Relationship With A Sociopath is Soul-Destroying–Some Thoughts

March 3, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  36 Comments

Many people describe a long-term relationship with a sociopath as “soul-destroying?” Mine was. But, why? How does this happen. I'm still searching for all the answers, but here are some thoughts. Insidious Erosion Perhaps some, but not all, of the answer is erosion. Increasingly, he doesn't come home for dinner; she's chronically late for commitments with you; he flirts with other women in front of you, then denies it, attributing your concern to your insecurity; instead of engaging you over brunch, she's constantly checking her phone. Sometimes, she just ignores you. He contemptuously rolls his eyes as you voice your opinion, but denies it. He says he wants to take you to dinner and wants yo …

Why A Relationship With A Sociopath is Soul-Destroying–Some ThoughtsRead More

Category: Explaining the sociopath, Recovery from a sociopath

Sociopaths are Superb Natural Psychologists

February 25, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  20 Comments

Sociopaths are superb natural psychologists, but they use their insights about human behavior to control and erode. Past Frameworks Bias How We Perceive New Information The world is not black and white; it includes countless shades of grey. To create meaning and clarity out of the grey, we use past frameworks (e.g., my ex-husband, "Paul," is a good, honest person) to process incoming data (the fact that he so often works late reflects his dedication to his career and commitment to support his family). Yet, once this framework has been established, and once we create an explanation (accurate or not) for how an event fits into the framework, we have created a pathway. Repetition Increases The …

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Category: Explaining the sociopath, Sociopaths and family

Little Red Riding Hood: A Sociopath’s Fairy Tale

February 18, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  8 Comments

If sociopaths are so common and cause so much damage, why aren't more of us forewarned? Being victimized by a sociopath doesn't just happen to a few, rare foolhardy people, it happens to lots of people—lots of everyday people who play by the rules.  I know that blaming victims of sociopaths for the harm inflicted on them or simply ignoring them is a defense mechanism for others who want to feel that they could never be victimized. Those abused must have made a stupid decision, chosen to be blind, unconsciously wanted it to happen, played a significant role in their unraveling, and so it goes.  Of course, in most cases this isn't true, but it's comforting and self-protecting for nonvictims to …

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Category: Book reviews

Warning: Sociopath Ahead!

February 11, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  10 Comments

A friend of mine feared her daughter was involved with a sociopath who was pressuring her to have children with him. Knowing I'd had my life derailed by my own husband (now ex-husband), who I now believe is a sociopath, my friend asked me to tell her daughter some of my story. As one never knows if a seed of information will later blossom into insight, I wrote her daughter a letter.  The entry below is based on that letter. Wonderful Qualities Become Profound Vulnerabilities I believe my ex-husband and the father of my children has a personality disorder—narcissistic personality disorder—some refer to such individuals as sociopaths or psychopaths. Such people are more common that most of us e …

Warning: Sociopath Ahead!Read More

Category: Explaining the sociopath, Seduced by a sociopath, Sociopaths and family

For Sociopaths, It’s All About Them–Even When You’re Sick

February 4, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  34 Comments

Before I met “Paul,” (the man I married, who I realized about twenty years too late must be a sociopath) I had a friend who may not have known about sociopaths, but she knew to call off her engagement to “Mr. Right” because of a cold and a sandwich. Make Your Own Damn Sandwich! Carol was smart, motivated, kind, outgoing, upbeat, and gorgeous. She was clearly a “catch,” and she had come very close to marrying handsome, rich, well-connected “Mr. Right.” One day, Carol was not feeling well and was lying on the couch amidst sniffles, cough drops, and tissues. Her fiancé chose that moment to ask her to make him a sandwich. “If someone's going to expect me to make him a sandwich when I'm the one w …

For Sociopaths, It’s All About Them–Even When You’re SickRead More

Category: Explaining the sociopath, Sociopaths and family

After A Relationship With A Sociopath/ Psychopath, Finding The Right Support Can Be Challenging

January 28, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  58 Comments

  Getting out of a relationship with a sociopath can be dangerous, draining, and confusing. For me, and I'm guessing for many others, this can be exacerbated by the fact that finding the right support during this vulnerable time can be difficult. Finding The Right Therapist There was virtually nothing left of me after almost two decades of being unwittingly married to a sociopath --chronic, subtle criticism; gaslighting; isolation; blaming; triangulating, intermittent love/affection, etc. To weaken me further so that he could prevail in our divorce, my then husband started using full frontal assaults as well—verbal abuse, financial terrorism (pretending he could no longer draw a salary f …

After A Relationship With A Sociopath/ Psychopath, Finding The Right Support Can Be ChallengingRead More

Category: Recovery from a sociopath, Sociopaths and family

Why No Contact With A Sociopath Is So Important

January 21, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  133 Comments

Healing from a relationship with a sociopath is hard, often brutally hard. Don't add to that by being hard on yourself if your own path is filled with dark days and setbacks--even setbacks you may have caused by diverting from a path of "no contact." We are human. We are imperfect. Seek support from those who understand and will not judge. It's okay. All we can ever do in life is to move forward. No Contact/No Emotion Yet, as soon as possible, no contact with a sociopath is important. If no contact isn't possible for legal, custody or other reasons, keeping the contact minimal and totally devoid of emotion is critical. Why? Because sociopaths feed on emotion. I just finished reading a …

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Category: Recovery from a sociopath

Sociopath Control: Social Isolation and Intermittent Reinforcement Equals Addiction

January 14, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  47 Comments

Abusive people often isolate the people they want to control.  This happened to me and is chronicled in my book  Husband, Liar, Sociopath: How He Lied, Why I Fell For It & The Painful Lessons Learned (available via Amazon.com). Isolation is a Huge Red Flag Isolation is a red flag that should never be ignored. Due to Paul (not his real name) "working" such long hours and on weekends, we had virtually no social life as a couple. Yet, if I went out with friends alone, Paul was often home early that night waiting for me. Here's a Typical Exchange “Hi, Paul, it's great you're home. I thought you wouldn't be home ”˜til after midnight.” “We got done early,” Paul said, his face devoid of any “nic …

Sociopath Control: Social Isolation and Intermittent Reinforcement Equals AddictionRead More

Category: Explaining the sociopath, Recovery from a sociopath, Sociopaths and family

Sociopath Control: Lessons From Economics 101 And Frogs In Hot Water

January 7, 2016 //  by O.N.Ward//  95 Comments

You don't have to have studied economics to know that scarcity drives up value. A sip of water for someone parched in the desert is immensely more valuable than the same sip of water at the end of a meal at a white tablecloth restaurant where an attentive waiter refills your glass constantly. Is love any different? A single gesture of kindness or expression of love in a flowing stream of affection goes all but unnoticed. The value of that same gesture in a love-deprived environment, however, is immeasurable. Using Love to Control Because human beings value love, sociopaths often use love or the promise of love to control and weaken others emotionally. This happened to me and is chronicled in …

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Category: Explaining the sociopath, Seduced by a sociopath, Sociopaths and family

Married To A Sociopath–The Experience In 250 Words Or Less

December 31, 2015 //  by O.N.Ward//  3 Comments

 My corrosive marriage to and my toxic divorce from a sociopath are chronicled in my book  Husband, Liar, Sociopath: How He Lied, Why I Fell For It & The Painful Lessons Learned (available via Amazon.com). My after-the-fact understanding of how I got trapped for so long in this hellish relationship is woven throughout. Yet, to share the essence of the experience in far fewer words, I crafted the following poem (also in the book.) If any of it resonates with you, I hope it helps you unveil an abusive relationship for what it is and motivates you to craft a safe exit strategy for you or for someone close to you whose life may be precariously entwined with a sociopath. The Poem--Husband, Lia …

Married To A Sociopath–The Experience In 250 Words Or LessRead More

Category: Explaining the sociopath, Sociopaths and family

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