How to recognize and recover from everyday sociopaths - narcissists

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Brain Science Part 2: Brains of homicidal juveniles appear to be different

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Editor's note: Second in a series of three articles appearing in other publications on what scientists are learning about the brain and behavior through MRI imaging. Brain scans of 12-18 year old juvenile offenders who have committed homicides look different than the scans of juvenile offenders who have not committed homicides, according to a study published in the journal NeuroImage: Clinical. Dr. Kent Kiehl, of the Mind Research Network in Albuquerque, New Mexico, says the differences have serious implications for understanding some of the root brain problems that could lead youths to cross a line and commit violent crime. Dr. Kiehl hopes that through neuroscience, at-risk kids may be …

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Brain Science Part 1: Teenage brains vulnerable to poor judgment

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Editor's note: First in a series of three articles appearing in other publications on what scientists are learning about the brain and behavior through MRI imaging. Teenage brains are still under construction. MRI imaging has found that while the areas of the brain associated with motor control and hand/eye coordination are fully developed, the parts associated with rational thinking and evaluating future consequences are half-baked. The result: Even smart, well-behaved teenagers are motivated by emotion and pleasure, which can lead them to take dangerous risks. Teens' immature brains pose all sorts of dangers, on Philly.com. Tomorrow: Brains of homicidal juveniles appear to be …

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Co-parenting and Interactions with the Sociopath After the Divorce

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by Quinn Pierce I sat on the edge of the stage watching the teams race up and down the court. It was the first game of my son's basketball tournament. I knew my ex-husband was there, because I saw his car when I pulled into the parking lot.  I wasn't surprised that he was there, even though he said he wasn't going.  He often changed his plans last minute, or lied entirely just to avoid giving a difinitive answer and to keep others off balance. When I saw him standing by the players, I felt a mix of annoyance and disgust that he continues to play the 'Father of the Year' role, despite the cruel and un-fatherly behavior he practices behind closed doors.  At least I knew he would not try to …

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Marissa Alexander out of jail after being sentenced to 20 years for a warning shot

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In August 2010, nine days she gave birth, Marissa Alexander fired a warning shot to keep her abusive estranged husband, Rico Gray, from attacking her. The bullet hit a wall. Nobody was hurt. Rico Gray admitted that he threatened to kill Marissa Alexander. But she was prosecuted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, convicted, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Alexander was awarded a new trial because of a procedural error. In the retrial, the prosecutor a woman wanted to go for a sentence of 60 years. So Alexander took the plea deal of two years of house arrest, wearing a GPS ankle bracelet. She got out of jail last week. The outrageous case sparked widespread protests, …

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The Cost of a Sociopath

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I've been writing my next book and decided to share a piece of it. Here it is: All my life, I've been surrounded by facts and figures about how many years you lose if you do certain things. Like smoke cigarettes. Or do drugs. Or drink too much alcohol. People like to threaten and motivate each other with scary statistics that encompass not only dangerous behaviors but also self-neglect. Like failing to exercise. Or skipping stress-reduction techniques. “For every year you smoke, you take a year off your life.” Something like that. But I don't think anyone knows how many years you lose to a psychopath. Not even counting the years you spend going crazy before you finally figure out wha …

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I couldn’t believe he was so harsh and cruel

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Editor's Note: This SPATH Tale was submitted by the Lovefraud reader whom we'll call "Trina." Names have been changed in this tale. I dated "Samuel" for three and one half years. I knew he had a criminal past and supported him changing and turning his life around. We were penpals and he wrote me beautiful letters and poems declaring his love. He was amazing at first and so perfect for me, we clicked on every level and I had never met someone more right for me so I moved to the United States. At first he was still very loving although a little dull if I'm honest. After a while we began arguing. One argument was on New Year's eve. A woman from his work called him before midnight. I go …

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He admitted to being a sociopath

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Editor's Note: This SPATH Tale was submitted by the Lovefraud reader who goes by the name "DamnItHappenedToMe." I went on an online chat and began a relationship through Skype with a man in the United States who was, as I was, a dual citizen -- Canadian/American. This was in October, 2012. He informed me he was divorced for three years. We met in the United States for a day and then I found out on Facebook that he was married. He admitted it and I said I wanted nothing to do with him. He pursued me and told me he was getting a divorce. After he said he was divorced (filed) in March, 2013, he flew me to spend ten days with him in the United States where I met his family. I flew …

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Help pass the New Jersey law to deter ‘sexual assault by fraud!’

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By Joyce M. Short Author, Carnal Abuse by Deceit, How a Predator's Lies Became Rape Sex fraud has defiled the lives of many Lovefraud participants! We are very fortunate that Donna has built this wonderful healing community that enables victims to exchange supportive ideas and promote healing. Here, we can escape the invalidation we often confront in society, and gain the tools we need in order to heal. We now have the possibility to deter this heinous crime. Sociopaths don't stop behaving badly because we need or want them to. They stop because they'll be exposed or because they'll suffer consequences. Creating a law to make Sexual Assault by Fraud a crime in New Jersey is a good f …

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Confronting the psychopath

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Last month, Bob Bashara, 57, of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife. Jane Bashara, 56, was beaten and strangled in January 2012. Her body was discovered in her Mercedes SUV parked in a Detroit alley, far from the family's upper-class neighborhood. While Jane Bashara worked, earning four times as much money as her husband, Bob Bashara acted like the civic-minded "Mayor of Middlesex," which was the name of the street they lived on. But he had a secret live of BDSM bondage, discipline, sadomasochism and had sex with multiple women in a basement dungeon. Prosecutors alleged that Bob Bashara lured his mentally …

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I was his target for someplace to land, transportation, whatever he needed (Part 2 of 2)

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Editor's note: The following story was sent by a Lovefraud reader whom we'll call "Carmella." Read Part 1. I had been asking questions to the family friend about why the guys were either quitting or getting fired within a few weeks. My guy kept blaming them; they started out great but in his eyes they turned out to be lazy. The next day is when I spoke to family friends that had worked for him only to be fired or had quit. He was bullying them and had told them what they did together stayed between them, don't tell me. They confirmed my suspicions, he had a fling with my old neighbor, was talking to other women on the phone, meeting other woman for lunch and kissing them goodbye etc. …

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