Recovery from a sociopath

Book Review: Healing from Hidden Abuse, by Shannon Thomas, LCSW Review by Donna Andersen Mind games everyone who has tangled with a sociopath, psychopath, narcissist or other exploiter knows them. The sociopath makes a statement, and then denies ever saying the words. You call out the sociopath's bad behavior, and it's all turned around on you. And the lies well, the objective of lies is to poison your perceptions. The more formal term for this destructive behavior is psychological abuse. And now there's a book that explains exactly what psychological abuse is, why perpetrators engage in it, and the steps of recovery. Healing from Hidden Abuse —A Journey Through the Stages of R …

Identifying and recovering from psychological abuseRead More

Just about every day, Lovefraud receives e-mail from readers who are looking for answers about confusing, contradictory and abusive behavior exhibited by people in their lives. The new readers don't understand what they are dealing with; they just tell, either in a few paragraphs or lengthy compositions, their stories. The e-mails describe some or many of the following behaviors: Pathological lying Pity plays Shallow emotions Devalue and discard Cheating or promiscuity Addiction to drugs or alcohol Controlling demands Financial irresponsibility Manipulation of children Broken promises Claims of “you made me do it” Pleas of “I'll never do it again” The …

Identifying sociopathic behavior is easy; giving advice is hardRead More

Lovefraud recently received the following e-mail from a reader—we'll call her Sally: It's been almost four years since I left my ex psychopath. He almost had me take my own life through guilt, when it was him lying, cheating, committing fraud, you name it—a textbook case. The reason I write to you today, however, is I am so sad and disappointed in myself yet again. Four years and I thought I was over the damage done by the psychopath so I stepped out of my comfort zone to contact an old friend I had not seen since before the psychopath came into my life. I made a decision to visit my male friend and we had a nice time. When I returned I started analysing the situation. Was my friend ju …

If our emotions are triggered, there’s more pain to processRead More

How do you get through the season of joy and hope when a lying, destructive, individual has wreaked havoc in your life? First, be gentle with yourself. You are a normal, caring, person. Perhaps you wanted to love and be loved, as all normal people do. Perhaps you felt sorry for the individual and wanted to help. Your intentions were honorable, but the exploiter took advantage of your humanity. Second, honor your experience. What does that mean? It means accepting that it happened. Much of the pain and confusion of tangling with a sociopath comes from not wanting to believe that these individuals are what they are, and they do what they do. Accepting that yes, they exist, and yes, you were …

For the holidays, give yourself the gift of honoring your experienceRead More

By Mary Ann Glynn, LCSW, CHT  Most of you who have been involved with a sociopath have been to therapists either with your partner or individually. Therapy is critical to healing from the PTSD of these relationships from control, abuse, manipulation and deceit, and hopefully you have found a therapist who knows techniques for helping PTSD. There is also the rebuilding of self and the grief of loss that therapy can help with, not to mention the potential stressful impact of divorce on yourself and any children. It would be fortunate if your therapist understands the type of relationship you've been in and the person you were with. This is all necessary and important, but there's a critical …

Groups – a key to healing from a sociopathRead More

[youtube_sc url="https://youtu.be/o40fwZgSFPI" title="My%20Give%20a%20Damn%27s%20Busted"] By "JustAboutHealed" The songs that resonate with you can help pinpoint where you are in the healing journey. Written from the heterosexual female viewpoint, ”˜cause that is the path I know.  Try using music to chart your past and where you want to get to! 1.Yeah, maybe a bad boy, but still”¦ You think it is mostly an act. If you aim for his heart, you're sure he'll behave, he's got the key. Moves Like Jagger  by Maroon 5, featuring Christina Aguilera 2. You're In Deep, and Quickly “Crazy for you” is truer than you realize”¦ Crazy for You By Madonna  3. Maybe Something is Wrong”¦ Maybe I'm just im …

12 songs to help you heal from a sociopathRead More

  By Amber Ault, Ph.D., MSW Starting September 24, 2016, I will be hosting a five-week Roller Coaster Relationship Recovery Seminar & Support Group by teleconference for people in the US and EU. I especially invite readers of Lovefraud.com to join me in this powerful, supportive environment dedicated to cultivating the skills and strategies you need to create your best, happiest, sanest life possible after a difficult relationship with a toxic partner. In my recent book, The Five Step Exit: Skills You Need to Leave a Narcissist, Psychopath, or Other Toxic Partner and Recover Your Happiness Now, I recommend that anyone who is involved with a toxic partner, preparing to …

Help for building your support team so you can end a toxic relationshipRead More

[youtube_sc url="https://youtu.be/UKtYJyhTe40" title="How%20do%20I%20avoid%20dating%20a%20sociopath%20like%20my%20father?"] A 24-year-old woman asks for advice. Her father is a sociopath, and so was her boyfriend. She doesn't know what a healthy relationship looks like so how can she learn to avoid dating another sociopath? I explain that the young woman not only had poor role models, she's suffering from a betrayal bond. The best thing she can do is work on her personal recovery. Then, I tell her how to protect herself from sociopaths. Letters to Lovefraud Videos is a new feature of Lovefraud.com. If you have a question that you'd like me to answer in a video, please send it to donna at l …

How do I avoid dating a sociopath like my father?Read More