This week I'd like to tell you a true story — although details have been changed to protect privacy. It concerns a recent dinner conversation I had with a well-balanced, well-educated, professional gentleman who has worked at the same company for over a decade. Why? Because he believes in what they do, he loves his job, and he loves the people who work there. This man is articulate, intelligent, great company, happily married and by any measure has made a success of his life — I'll call him James. So, you can imagine my surprise when, in a quiet moment, this strong man took me aside to confide in me about the horrors he had suffered at the hands of a female boss who had recently left the bus …
After the sociopath, make the decision to recover
Finally, you realize what is wrong with your romantic partner: He or she is a sociopath. Finally, the behavior that was so confusing makes sense. The person you loved, and who you thought loved you, has a personality disorder. Now you realize that anything your partner told you could have been a lie. Now you know why your partner could be so cruel, then tell you how much he or she loved you, practically in the same breath. Now you realize that there never was any love, that your entire relationship was exploitation, and nothing more. Now what do you do? How do you move forward? How do you recover? Many of your friends and family tell you, "Just put it behind you. Get over it. Move …
LETTERS TO LOVEFRAUD: 30 years married to a sociopath
Editor's note: The following article was sent by the reader who posts as Opal Rose. July 24, 2012, was my 30th wedding anniversary. I found the Lovefraud web site in August 2009 after finding a directory on my computer put there by my husband while his computer was being repaired. Unbelievable and worse than I could have ever imagined — porn, violence-against-women-porn, sex dating sites for college age women, e-mails to specific responders to ads. The dude was busy. A frantic visit to my workplace Employee Assistance Program gave me the concept of “Narcissistic Personality Disorder,” but subsequent searches led me to the checklist for “Sociopath.” I distinctly remember my jaw dropping whe …
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How our thoughts affect our lives
By Joyce Alexander, RNP (retired) “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) I was watching the movie Iron Lady today and a few lines of the character Margaret Thatcher jumped out at me and made me think of that verse above from the Bible. Here are the lines from Mrs. Thatcher, as she was speaking with her physician. Watch your thoughts for they become words, Watch your words for they become your actions, Watch your actions For they become your habits Watch your habits for they become your character Watch your character for it becomes your destiny What we think we become. How many times do we prove those words, originally attributed to the ancient Chine …
Real Love After The Sociopath
I don't remember the number of times that my friends warned me not to shut down after it all happened. How many times they'd ask me not to lose myself. To avoid becoming bitter and lonely. To stay open, despite my pain. “With what you've been through you have every right to never trust anyone again” they'd say “but please don't let this experience change you from being the loving bubbly person that you are — time will heal. Stay open” Yes, I am very lucky indeed to have such wise and loving friends. I count my blessings and am grateful for such levels of support — particularly during the early days after discovering the truth. At the time I thought they were referring to my ability to …
Why Counseling Therapy?
Editor's Note: The following article was written by the Lovefraud reader who posts as "Adelade." My first encounter with counseling was when I was a “troubled” teenager. I've seen several counselors since then for various reasons. At no time was I completely honest or truthful and certain issues were “addressed,” but they were never “managed.” This was mainly due to my own shame in admitting that I had issues at all, but also due to the chosen counselors merely hearing words out of my mouth and nodding, writing, and asking, “Well, how do you feel about that?” Personally, I felt that they each should have been able to see through my fears and pinpoint where I needed to start. But, counselor …
Me-Muscles… It’s All About The Questions
I've had an extraordinarily busy and amazing week working with a fantastic group — which is why I simply didn't have the time to post anything last week. My apologies. The workshop sessions were intensive, running through from early morning to late evening, and yes, it's tiring work — both for me as well as for the delegates and, of course, my training team. But goodness me it's worth it. How do I know? The room filled with smiling faces tells me so, and it makes me feel glad. So this week I've decided to share some of the techniques we were exploring over the course of the workshops — because there are many that, in my experience, also apply to dealing with the sociopaths among us. The f …
With the Penn State report, a public understanding of unbelievable betrayal
Yesterday, Louis Freeh, former director of the FBI, released the report of his investigation into the Penn State scandal. Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant football coach under the legendary Joe Paterno, was convicted last month of 45 charges related to his abuse of young boys, and Freeh was retained by the university's board of trustees to find out exactly what happened and why. Freeh's report is scathing. The front page of this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer proclaimed in the largest headline typeface I've ever seen: DAMNING JUDGMENT Under the headline were the photos of the four Pennsylvania State University officials who the report says enabled, through their inaction, Jerry …
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Warning others: a moral obligation or crossing the line?
This is an age old problem that seems to lack an easy answer. Do we warn others if we recognize that they are involved with individuals with psychopathic features? Is doing so a moral obligation or is it crossing the line? Back in the day, it was easier. Sure, we saw our friends dating people we didn't like or who made us uncomfortable, but we probably just thought of these individuals as "jerks." We surmised that the relationships wouldn't last and left it at that. Even if they did endure, expressing negative opinions on such matters tended to be taboo. As a result, typically, we said nothing. Now, however, society is beginning to acknowledge and discuss psychopathy more readi …
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The sociopathic betrayal as an incident in your life
Many Lovefraud readers experience the phenomenon of "losing yourself" in the sociopathic relationship. Before meeting the sociopath, you may have been, for the most part, happy, confident, successful and financially stable. You had a network of people who cared about you. Yes, there was some kind of vulnerability—perhaps you were a bit lonely—and the sociopath used the vulnerability to infiltrate your life. But, for the most part, you were okay. Then, either suddenly or slowly, your life disintegrated, and the problems you face are so immense, and so interconnected, and so overwhelming, that you don't know where to begin unraveling them. You don't have the energy to start. Rather than the …
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