lf2

Book reviews

How disordered parents set children up to be exploited by psychopaths

Book Review: A History of a Pedophile’s Wife — Memoir of a Canadian Teacher and Writer, by Eleanor Cowan

Review by Donna Andersen

People born to disordered parents are likely to be vulnerable to psychopaths later in life. I’ve explained this to many, many people that I’ve spoken to in my personal consultations.

Eleanor Cowan’s book, A History of a Pedophile’s Wife, explains exactly how it happens.

Childhood without love

Eleanor was born in 1948 outside of Montreal, Canada, the second child in what would become a large Catholic family. Her childhood was molded by the dictates of the Catholic Church, wholeheartedly accepted by her father, and the disinterest of a personality disordered mother.

This is a preview of How disordered parents set children up to be exploited by psychopaths. Read the full post (1073 words, 1 image, estimated 4:18 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Donna Andersen

Radical Acceptance – a path to true emotional healing after the devastation of a sociopath

Radical AcceptanceBook Review: Radical Acceptance Embracing your life with the heart of a Buddha, by Tara Brach.

Review by Donna Andersen

You realize, or at least suspect, that you have a sociopath in your life that’s why you’re reading Lovefraud. You may still be in a state of shock you never really understood that people like this actually existed. But they do; now what do you do?

Lovefraud is full of information and advice about escaping a sociopath and dealing with the fallout. Generally, recovery means moving forward along two paths. You can pursue both paths at the same time, and progress on one path helps you with the other one.

This is a preview of Radical Acceptance – a path to true emotional healing after the devastation of a sociopath. Read the full post (1277 words, 1 image, estimated 5:06 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Donna Andersen

Why I wrote my new book, ‘Combating Romance Scams, Why Lying to Get Laid Is a Crime!’

combating-romance-scamsBy Joyce Short

Romance scams are a crime epidemic! We read about them daily in the news and many of us here on Lovefraud have suffered from this malicious behavior! We were defrauded of our highest emotion, which is love, and deceived into sex by someone totally different than who they pretended to be. Millions have fallen victim to this crime wave. It won’t stop ”˜til we do something about it!

That’s why I wrote Combating Romance Scams: Why Lying to Get Laid Is a Crime!

This is a preview of Why I wrote my new book, ‘Combating Romance Scams, Why Lying to Get Laid Is a Crime!’. Read the full post (612 words, 2 images, estimated 2:27 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Sociopaths as predators, Uncategorized

Save on ‘The Wise Lesbian Guide to Getting Free From Crazy-Making Relationships’

Wise Lesbian GuideBy Amber Ault, Ph.D., MSW

In the wake of the Gay Pride Month massacre of 49 people gathered at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the world has taken notice of the violence and threats of violence lesbian gay, bisexual, and transgender people face on a regular basis.  

What’s less visible is that the patterns of oppression we face in the broader society sometimes trickle down into our most intimate relationships.  

Lesbian and gay people need to be able to turn to partners for safety, support, care, and kindness. This is especially important as we face discrimination and invalidation in the broader culture.

This is a preview of Save on ‘The Wise Lesbian Guide to Getting Free From Crazy-Making Relationships’. Read the full post (466 words, 1 image, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Lovefraud Professional Resources

What narcissists are really saying

Narc Decoder 200x300Book Review: The Narc Decoder Understanding the language of the narcissist, by Tina Swithin.

If you’re involved with a sociopath, narcissist or other disordered individual, there comes a time when they attack.

The love bombing has stopped maybe ages ago. They are through with you, or sense that you are through with them. They either regard you with contempt, or are furious that you figured them out and had the audacity to leave.

They start sending nasty text messages and emails. Here’s one that Tina Swithin, author of The Narc Decoder, received from her ex-husband while they were in the midst of a custody battle over their two daughters:

This is a preview of What narcissists are really saying. Read the full post (730 words, 1 image, estimated 2:55 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Donna Andersen

Understanding trauma, the brain on PTSD, and real options for recovery

body keeps the scoreBook Review: The Body Keeps the Score Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

Review by Donna Andersen

Many, many Lovefraud readers say that after your experience with a sociopath, you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Even if you haven’t been diagnosed by a professional, you’re probably right. But what, exactly, does that mean? And what can you do about it?

This is a preview of Understanding trauma, the brain on PTSD, and real options for recovery. Read the full post (1013 words, 1 image, estimated 4:03 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Donna Andersen, Uncategorized

The 5 Step Exit – How to leave your sociopathic partner

Five Step ExitBook Review: The Five Step Exit The skills you need to leave a narcissist, psychopath or other toxic partner and recover your happiness now, by Amber Ault, Ph.D.

It’s the New Year. Did you make a New Year’s resolution to really, finally, emphatically, get out of your toxic relationship, once and for all?

If your answer is yes, or even if you’re still just thinking about putting an end to the madness, you need this book:

The Five Step Exit

The skills you need to leave a narcissist, psychopath or other toxic partner and recover your happiness now, by Amber Ault, Ph.D.

This is a preview of The 5 Step Exit – How to leave your sociopathic partner. Read the full post (730 words, 1 image, estimated 2:55 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Donna Andersen

Overcoming the insanity of co-parenting with an exploiter

One Mom's BattleBook Review: Divorcing a Narcissist One Mom’s Battle, by Tina Swithin

“The only thing more difficult than being married to a narcissist is divorcing a narcissist.” This is one of the first sentences that Tina Swithin writes in her book, Divorcing a Narcissist One Mom’s Battle. It’s a sentiment I’ve heard time and time again from Lovefraud readers who have faced the same battle.

When Tina met Seth, she didn’t know he was a narcissist. In fact, like most of us, she didn’t know what a narcissist was. But she was 25 years old and felt like she was ready to find a real relationship.

This is a preview of Overcoming the insanity of co-parenting with an exploiter. Read the full post (769 words, 1 image, estimated 3:05 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Donna Andersen

Why betrayal by a sociopath hurts so much

Love and the Mystery of Betrayal

BOOK REVIEW: Love and the mystery of betrayal, by Sandra Lee Dennis, Ph.D.

This post refers to spiritual concepts. Please see Lovefraud’s statement on Spiritual Recovery.

If you’re like most Lovefraud readers, you may find it difficult to put into words the depth of the pain romantic betrayal causes. Discovering that your romantic partner, the person who claimed to be your soul mate, proclaimed unending love and promised a future of golden togetherness, was lying all along and totally deceived you, causes indescribable agony.

Sandra Lee Dennis, Ph.D., has put your suffering into words.

This is a preview of Why betrayal by a sociopath hurts so much. Read the full post (1034 words, 1 image, estimated 4:08 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Donna Andersen

BOOK REVIEW: Husband, Liar, Sociopath

Husband Liar SociopathMany people equate the term “psychopath” with “criminal,” especially “serial killer.” Although it’s true that many serial killers are likely either deranged or psychopathic, it is also true that most psychopaths never kill anyone.

In fact, there is an entire group of university researchers, led by Scott Lilienfeld, professor of psychology at Emory University, are investigating the “successful psychopath.”

Scientists disagree on how to define this creature. Some consider any psychopath who stays out of jail to be successful. Others look at career or monetary success.

Read:

Is the ‘successful psychopath’ a myth or reality? on PsyPost.org.

Married to a successful psychopath

This is a preview of BOOK REVIEW: Husband, Liar, Sociopath. Read the full post (933 words, 1 image, estimated 3:44 mins reading time)
Posted in: Book reviews, Donna Andersen

Send this to a friend