Editor’s note: A Lovefraud reader who calls herself “The Front Porch Talker” is sorting through her devastating experience with a sociopath through her creative writing. Following is her introduction. Tomorrow, Lovefraud will publish one of the satirical pieces she has written based on her experiences.
Part One: My Life with a Sociopath
By The Front Porch Talker
The Sociopaths in my life: “MP,” “DI” (both women), and “JP,” (a man)
PART ONE: (I can only imagine telling this story in small parts. I hope that works for you).
I have tried to see this whole picture of what happened to me from a psychological standpoint.
Then, I tried to see it on a philosophical level. But in the end, it did NOT matter that: MP had had very serious incest issues in her family, (now I question that too), even before the age of 3.
It didn’t matter that both she and DI had chronic illnesses and unexplained illnesses that ran the gamut. So what if they were drug addicts! I still cannot work my way through this whole issue.
I NOW know that their illnesses, however real or imagined, were the perfect cover for being Psychopaths.
Think of Ted Bundy, posing as a man with a broken-arm to target women victims. It is the same cover.
I’ve taught in every prison in the state, including the Women’s Prison, and I still find it unimaginable, abject, and horrifying to meet women who do not have a conscience. I’ve taught male rapists, and there is no comparison to women Sociopaths in my book.
I’ve written several of my “Front Porch Talker” essays about this subject. One of them is a satire about “Reality shows.” It’s called: “From Reality Show Central: Desperate Meth-lab Operators of S”¦.. County;”
The other one is called “Committed,” which is about my 2 week stay in a mental hospital, which is another related tragedy.
All the Front Porch Talker essays I’ve written I did so for humor, and yes–for my survival. I didn’t think that I would survive this ordeal. I know that that sounds dramatic; but then again, I never imagined being “committed” either.
Then, I found Love Fraud. It feels like home here, at last. Thank-you for discussing subjects such as “Gas Lighting,” which is what kept me in it for so long. Also for the many intelligent discussions about this subject, I am grateful.
Okay, here it is: Part One of my story, as I sit on the “virtual” front porch with y’all, drinking my “virtual” cup of double-espresso with you: (sorry; I can’t tell it all at one time)
I usually tell people that the sociopath in my life who victimized me was a man, instead of a woman. This is because people can’t fathom that women can and are violent.
We think that women are more “civilized” somehow than men because fewer women commit violent crimes, overall. In my case, the women got men to assault me, and other things too painful to discuss right now.
And, because we, as women ourselves, we can’t imagine anybody without a conscience. To do so is so abject and horrifying that it upsets everything we ever knew about humanity.
On television and in movies, the psychopaths usually get caught, so that an internal order and safety are returned to us, and we are once-removed as watchers.
But in real life, especially since the police—nor any other agency—ever investigated these crimes, they still go on. The state agencies, like the F.B.I. are busy with Homeland Security.
The women, MP and DP were violent, manipulative, and dangerous. Not to mention all their crimes against me of Identity Theft, Fraud and forgery, which left me broke, and eventually left me without my job as a tenured professor of 20 years at an Arts’ college, due to the severe PTSD and panic attacks.
I have spent the past five years putting my life back together, which I have only begun to do.
I am on disability because of this. Oh yeah, and all my liberal, well-educated friends I had? (attorneys especially) They ducked away and told me to just “get on with my life.”
My best friend, “MO” had me committed for two weeks, which is yet another related tragic story. They confused my panic-attacks and PTSD hyperventilating for being “psychotic,” so I was sent to a mental hospital for two weeks. I had to fight my way out of there.
Where are DP and MP? They have (once again) changed their names, gone underground and are still committing crimes, and could conceivably still be using my identity now.
Yet, the women were not only manipulative, cunning and ruthless; they were also violent and dangerous. They still are. My address has been changed back to their home town numerous times, so they can steal my mail. My SSN has been compromised. My license is being used–MP dyed her hair blond and uses my name.
These are only a FEW of the things they did and still do: they steal identities.
“JP, the man, was just an afterthought to them. There are others in this drug/id theft ring, too.
(sorry: this is out of order here)
MP and DP were both mothers (and MPis a grandmother), who’d been married numerous times. They were bright, funny and well-spoken.
And, neither one of them had a conscience. They were like empty shells of people mimicking what they thought would appear “Human.”
MP always bragged to me that she tested “like a Midwestern housewife.”
Whereas , I, a somewhat quirky professor and writer, have lost my professional life as a professor; have had my identity stolen, have been not believed by doctors, have been committed to a mental hospital because they thought I was “psychotic” and “delusional,” which I wasn’t.
My friends, for the most part, see me as a weak person, somebody to be pitied, or who can’t take care of themselves—ie. They are superior to me!
I will end this little segment by saying this: we who have had our lives turned topsy-turvy, and have lost all our possessions, our jobs, our savings, and yes—our dignity—we, are in the same parallel universe.
Only people who have been through such a tragedy recognize each other. We, here at LF are members of an elite club that we did not choose, but now that I am here, I do see life differently now: poignant, detailed, precious somehow. I am hypervigilant now. I have become very choosy about the friends I choose.
My heart goes out to all of you, too. I know you understand all of this too, having become a member of this elitist club. I hear it when I read your posts, too.
We are conscious of the fact that there is evil in the world, after all. And, as far as I am concerned, I won’t stand idly by while these criminals victimize me, or others, anymore. I will speak my mind. I will tell the rest of my story, as I can.
My heart goes out to you!
Because of this, though, it does sound like a movie on the for “The Life Time Channel For Women” in this way: I am a better person for it all. I am now writing, after 20 years of only teaching college.
And now, I know who my friends are. I can imagine, MAYBE, trusting humans again.
Maybe I could imagine meeting a man”¦”¦marriage?
Well, I won’t push it! I’ll just say that my life is more poignant than ever before, like a blind person who can suddenly see all the colors in the rainbow”¦.that’s a corny reference to “Women’s Lifetime” movies!
And Reader’s Digest Stories, which always end on a positive note!
In Part Two, I’ll tell more of the actual story, okay?
BTW, I am open to any and all comments, of course, as long as they’re “civilized.” Ha, ha.
Thanks,
The Front Porch Talker, a.k.a. Smarty-pants professor.
Thank you Buttons, it is just weird and nice being able to think lol. The spaths have you in such a spin! Hope you have been well & brightest blessings right back at ya 🙂
hOWDY all friends,
Whewwww! That was really scary, but I’m back now.
I sure did love reading everything from y’all, up here on the front porch, from where I sit in my proverbial front porch chair, sipping my proverbial front porch espresso ( quad shots!)–have I mentioned that I am SERIOUS about my caffeine?
ha, ha….Now that I’m finished being the cowardly lion, maybe I can sit back and read all your great posts in leisure….
Won’t y’all join me?
Can I get you something to drink? Or maybe some boiled peanuts and sweet tea?
Yummmmm.
(I’m from the south)…
Yours,
The Front Porch Talker-at-large
P.S. As the Front Porch Talker, i also write etiquette pieces.
I should mention here that, due to CERTAIN Sociopaths in my life, who shall go unnamed, (they know who they are)..
.I began writing the (mostly) humorous Front Porch Talker column. I haven’t published them yet. I write them for friends (and other fortunate souls)….
That humor and deciding to finish my novel are the sole reasons why I have survived—and will thrive maybe–after knowing Sociopaths.
Anywho, if any of you are interested in being entertained, maybe I’ll post a few of the etiquette pieces I wrote.
They’re called: “Etiquette for the Clueless: Mind Your OWN Business!”
Well, that’s all for now. Have to set a spell and think on this.
FPT
P.S.S. I may also post a rather serious Front Porch Talker Item that I wrote, called:
“Committed,” which is about the time my (now former) best friend committed me…..
It’s still pretty funny in a dark sort of way…
FPT!
Hello Frontporchtalker!
I too experienced an involuntary commitment by my sister who I now understand 50 years too late that she is a Spath to the nth degree…I allowed her to gaslight and manipulate me for most of my life…she baited me with a nasty email accusing me of something I did not do and asked me “how can you live with yourself?” I cynically and sarcastically replied that I couldn’t and I should kill myself….she had me locked up as soon as she recvd the email and never called to check it out…I take responsibility for not rooting her out of my life many years ago..I take responsibility for finally snapping under the pressure of 50 years of systematic manipulation and control…But I do not take responsibility that she admittedly pimped me out to her sex abuser for financial gain….she admitted it and in order to cover her tracks…she had to bait me into looking like the crazy one…she is my only blood sister and I had to go through 5 days in hell being locked up to finally accept that she had no heart, no conscience and no love for me.
She continually professed and at our last meeting at our Father’s funeral whispered in my ear, I love you…this profession is the spaths “get out of jail free card” and we have all allowed the words and not the actions to make ourselves vulnerable in hopes that these mere words were true…they never were and they never will be.
I have heard it said that first we must betray ourselves in order to be betrayed…but I was a child when I got caught in her spider web and what she orchestrated and stood by and let happen to me is not my fault…but it is my responsibility to heal and heal I am doing…no longer demanding that she be accountable…her admitting it after 40 years only made her more determined to undermine and annihilate me….
We all survive trauma with our humanity intact or we don’t…those that don’t MUST pay their pain forward and hurt as they were hurt and they have no compunction to own their evil or their actions…they wouldn’t believe it if it were videotaped! It took me so many years to get that.
Thank you for sharing your story…I thought this had only happened to me…I too, got myself out of there…and now I know I can depend on myself slowly but surely….sometimes we all must hit BOTTOM and face painful truths about life that aren’t what we want to realize and believe…it hurts…and it must be grieved and accepted. I am getting great professional help.
Your loving and trusting nature is like chum to a shark…predators smell prey and they MUST have a victim to SURVIVE…you are only an object to them….because they lost their humanity somewhere along the way, they cannot and will not own and value yours..
I know what you mean about it being funny in a way…when I told the other patients why I was in that place when they asked…they were blown away..but you I was deeply traumitized by the experience and now I know anything is possible…good and evil…
Wishing you healing and enLIGHTENment..
Glinderella
your fellow
Glinderella,
I really do understand the trauma that one goes through after being with a vampire. I was married with one for almost 20 years and after he left, I realized how toxic the relationship was. I have been in no contact for almost 1 year, he discarded me and my two children 18, and 14 and simply turned off the switch. My story is a long one, but he was so attentive for most of my marriage that I did not realize that he was manipulating me and the kids. When his mask dropped, I was stunned. I did not know anything about sociopaths until I stumbled on this blog, and my face dropped.
He was violent just before he left, and my kids realized that he was not the father they had once known. The “illusion” was not the man we knew. After he left, he did not bother to come back. He did not bother because he knew me and the kids had discovered him, and he had no use for us. Threw us in garbage and left. Its a good thing he left on his own accord, because he does not stalk us. I am grateful that its all legalities now, however I am having a hard time wraping my head around what happened. I loved him, had two kids with him, miss him, and my heart will be broken forever. I know that he was an “illusion”. But its really hard to explain that to my heart. I gave him all I had, he was my husband and I was a good wife. I was proud of my family and two kids, I thrived on making them happy, which in turn made me happy. When I found out that he was a sociopath, I think I went into shock, how could he not love me ? How could he not love his own flesh and blood ? To me this was too much …
AFter over 1 year not seeing him, I do not miss the man who just before he left hurt me physically, I do not miss the man who tortured me emotionally, I miss the man the I married. I cry every night, not in front of my kids, cannot let them see me weak. I need to be strong for them, they have gone to therapy, and are truly understanding that their father is sick and it has nothing to do with them, but they have alot of anger inside. They want nothing to do with him, and I cannot even mention his name. I am trying to be mother and father, and it is hard, but I do have alot of family support. I hope my heart will heal, but I really do beleive that this ordeal has left me permanently crippled inside. Its a handicap that no one will see, except me. I have dated since he left, but I cannot connect emotionally. My ex was exciting when I met him, and I guess that affect still lingers, I realize it was not a normal courtship, but he mesmirized me and I guess that still lingers inside. Can anyone charm me like he did ? I do not know. My main focus is to take care of my kids, because my ex wants nothing to do with them. Its a legal battle.
I know in my heart that I am very fortunate that he left, but my biggest hurdle is getting over the heartache, its not healing and its quite painful.
Thank you everyone for your posts, it really help quite a bit to know that there are more out there….although I would not want this pain on anyone.
Take care all.
Dear Survivorlady,
Yes, they enchant and charm us, and it IS EXCITING, that is the MASK they wear, the FAKE that they are….and it takes some getting used to a man/woman who is NOT that “charming” (and FAKE) who is real and steady and good and kind.
I don’t think you are injured forever, I think you will heal, I think we all will, but it TAKES TIME, not just a month or a year, and sometimes it takes quite a few years, but we do heal!
In less than a month it will be 6 years since my husband was killed in a plane crash here at our little airport, and I am finally through the grief process over losing him. Less than a year later I got caught in the webb of a PSYCHOPATHIC male friend and BINGO! I was so excited and soo hooked. Four months of “heaven” FOUR OF HELL, and then more time grieving over that lost relationship. Have only had a couple of dates since then, but you know, I am loving being single now, the FREEDOM it has to make my own time, to be totally selfish and do my own thing without having to worry about someone else. GREAT!!!!!!
Take your time. Enjoy the time you have with your kids NOW, that won’t remain unchanged forever! ENJOY each day and don’t worry about a relationship or not, it will get better, I promise you, and in the meantime, enjoy your kids! (((hugs)))) and my prayers for your peace!
It totally sucked, it has been 2 yrs now, that I finally got rid of my psycho, and I sit here and think of all the shit I’ve been thru, it’ was a never ending nightmare.
My psycho came for a visit and decided to stay for a while
then she conned me, and slowly but surely moved in.
Things started to unramble very quickly, she tried very hard to take control of me and my house, I couldn’t get rid of her.
I fought back, she stabbed me in the eye, I got drunk and started throwing her and her shit out of my house, she called the cops, and had me arrested for domestic violence, and false imprisonment,
She kicked my cat in the mouth and knocked out a few teeth,
she would call constantly all hours of the night screaming, threatening me, telling me she was going to fuck me up.
IF i wouldn’t open the door, she would sit by the door ringing the bell for hours crying, talking bad about me to my neighbours.
My life was a living hell, and she was my own personal demon
I unmasked her, she let go
Life is getting better, some days are good, some days are
better/
No more psycho,
Hang in there, Imfree – it takes a good, long while to process our experiences. Step by step, inch by inch, mile by mile, we trudge down our healing paths until we can look back, at some point, and see that we’ve come a very long way and the spath is just a speck in the distance.
Nope, the healing path isn’t warm and fuzzy, or a skip-to-my-lou trip. It’s grueling, it’s painful, and it’s demanding. But, in the end, the point is that it’s HEALING and part of the process of healing is to embrace, recognize, and let go of those experiences in a positive, healthy manner. Having learned our ugly lessons about spathy and human nature, we can then make better decisions based upon hard-earned wisdom.
Brightest blessings!
Survivorlady, {{{Gentle hugs}}} OxD has it spot-on. They present such a desirable personna and it’s simply an act based upon their personal observations. They mimic “normal” human emotions, devotion, love, concern, etc., but they cannot FEEL those things as others do.
I like the site ID, Survivorlady – you ARE a Survivor, and every day is a day of gratitude to be free of the lie.
Brightest blessings!