Why do psychopaths go after what they want regardless of the negative consequences they may experience? According to the journal Nature Neuroscience, the answer may be chemical—an overactive dopamine reward system.
Read Driven toward reward without regard for consequence on Time.com.
Read the scientific study, Mesolimbic dopamine reward system hypersensitivity in individuals with psychopathic traits, in Nature Neuroscience.
Link submitted by a Lovefraud reader via Facebook.
Our Family Wizard can help you co-parent with a sociopath
Strangely amused as I picture the sign some of you have conjured for me “Please Do Not Feed the Psychopaths”
Indeed!
Rosie
I saw that piece yesterday and I have been thinking of it since, thanks for posting it again. Yes, it really says something uncomfortable for me.
It just depends what we are addicted to!
I adore animals yet I have a rack of lamb for dinner. (A baby)
There is a piece of a dead baby in my refrigerator that I am having for dinner….yet I would be traumatised if I saw a baby lamb slaughtered. Is that not psycho in denial? the enjoyment of the meat has won out over the life of a baby.
Then I was thinking (maybe I should stop thinking lol) that if we do not understand what a psychopath is, then maybe we will be reincarnated as one so we can find out as part of our learning about life (mysterious)
smoke coming out my ears now. Gotta go
KimF
Spray repellent! wonderful, I am sure psychopaths do not go for certain types. I remember a documentary on tv a murderer describing seeing 3 women walking down a corridor, he knew from THE WAY THEY WERE WALKING WHICH ONE HE WOULD KILL basically it was the one who was walking a little funny, (slightly unbalanced, clumsy signalling weak and vulnerable)So walk with a purpose, back straight ready to karate chop
TAKE NO BULLSHIT-DO NOT BE POLITE-
but how do we get away from the psychopath inside US? the baby animal eaters and ignorers of starving children in Africa?
Zen, about the lack of conscience and/or remorse. Dr. .Leedom first put an article here about research done with Oxytocin, which is the BONDING hormone. The Ps apparently have enough of the hormone itself, but their receptor numbers are lower or blocked. This keeps them from having the normal BONDING to any/all other humans in the “normal” sense.
Oxytocin is produced during birth, sex, and other times as well. In fact, most women after natural child birth are given an injuection of Oxy to help the uterus contract. BTW breast feeding releases Oxy and the feeling is rather like an orgasam.
I don’t think the problem with psychopaths (and keep in mind there is a scale, they are not all the same in the LEVEL of their beastiality some ARE worse than others), and my guess is that there are multiple hormones including adrenaline that they get “hooked on” or Lack that makes them able to do what they do without conscience or consideration for otherrs, in some cases, without even consideration for consequences.
Dear Kim,
Yesterday was one of those days that I was staying away from LF because there was something Toxic on this thread and I didn’t want to see it blow up into a cloud of poison gas. I was checking in from time to time, but had to “tape my fingers together” to keep my posts where Donna wouldn’t ban ME! LOL Engaging with these trolls at all is a losing game, because once you see that they are here to only criticize or make snide remarks ignoring them is the only way to handle them….that, and hit the “report abusive comment” button.
I guess I am more than a little protective of this site and when trolls come here to debate or stir up chit, it sets my teeth on edge to the point that I really don’t have anything constructive to add. Maybe its because I’m in my second day of almost no nicotine replacement and I’m cranky! LOL Actually I am doing really really well. I had 1 piece of nicotine gum last night. I’m about 6 months non-smoker now so over all I guess I’m doing pretty well.
Anyway, you guys had some interesting conversations yesterday and I am glad that all the new folks who are posting look like they are making some good progress in “getting” it and in skipping on down the road toward healling! ((((hugs))))
Oxy, six mos. nicotine free? YAY!!! My X MIL tried the gum for a while but found it too expensive on their limited retirement…she kind of had a hard time coming off it, too. I’m sure it’s better than cigarettes, though.
When I woke up this morning, I thought about the situation on LF, and thuoght it’s kind of like a dream in which you are in this very comfortable building, cohabiting with other like minded people, doing very well, no complaints, then all of a sudden, your familiars start to disappear, slowly, one at a time, but you don’t notice at first, and new people come in….and pretty soon the atmosphere changes, becomes dark and forboding, and you look around and see some smiling faces, but somethings not right, and all of a sudden you are surrounded by people, getting closer, and closer, and you realize they’re vampires….scarey stuff.
That’s not to imply that we’re all vampires, it’s just hard to tell sometimes who is and isn’t…
Just like life I guess, but we shouldn’t have to wonder here.
I’m in a bit of a crisis. I have been living with my daughter for a couple of years, being housewife, while she worked. I do most of the cooking, provide child-care, and clean-up.
We moved in with her BF about 6 mos. ago, and he is now not happy with the situation. My daughter is fine with it. She seems to think it works out well, for all of us (except him).
He is making her life miserable and just handed down an ultimatum. I don’t know where I’ll go, but I know I better get busy and figure something out.
I’ve rested on my laurels here, grown fat and lazy. I’ve been very comfortable, but I know I’m not pushing myself, or challenging myself, or really growing.
There aren’t many jobs here, I’m pretty unskilled, and I have a few strikes against me, on my record, as I confided in the past. So, I’m scared. Really scared. Not very good at rejection, and it seems inevitable when they see those strikes.
Anyway, Ox, I’m glad to see you’re back.
Garbage and baloney. Just more scientific/ chemical excuses for bad behavior. Amazing that these people can be so nice to folks when they want something or to “look good”. Hmmmm, guess they just need some more dopamine or whatever that day then can get nasty when done. None of the science explains the deliberate scheming and betraying. Its called good old fashioned getting away with being bad and liking it!!
Dear Kim,
So what’s the problem with this BF? So maybe she might want to dump HIM! LOL Oh, well, whatever works!
You know what, though, Kim, like most of us when you first came here you were NUTSO! Don’t mean that in a mean way, you know that, but you are NOT NUTSO now! You are healing. I was TOTALLY NUTSO, freaked out, when I first came here to LF and I’m doing better now. Better most days than the day before. I’m really proud of how you are doing, and I know you will have some rough spots finding a job in this economy, but I also know that you are MUCH STRONGER now than you were “back when” and you have more STRENGTH to workk with. You can do whatever it takes. I’m glad that you had the “down time” of just being a “House-mother” with your grandkids and your daughter, I can’t even imagine trying to work while we are in that “nutso” stage! I know I couldn’t have and I admire those men and women who have to work during this traumatic part of their healing, while they are so raw and injured.
The things we could not have handled back then though, we can handle now, we can assess the situation and do what has to be done to make it work. We can also get better at rejection (no one likes it! LOL) I’ve been meaning to tell you how much better you have been sounding lately.
I know what you mean about people coming and going from LF, that seems to be the way it goes, there’s a few of us “old timers” here and the rest come and go. Sometimes I wonder about them, are they okay, or are they back with the bastard?
Sometimes people check back in from time to time to either refuel or check up on the rest of us….Aloha, who is working on her masters degree, and Janie, Matt, and others. I was glad Bird checked back in recently. I remeember when she was preg and that bastard left her high and dry for the other woman, but she had her baby without his help.
Sometimes when the newbies pull up the old articles that we haven’t seen in a while, I look back through the comments page and see someone’s post and name and I thinkn “Oh, my goodness, I had forgotten about so-and-so, wonder how they are?”
I go back through and re-read old articles and also read some of my 2 year old posts.
Mainly, I’m just trying to get my own life in order and get on with doing GOOD things for myself. Losing some weight (lost 4 inches off my waist so I can wear my jeans now! YEA!!!) quit smoking six months or so ago, and now am weaning off the nicotine replacement. It is cheaper than cigarettes at nearly $50 a carton for smokes here (they raised the taxes a year or so ago which is okay with me) but I wanted off the nicotine replacements as well. I have just sort of naturally been doing less of it, and so the other day I ran out and just didn’t buy any more and it is 13 miles to the closest place I can buy them so figure if I go NUTSO I can always get up and go get me some, but it is inconvenient, so actually I’m doing okay. A friend of mine chewed the gum for 10 yrs or so after she quit smoking. The nicotine in the gum can’t be “GOOD” for you, even though it is probably better than cigarettes, so won’t hurt to get off it too. Plus, have cut down caffine to nearly nothing (less than 1 cup of regular coffee) so that is working as well.
Reading more stuff that is NOT related to psychopaths! Though too many times I see Ps pop up in the news—many in political offices! LOL
Yesterday in our local news, this gal that had 3 little boys, got high and drunk and drove her car into a lake and drowned the 3 little boys. At first she denied being drunk and blamed the highway department because she drove down a BOAT RAMP into the lake, but she went to court yesterday and the judge sentenced her to ONLY 2 YEARS in prison for killing her 3 little boys ages 2-8! They let her plead out to “child endangerment, 3 counts” ENDANGERMENT HELL, SHE KILLED THEM!
They just put a guy away a couple of weeks ago for five years for playing with a gun and accidently shooting his buddy to death. She “accidently” drives into a lake drunk and drowns her three babies and she gets 2 years? In my mind CRUCIFICATION would have been too mild for what she did! Son D says I have to quit watchin the news! LOL
Ah well, when I am the DICTATOR it may not be any better, but it will be DIFFERENT! Elect Ox Drover for Dictator!!!! A chicken in every pot, a jack ass in every barn and all psychopaths exiled to Devil’s Island!!!! ROTFLMAO
I’m all for an OXtatorship!
bulletproof – you are too funny – “Say No To Feeding The Psychos” –
the only way to NOT FEED them would be for all people to isolate and not have relationship with others – IT IS IN RELATIONSHIP with others that the psychos are able to feed. It is the ability of them to pass by the uneducated masses and insert themselves into relationships where they are able like vampires to suck the life out of others.
The thing S/P/N’s seek – they seek warm, kind, loving people. Who does not want to be around warm, kind, loving and generous of heart and soul people? Many people who have really good boundaries are also often perceived as colder or less available for friendship etc… Because they are not always as open and warm the P/S/N’s of the world do not waste time on them. People who are warm and soft and nurturing of others – they become the food.
Personally I choose not to change how I am, warm and nurturing and loving. BUT NOW – since my S/N experience – and in looking back over my life seeing that my parents trained me to be a good supply of sustenance to N’s…(them being narcissistic in the extreme) I now know to look and watch behavior of others. I watch and watch and watch and – while I may relax into a relationship – I watch. I now know that if someone shows me they have been a wolf in sheep’s clothing I do not need to wallow in mourning the loss of the sheep, I do not have to try and make the wolf become a sheep again – it is his wolf nature to be wolflike (like the snakes) but I now can rejoice in the knowledge I have.. I recognized and can defend myself from the wolf. YAY!
Love that analogy, Breckgirl…mourning the loss of the sheep…and trusting the wolf to stay a wolf! AWESOME!