Sociopath

[desireischanging]

Have been separated over 13 years and while married and even up to today have found it very difficult to understand things ex has said and done, during a conversation at weekend it was suggested to me that he displayed classic symptoms of a sociopath! Has anyone ever lived with or is still living with a sociopath?

What are the classic symptoms? My psychiatrist suggested that my Dad was one.

Here is a list of ways to identify a sociopath. This list is from "Profile of a Sociopath". Is is a pretty good list of sociopathic indicators.

* Glibness/Superficial Charm
* Manipulative and Conning
* Grandiose Sense of Self
* Pathological Lying
* Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
* Shallow Emotions
* Incapacity for Love
* Need for Stimulation
* Callousness/Lack of Empathy
* Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
* Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
* Irresponsibility/Unreliability
* Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
* Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
* Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
* Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
* Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
* Authoritarian
* Secretive
* Paranoid
* Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
* Conventional appearance
* Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
* Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
* Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
* Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
* Incapable of real human attachment to another
* Unable to feel remorse or guilt
* Narcissism, grandiosity (self-importance not based on achievements)
* May state readily that their goal is to rule the world

(Obviously, in order to be a sociopath a person doesn't have to exhibit anything like all the above. Usually, the lack of a conscience, the manipulation of others, dishonesty and the inability to love and/or have lasting and profound personal relations and cruelty are key symptoms and often much more revealing than having been in trouble with the courts).

I've copied that

I've lived with one

Keep talking to sane people to anchor you in a better place

Its comforting to see my exh here.

Goodbye wanker.

My dad was one, too, desireischanging. I also suspect my ex might be, though I usually stick to calling him a Narcissist. Either 'diagnosis' implies a personality disorder that comes with an inability to care about other people's feelings, a serious disconnect from reality and breathtaking self-absorption. Sociopaths often take real enjoyment in causing pain to others.

Realising what you've been living with can be quite a shock! Well done for getting free :)

My "mother" is there. I just call her a cluster B person as the traits are so applicable to a number of PD's.

I keep well away from her. She's dangerous.

Me too UnlikelyAmazon, glad he's an ex but so so for dd1 that I made such a poor choice of father for her. At least she does have a decent male role model in her step-dad.

I don't think you will ever truly understand some of the things your ex has said and done desireischanging, luckily for you you don't think like him I just tell myself 'at least he's someone else's problem now, and I don't have to live with him anymore'...

In a strange way, recognising that it is an illness sort of helps to cope with it - still doesn't stop it from hurting though.

I read about this last year and thought yep,cut him open and he is full of dust.

and yes im soooooo glad he's my X.

desireischanging, some of us were talking about this subject only yesterday. You may find the thread 'what makes you put up with it?' interesting.

'the sociopath next door' is a good book on this subject.

It describes my H...

This is a great website!

Helps you heal (for information and realise you are not alone!), and awareness of red flags in future meetings with men!!

www.lovefraud.com/

Someone in the news at the moment displays alot of those traits on that list