thanks for the book suggestion, sylvie. i put it on my list of books to look for. it sounds like it could be very helpful to many people.

jamie

"Winning Life's Toughest Battles" by Dr. Julius Segal

I always shop for deals and this site does comparison pricing:
cheapestbookprice.com

I found the book for $1.95 + shipping!

Half.com

Hi Diane,

Thanks - the resource section is probably a good place for it. Good to post again.

Best regards
Sylvie

Jamie

You're very welcome. Hope it helps - it's a fairly quick read.

Later,
Sylvie

Everytime I read some of the stories here that describe all the anguish and suffering Ps cause people and considering the ripple effect it has, I am at the same time struck by the fact that there's this strange official silence about all this seemingly pervasive destruction.

I am reminded of the painting by Edvard Munch, "The Scream". It's almost as if all the victims scream out in various ways, but no-one hears them. Very strange.

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Everytime I read some of the stories here that describe all the anguish and suffering Ps cause people and considering the ripple effect it has, I am at the same time struck by the fact that there's this strange official silence about all this seemingly pervasive destruction.

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It's almost as if all the victims scream out in various ways, but no-one hears them. Very strange.

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Spot on. Or.. "It was all so crazy, I didnt think anybody would believe me"... as a friend said to me.


A few thoughts... The Psychopath tries his /her hardest to hide his / her true nature. Its a hidden problem, diffcult to diagnose. Only the violent / criminal Ps are the visible part of the iceberg...

Its intractable. Personality disorders dont seem to be too popular with the psychiatric profession as they are hardly traetable at all. You dont build a successful career banging your head against a brick wall, consistently failing to facilitate any improvement in your patients. Clients with a personality disorder are also exceedingly hard work for any therapist - even where a therapist has a correct diagnosis.

Law enforcemant dont like 'domestics' as usually there are only ever two people involved - the perpetrator and the victim, no witnesses. And often (for various reasons) the vistim refuses to testify.

FInal thought re "strange official silence" - who do you think is in charge? - or is this just me being cynical and paranoid

Thanks. I think you've really honed in on some of the factors that cause this "white noise". I can't get over "it's intractable". Just the phrase sends chills down my spine (in this context anyway) because I still remember when I realized exactly that. I imagine that's one of the most desolate moments that anyone who has been involved with a P experiences. The jarring realization that the person you believe you're in love with doesn't exist, and in his (or her) place is essentially an android of sorts, a reasonable facsimile of a person, that is until you get to know them better.

"You dont build a successful career banging your head against a brick wall, consistently failing to facilitate any improvement in your patients."

Exactly. P's counsellor seemed bamboozled as to why our relationship wasn't improving (thank you gods for smiling down on me!)- you would think he would cotton on to the fact that this guy had a personality disorder much earlier on, since my mantra was "he doesn't seem to have any empathy". That plus all the other behaviour should have been a red flag to the doltish counsellor - you could practically go down the checklist - but perhaps he really was slow on the uptake or maybe he had other motivations like billing considerations.

Speaking of a ripple effect, I am wondering if there will ever be a light at the end of the tunnel, so that not only am I free of the multiple Ps but also their continuing destructive effects.

Your last question (rhetorical I think) scares me. I don't even want to consider the possibility right now.

FInal thought re "strange official silence" - who do you think is in charge? - or is this just me being cynical and paranoid
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JustAMan,

If you mean what I think you mean, I agree with you 100%.
Cynical & paranoid? I was wondering how many people smell the coffee.

MCN

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If you mean what I think you mean, I agree with you 100%.
Cynical & paranoid? I was wondering how many people smell the coffee.

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If the coffee is Folgers, I'd say nobody!

...ok thats just a Brit being insulting about the quality of coffee in the USA. I think it sucks. The only decent cup of coffee I ever had in the USA was in Albuqueque, in a small cafe on route 66. A cappuccino made with a Gaggia. I was so shocked I asked them what coffee they used. They told me it was Itallian coffee which was imported into New York which they had flow out specially to Albuqueque...

enough with the trans Atlantic insults..

Playing spot the personality disorder amongst the great, the good and our leaders is a fun game on a wet night in...

tip... the first time you review the evidence watch it with the sound turned off. Just watch the body language and to figure out what is going on and what is being 'said'. Then view with the sound up and listen as well as watch. Add this to what you know about their life history...

Personally, I think that G.Bush and T. Blair are 'not quite right' but as Im not a psychiatrist I think I'll keep my diagnoses (not the same for both men) to myself.

Hmm... Psychopathy, politics and world history. Theres a topic which needs a board to itself!

"I was only obeying orders"

Hi JustAMan, funny you should mention turning off the volume. Even if I have the volume on I stay so focused on the body language that I don't really hear what they are saying. When I "tune" into their words I am always amazed. Without spewing my leftist political views George W. is particularly interesting to watch. He is so disconnected from reality, smirking when speaking of innocent deaths etc. With his lack of ability to string together a sentence using proper grammar it is fascinating to watch him discuss overhauling the pathetic school system here.

Di