asandwich

Sociopathic behaviour can have very profound, long-lasting consequences for the emotional well-being of the intended 'victim'. It took me well into adulthood to realise that I'd been a target throughout my life of at least three sociopaths (two of which are family members), and that my perceptions of myself and what I believed others thought of me had been constantly manipulated by these people. I'm still trying to recover from the damage that was done, and I've more or less come to terms with the fact that I may never be able to recover fully, but at least now I'm able to understand what happened to me and how it could have happened.

Books like this are absolutely invaluable to those who have experienced a close relationship with someone with an antisocial personality disorder firsthand. This book in particular is not intended as a detailed account of sociopathic behaviour, but rather aimed at helping victims identify the characteristic traits of a sociopath, and discussing through clearly defined chapters how best to cope with the various methods that a sociopath may employ in order to maintain control of the relationship. There is also a wealth of information (plus plenty of references to other texts) in regards to dealing with the emotional turmoil and anxiety left behind after contact with the sociopath is broken, as well as pointers on making sure that the cycle is given no opportunity to continue.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone - not only those who suspect that they may be victims of sociopathic abuse - but as a means of forewarning and forearming oneself against the possibility of being targeted in the future.