Sociopath

An utterly compelling, drily funny, and, at times, jaw-dropping account of life as a diagnosed sociopath from a music manager who retrained as a therapist to better understand her condition, and help other sociopaths.

''Your friends would probably describe me as nice. But guess what? I can''t stand your friends. I''m a liar. I''m a thief. I''m highly manipulative. I don''t care what other people think. I''m capable of almost anything.'' Sociopath: A Memoir is at once a mesmerizing tale of a life lived on the edge of the law, a redemptive love story and a moving account of one woman''s battle to create a place for herself and the 5% of the population who are also - like her - sociopaths. Ever since she was a small child, Patric Gagne knew she was different. Although she felt intense love for her family and her best friend, David, these connections were never enough to make her be ''good'', or to reduce her feelings of apathy and frustration. As she grew older, her behaviour escalated from petty theft through to breaking and entering, stalking, and worse. As an adult, Patric realized that she was a sociopath. Although she instantly connected with the official descriptions of sociopathy, she also knew they didn''t tell the full story: she had a plan for her life, had nurtured close relationships and was doing her best (most of the time) to avoid harming others. As her darker impulses warred against her attempts to live a settled, loving life with her partner, Patric began to wonder - was there a way for sociopaths to integrate happily into society? And could she find it before her own behaviour went a step too far?

Autorentext

Patric Gagne is a writer, former therapist, and advocate for people suffering from sociopathic, psychopathic, and anti-social personality disorders. She earned a PhD in clinical psychology with a dissertation that examined the relationship between sociopathy and anxiety. This research became the groundwork for her continued studies on sociopathic disorder, as well as the foundation for her memoir. She did her undergraduate work at UCLA and earned her masters and doctorate at the California Graduate Institute of The Chicago School.

Klappentext

'Deliciously wicked and insightful.' - The Guardian

*'Addictively page-turning.' - The Telegraph*

'Thought-provoking and surprisingly life-affirming.' - Cosmopolitan**

Sociopath: A Memoir is the astoundingly honest true story of a life lived on the edge of the law, and a fascinating account of one woman's battle to understand her diagnosis. Jaw-dropping, moving and illuminating, it will challenge everything you thought you knew about sociopathy.

'Your friends would probably describe me as nice. But guess what? I can't stand your friends. I'm a liar. I'm a thief. I'm highly manipulative. I don't care what other people think. I'm capable of almost anything.'

From stabbing elementary school classmates with pencils to stealing car keys from fellow frat party guests and joyriding around her college town, to breaking and entering, even stalking, Patric Gagne doesn't hold back when it comes to describing the behaviour that, eventually, made her realize she is a sociopath.

But her discovery forced her to question the official descriptions of sociopathy. After all, she had a plan for her life, had nurtured close relationships and was doing her best (most of the time) to avoid harming others.

While her darker impulses warred against her attempts to live a settled, loving life with her partner, Patric began to wonder - was there a way for sociopaths to integrate happily into society? And could she find it before her own behaviour went a step too far?

**'Surprising, thoughtful and deeply personal.' - Pandora Sykes

'Arresting and addictive.' - The Times

'She is compelling, like a movie character - a sociopath who's beautiful, warm and funny, articulate and charming' - The Guardian**