Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
Sociopaths make up an alarming 1–4 percent of the population and can be found in all areas of life: family, work, school, the community—even churches, temples and mosques. Unable to relate to the feelings of others, they repeatedly exploit their victims, leaving deep emotional and psychological scars.
Yet sociopaths look normal, are very skilled at lying and often go unnoticed. Like stealth missiles, they zero in on victims, wreck their lives and leave without remorse or consequence.
The Sociopath at the Breakfast Table teaches readers how to identify everyday sociopaths and take steps to protect themselves. Authors Dr. Jane McGregor and Tim McGregor also explain that, while generous or empathetic people often make ideal victims, their empathy may sometimes become an antidote to sociopathic abuse. Included in this fascinating new work are
- a full profile of common sociopathic traits and real-life stories of sociopathic abuse
- an Empathy Quotient Quiz that readers can use to measure their own empathy levels
- a helpful new theory of sociopathic interaction, the “Sociopath-Empath-Apath Triad”
The authors provide step-by-step techniques for dealing with the anger and guilt that often follows a manipulative encounter or relationship. With this knowledge, readers can spot a sociopath’s traps and avoid them, protecting themselves — and those they love — from the monster who just might be smiling at them from across the breakfast table.
Chapter 1 - Introduction: what the book is about
*Sociopaths in society
*Sociopath-induced distress and trauma
*Defining the problem
*Outline of the book
Chapter 2 - Everyday sociopaths
*Case histories
Chapter 3 - A profile of a sociopath
*Traits of a sociopath
*Gender differences
Chapter 4 - Interactions of a sociopath
*The apath
*The empath
*The sociopathic transaction
*The Sociopath-Empath-Apath Triad
*The 'gaslighting' effect and how it works
*The effects of haslighting from the targeted person's point of view
Chapter 5 - Coping in the aftermath of a destructive relationship
*Witnessing sociopathic abuse
*Dealing with the draining effects of trauma
*Coping emotionally
*Stages of grieving
*Dealing with anxiety, stress and anger in the early days
*When the stress and anxiety aren't shifting
Chapter 6 - Establishing boundaries and regaining control of your life
*Coping with the aftermath of trauma
*Establishing control following prolonged contact with a sociopath
*Coping day to day
*How other people coped
Chapter 7 - Dealing with complex family situations
*Coping with the fallout
*Parental Alien Syndrome
*Child protection
*Sociopathic relatives
*Laying down the law with problem grandparents and other family members
*What if you suspect your child has sociopathic traits?
Chapter 8 - End-stage recovery
*Dealing with stigma
Appendix: The Empathy Quotient (EQ) test