Continuing what seems to be Public Service Announcement Week here at Zen Sarcasm, I leave you with a quickie checklist that may lift a heavy burden off your shoulders.
Do you know/love/live with/have to endure a psychopath/sociopath?
If you would like to read the full article, please click here. But if you want the Cliffs Notes version, here is a serious questionnaire for you. You may be saving yourself endless grief and suffering by realizing that maybe, just maybe, you are being used by someone who doesn't care about you.
How do you know if you're dealing with a sociopath (by Adam Khan):
1. Do you often feel used by the person?
2. Have you often felt that he (or she)
doesn't care about you?3. Does he lie and deceive you?
4. Does he tend to make contradictory statements?
5. Does he tend to take from you and not
give back much?6. Does he often appeal to pity? Does he
seem to try to make you feel sorry for him?7. Does he try to make you feel guilty?
8. Do you sometimes feel he is taking advantage
of your good nature?9. Does he seem easily bored and need constant
stimulation?10. Does he use a lot of flattery? Does
he interact with you in a way that makes you feel flattered even
if he says nothing overtly complimentary?11. Does he make you feel worried? Does
he do it obviously or more cleverly and sneakily?12. Does he give you the impression you
owe him?13. Does he chronically fail to take responsibility
for harming others? Does he blame everyone and everything but
himself?
And does he do these things far more than
the other people in your life? If you answered yes to many of
these, you may be dealing with a sociopath. For sure you're dealing
with someone who isn't good for you, whatever you want to call
him.
I hope you find this useful in your day-to-day relationships. Keep calm and carry on, now.
A Daily Dose of Zen Sarcasm! 
Intriguing. I have a friend who fits just over half of this criteria, but since I’ve known them so long I would feel terrible not talking to them again. Sigh. What to do, what to do…
And I don’t think I ever congratulated you on your pregnancy! Yay! Next time I’m in DC I’ll have to take you and the multiple Mini Meows out for Mexican. Mmmm.
I think everyone is guilty of those behaviors from time to time, being human. Being guilty of them all at once, however? Yikes, yes, this would seem to point to the fairly obvious notion that you’re dating a nutjob.
this list gave me the heebie jeebies just reading it, can’t imagine living with it!
Maria…thank you for posting this. I just read the whole article. I have someone very close to me (not my husband, thank god!) for whom I can answer yes to all but one of those questions. It’s scary, but she is no longer part of my life. Thank you, again.
~jacquie