Sociopath
Ratings16
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings16
Average rating3.7
A fascinating, revelatory memoir revealing the author’s struggle to come to terms with her own sociopathy and shed light on the often maligned and misunderstood mental illness. Patric Gagne realized she made others uncomfortable before she even started kindergarten. Something about her caused people to react in a way she didn’t understand. She suspected it was because she didn’t feel things the way other kids did. Emotions like fear, guilt, and empathy eluded her. For the most part, she felt nothing. And she didn’t like the way that “nothing” felt. She did her best to pretend she was like everyone else, but the constant pressure to conform to a society that she knew rejected anyone like her was unbearable. So Patric stole. She lied. She was occasionally violent. She became an expert lock-picker and home-invader. All with the goal of replacing the nothingness with…something. In college, Patric finally confirmed what she’d long suspected. She was a sociopath. But even though it was the very first personality disorder identified—well over 200 years ago—sociopathy has been neglected by mental health professionals for decades. She was told there was no treatment, no hope for a normal life. She found herself haunted by sociopaths in pop culture, madmen, villains, and monsters. Her future looked grim. But when Patric reconnects with an old flame, she gets a glimpse of a future beyond her diagnosis. If she’s capable of love, it must mean that she isn’t a monster. With the help of her sweetheart (and some curious characters she meets along the way) she embarks on a mission to prove that the millions of Americans who share her diagnosis aren’t all monsters either.
Reviews with the most likes.
I was really interested in this book after seeing a bunch of people I follow review early copies and I think that unfortunately raised my expectations. As someone with BPD I understand first hand what it's like to have a very misunderstood and villainized mental illness, and I enjoyed seeing the author talk about that alongside the feeling of being alone in her diagnosis. The thing that really lowered my enjoyment of this was simply the fact that I didn't like the author. Which is super disappointing (and a little annoying) considering this is a memoir. I was interested in understanding more about what it means to be a Sociopath, simply because almost everything you find in the media about it is negative or blown out of proportions. Overall, I had an alright time reading this and I wish I didn't see so many raving reviews of it so I could've kept my expectations low.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eBook copy to review on NetGalley
4/5
i really liked this! i liked how she discussed her feelings of apathy all throughout her life in depth and how she knew she was different from most other people because of that. I also liked the incorporation of learning about psychology as well as her story of how she was driven to become a psychologist to learn more about her condition. super insightful & inspiring!
This is my favorite kind of memoir, ones that allow me to see the world from a completely different perspective. This was a compelling and research-based account of the author's acceptance journey before and after her diagnosis. I often think about that TED Talk about the power of one story and how it limits so much of our understanding of other human beings. This was very well written, provided an interesting story, and had insights that every person could benefit from. Reading can be an act of compassion and empathy; this book was no exception.
