In the first half of the show, Dr. Schug summarizes some of the research presented at the 2010 meeting of the American Society of Criminology. He also introduces a new segment, Psychopath or Not and considers the case of Robert Stroud, known as the Birdman of Alcatraz. In the second half of the show, Dr. Schug’s guest is Jill Ricke, Ph.D., Psychologist and member of the Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy Foundation Board of Directors, who discusses some of the ways in which psychopathic individuals impact people in relationships with them, including the common experience of a serious disconnect between someone’s actual experience with a psychopathic individual versus the way that experience is later portrayed or re-presented by the person with psychopathic traits . Click here to listen to Aftermath Radio: Episode Seven.
Dr. Ricke wrote the following message for our listeners:
When involved in a relationship with a psychopathic individual, whether it’s an intimate relationship, a friendship, or a professional relationship it is common to feel as if you are going crazy. This phenomenon occurs because most people believe that everyone “is good” and has good intentions; however, the psychopathic person is extremely adept at deception, manipulation, and charm.
When you try and confront a psychopath about their lying or manipulation they will react with rage and turn it back on you. After repeated occasions of this type of behavior the person involved with the psychopath will start doubting themselves, and will begin to feel as if “they are losing their mind.” They will begin to stop trusting their judgement and will concede to the psychopath.
If the individual involved with the psychopath tries to talk to others about the manipulation, the lying and the deception they are feeling it tends to backfire. Most people will not believe them, will think they are exaggerating, or are just feeling sorry for themselves for some perceived slight. This occurs because the person you are tying to get validation from often has some sort of a relationship with the psychopath but has been manipulated and charmed by the psychopath so they tend to disregard your feelings. When this occurs the individual involved with the psychopath begins to feel frustration, self doubt, experience depression, low self esteem and feel as if they are “going crazy.”
Oftentimes, individuals involved with the psychopath will seek mental health treatment. Unfortunately, many therapists have not been trained to understand the depth of manipulation, deception, and irresponsible behavior that psychopaths’ exhibit. It can be very frustrating for an individual involved with a psychopath to seek treatment and feel as if they are “not believed” because the therapist subscribes to the belief that most people are “inherently good and have good intentions.” This can deter a person to seek further treatment and reinforces the feeling that they “are crazy!” You can listen to Dr. Schug’s interview with Dr. Ricke by clicking here.
You may also want to visit the Aftermath Survivors Forum to discuss your situation with others who have been involved in relationships with psychopathic individuals.