Sociopath
A Memoir
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4.2 • 20 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
An engrossing, “completely fascinating” (Cosmopolitan) memoir revealing the author’s struggle to come to terms with her own sociopathy and shed light on the often maligned and misunderstood mental disorder.
Patric Gagne realized she made others uncomfortable before she 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 people 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.
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 had been neglected by mental health professionals for decades. She was told there was no treatment, no hope for a normal life. 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 like the madmen and evil villains in pop culture. 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.
This is the inspiring story of Patric’s journey to unlock the true nature of sociopathy and build a life of love and hope against all odds.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Patric Gagne’s compelling, utterly original memoir aims to set the record straight on one of humanity’s most misunderstood disorders. She shows us that sociopaths—widely seen as monsters—are everyday neuroatypical people suffering with a serious problem. And she should know—she’s one of them. Gagne walks us through each stage of her life, spotlighting the ways the condition manifested, from attacking another kid in elementary school to committing crimes as a young adult, all in an effort to feel something. In unsparing detail, she reveals the complicated ups and downs of her relationship with the man who’s now her husband, how she eventually sought psychiatric treatment, and how her path led her to become a therapist herself. Gagne makes it clear the struggle is ongoing, but provides proof that there’s help and hope for people without access to their emotions. Sociopath is a powerful reminder not to take our feelings for granted.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"I am a twenty-first century sociopath," former therapist Gagne asserts in the introduction to her bracing debut, "and I've written this book because I know I'm not alone." She begins by recounting her childhood affinity for thievery and other early signs, including the excessive time she spent alone, that "something about me was off." As Gagne grew older, stealing trinkets gave way to stealing cars and credit cards, and in college, her first therapist diagnosed her as a sociopath. Reading all the material she could get her hands on, Gagne learned that the condition (characterized by "a disinclination to empathize with others") is widely misunderstood—and often misdiagnosed—and resolved to pursue a PhD in the subject to help others like herself. Meanwhile, she managed a bumpy relationship with her boyfriend (and eventual husband), David, one of the few people for whom she felt deep love. Gagne's stated goal is demystification ("representation matters"), and she succeeds, legibly outlining the workings of her mind and the hopelessness she felt upon diagnosis. Courageously candid and sometimes shocking, this no-holds-barred self-portrait offers an illuminating glimpse at a mental health disorder long shrouded by shame.
