But He’s Not a Criminal | The Invisibility of Psychopathy © 2013 Neuroinstincts | All Rights Reserved Given that society’s exposure to psychopathy is primarily via media regarding a heinous crime, this disorder is easily equated with criminality… murder, death, rape, abductions, and torture. However, this is only a part of the picture – a […]
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Romantic Love and the Survivor of an Abusive Relationship
Romantic Love and the Aftermath of a Pathological Relationship © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form Romantic love is a highly “motivated” state of mind (Fischer, Aron, Brown, 2006). It is associated with the reward system of the brain – specifically the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways. In ‘new’ love, […]
Toxic Relationships Are Harmful to Your Health | The Hidden Impact of Domestic Abuse
Toxic relationships are harmful to your health © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved Did you know the pathology of another person can trigger a stress reaction within the brain? This can lead to a series of chemical reactions (e.g., hormones / neurotransmitters) that could be harmful to your health. If this cycle is repeated chronically, many of […]
Lying & Deception in Abusive Relationships
The Brain and Body as a Lie Detector? Lying and Deception in Relationships with Narcissistic or Psychopathic Partners © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved Lying and deception are extremely common within psychopathic and narcissistic relationships. When individuals lack the ability to engage with others in a moral fashion, are incapable of genuine care, coupled with the […]
Triangulation, Targets and Stimulation – Common Psychopathy Intimacy Style
Triangulation, Targets, and Stimulation © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form A common pattern demonstrated by some individuals with psychopathy is the need for stimulation by having old and new partners compete. If you are comfortable – read the following vignette that illustrates an example of triangulation. Mandy […]
Manipulation and the Psychopathic / Narcissistic Relationship
Manipulation and the Psychopathic Relationship Be Smart with Your Heart © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form Emotionally healthy people do not intentionally violate the rights or boundaries of others. Love is not a process of pain, obstacles, betrayal, secrecy, and disloyalty. Abuse is not a part of normal […]
Psychopaths – Reactions to causing pain within their intimate relationships
Psychopathy: Common reactions to causing pain within their relationships © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved There are many differences between a psychopathic love relationship and a ‘normal’ intimate relationship. We’re going to look at one of those differences – their reaction to the pain they cause their partners. We often hear that a major […]
Do Psychopaths Have Emotions?
Do Psychopaths Have Emotions? © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved Do psychopaths have emotions? This question is commonly asked because of the horrific manner that many with psychopathy treat others. We’d love to explore this with you. The answer is – yes. Individuals with psychopathy have emotions, and some of these emotions are quite intense. However, there […]
Getting Hurt Again and Again? | Psychopathic Love Relationships [Part II]
Getting Hurt Again and Again? | Psychopathic Love Relationships © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form Want to read part one first? [button link=”http://neuroinstincts.com/getting-hurt-again-and-again-psychopathic-love/” size=”medium” rounded=”false” ]Go[/button] Let’s look at the consequences of problems with certain brain functions through this vignette. John and Larry Consider a non-psychopathic […]
When the Relationship Goal is not Love
Narcissistic Personality (c) 2013 Rhonda Freeman, PhD | All rights reserved If I were to ask you: “What is it that you want to give to your relationships?” What would you say? Would you tell me you want your partner to have experiences such as, support, understanding, comfort, and love? In the absence of pathology, […]
Getting Hurt Again and Again? | Abusive Relationships [Part I]
Getting Hurt Again and Again? Morality & Six Unsaid Rules of Emotional Abusers © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form As human beings we have a sense of what is right and wrong – what is fair. This is a component of morality. Those involved in romantic […]
Bad decisions? | Why does he behave like that?
Bad Social Decisions? Why does he behave like that? © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form Many have wondered why some individuals with strong psychopathic traits seem intelligent (cognitively | IQ), however make poor social choices? For example, there are some with psychopathy that hold extremely responsible, high ranking, or public positions […]
Should we discuss psychopathy?
Should we discuss psychopathy? © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form Some might say that researching and discussing the facts of psychopathy intrudes upon their rights and stigmatizes a group of individuals. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that the symptoms of this disorder is congruent with painful […]
Psychopathy, the brain, and bad behavior | Morality
Psychopathy, the brain, and bad behavior – Morality © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved In trying to piece together why individuals with psychopathy have a certain pattern of behavior and seem to lack morality, we again look to the brain. Be aware that this is only a portion of the puzzle regarding psychopathy because science […]
Avoiding Abusers | Instincts Can Help, but is it Enough?
Avoiding Abusers | Instincts Help, but is it Enough? © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form “When someone shows you who they are the first time, believe them.” – Maya Angelou Psychopathy is responsible for the devastation and abuse of many individuals, children, families, and communities. They can […]
Common Missing Pieces of a Narcissistic or Psychopathic Relationship | Emotional Deficiencies
Missing Pieces & Emotional Deficiencies Narcissistic Personality Disorder & Psychopathic Relationships © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved | No Unauthorized Reproduction Permitted in any form Having love and a special person to go through life with is important and what emotionally healthy human beings need. That’s why it’s vital that our partners are safe, moral, […]
Manipulating your Empathy | Grooming in Narcissistic and Psychopathic Relationships
Exploiting Empathy Grooming in Narcissistic & Psychopathic Relationships © 2013 Rhonda Freeman, PhD Not all behavior in the beginning of a relationship with a psychopath or narcissist is grooming. For many, the emotional high they demonstrate is probably genuine. Just like the rest of us, they are stimulated by a new relationship and swimming in […]
Psychopath or Sociopath … Is There a Difference?
Psychopath or Sociopath | A Closer Look at Terminology © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved Psychopathy and sociopathy are often terms used interchangeably and naturally this creates some confusion. When “sociopath” and “psychopath” are used, typically they are referencing the same disorder. However, are these conditions really the same? Actually no they are not. But the […]
Psychosis or Psychopathy?
Psychopath or Psychotic? © 2013 NeuroInstincts | All Rights Reserved Psychosis and psychopathy are two conditions that are sometimes confused. It is understandable, given that the name of the two disorders sound quite similar (both begin with the prefix “psycho”). Another possible reason for the confusion is that some individuals with psychopathy commit heinous crimes […]
