Nonfiction

Sociopath: A Memoir

Sociopath: A Memoir

  • Downloads：3282
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2024-03-29 07:20:54
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Patric Gagne
  • ISBN：1797170791
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

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。

Download

Reviews

NrsKelley ，

I am not a huge nonfiction fan。 But what I do love is a good nonfiction book which shows how much a person has learned about themselves。 And then to see that person rise above their own issues。 This book does that。 The author has overcome an amazing stigma。 Sociopathy and owning that out loud and in public Is powerfully brave。 And the fact that she is using it to help others understand is laudable。 A read for anyone who may be rouched by sociopathy。 I received a ARC， all thoughts and opinions ar I am not a huge nonfiction fan。 But what I do love is a good nonfiction book which shows how much a person has learned about themselves。 And then to see that person rise above their own issues。 This book does that。 The author has overcome an amazing stigma。 Sociopathy and owning that out loud and in public Is powerfully brave。 And the fact that she is using it to help others understand is laudable。 A read for anyone who may be rouched by sociopathy。 I received a ARC， all thoughts and opinions are my own 。。。more

Victoria Sanchez ，

A well-written， entertaining book that is a bit redundant at times but fascinating。 Ironically， I gained a huge amount of empathy for those with sociopathic personality disorder。 While I absolutely get where he was coming from （I've learned I am too neurotic to be in relationship with a sociopath）， I was furious and lonely for Patric's when her long-time relationship kept asking to fix or erase the darker qualities of her personality over which she had no control。 And he was one of the few peopl A well-written， entertaining book that is a bit redundant at times but fascinating。 Ironically， I gained a huge amount of empathy for those with sociopathic personality disorder。 While I absolutely get where he was coming from （I've learned I am too neurotic to be in relationship with a sociopath）， I was furious and lonely for Patric's when her long-time relationship kept asking to fix or erase the darker qualities of her personality over which she had no control。 And he was one of the few people who accepted who she was - mostly。 Anyway， it's hard enough dealing with well-researched diagnoses; to have such a little understood - or studied - disorder doesn't seem fair。 I think people will look back at this book as one of the first to normalize this often demonized disorder。 。。。more

Novel Visits ，

Really interesting。 May go up a bit in my rating。 Full review to follow。

Kayleigh | Welsh Book Fairy ，

𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡: 𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫 | 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞 | 𝟒。𝟓*“𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴。 𝘐 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘵。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦。 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵。 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦。𝘪 𝘢𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦。 𝘐 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵-𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩。 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦。”𝑇𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑠⟡ non-fiction⟡ psychology 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡: 𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫 | 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞 | 𝟒。𝟓*“𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴。 𝘐 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘵。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦。 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵。 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦。𝘪 𝘢𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦。 𝘐 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯。 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵-𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩。 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦。”𝑇𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑠⟡ non-fiction⟡ psychology ⟡ specifically sociopathyWow。 This book was endlessly fascinating。 A cohesive anecdotal and scientific piece told from the perspective of an emotionally intelligent sociopath。 As a mental health professional， reading this for me was revelatory。 I immediately want to read more from the author。An immersive demonstration that sometimes， to understand something better， it’s best to ask the person experiencing it。 This book challenged everything I knew about sociopathy， or thought I knew。 PG challenges the inherent negative stigma that attaches itself to sociopathy and makes readers question: is a lack of remorse or guilt， or a difficulty in connecting to secondary and tertiary emotions such as relief， fear， and affection， really so bad？ Or is it just different？With the rise in understanding of neurodivergence， is now also the perfect time to shed awareness on unorthodox personalities？ PG seems to think so。 And I agree。⟡ 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮⟡ 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳/𝘟 。。。more

Krazyaboutbooks ，

I received this ebook from NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Bluebird in exchange for an honest review。This was an interesting book， as I learned a lot about sociopaths and the differences between them and psychopaths。 Patric， the author knew that she was different from childhood and would do illegal acts as 'prescriptive behaviour' to feel something。 This continued until adulthood when she decided to find help to mitigate her bad urges。 The first half of the book was a tough read as its very repeti I received this ebook from NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Bluebird in exchange for an honest review。This was an interesting book， as I learned a lot about sociopaths and the differences between them and psychopaths。 Patric， the author knew that she was different from childhood and would do illegal acts as 'prescriptive behaviour' to feel something。 This continued until adulthood when she decided to find help to mitigate her bad urges。 The first half of the book was a tough read as its very repetitive and I felt like the story got going when she left for university。 It was very difficult to understand someone who deliberately does illegal/ bad things and has no remorse， plus she would actively try to justify these behaviours。 The book was somewhat redeemed by her determination to get help for herself and other sociopaths; she knew that she would never be normal but still strived to live by her terms。 In addition， her work with other people born with this condition is admirable， I was unaware that they had no treatment or coping mechanisms for them。 I think that the book could have been more compelling if the last few chapters were expounded on and the first half of the book condensed。 Overall， an interesting read and I would recommend to people who are interested in the inner workings of a diagnosed sociopath and possible therapeutic methods used for coping。 。。。more

Jess （oracle_of_madness） ，

As someone who struggles with mental health issues， I am so impressed and in awe of Patric Gagne for her accomplishments。 Especially in a world that doesn't always love to give chances to those of us who are different。 This is a memoir written by an author with sociopathy。 Patric has not only lived with this since childhood， but when she realized her sociopathic symptoms in a college class， she went on to get a PhD。 in clinical psychology。 The power and strength in that as a way of taking owners As someone who struggles with mental health issues， I am so impressed and in awe of Patric Gagne for her accomplishments。 Especially in a world that doesn't always love to give chances to those of us who are different。 This is a memoir written by an author with sociopathy。 Patric has not only lived with this since childhood， but when she realized her sociopathic symptoms in a college class， she went on to get a PhD。 in clinical psychology。 The power and strength in that as a way of taking ownership of what can be a crippling disorder for some， just makes me feel like there is really hope for people like me， that struggle with deep depressions， to anyone with similar struggles。 This book has so much information that can teach those with this disorder or without it。 It's truly magnificent！Out April 2， 2024！Thank you， Netgalley and Publisher， for this Arc！ 。。。more

Michelle ，

This was so fascinating。 I was floored about her childhood logic of being a sociopath。 It was so wild to feel like I was really in her perspective of things。 All the way through the memoir she was educating the differences from psychopath vs sociopath which are pretty nuanced。 I really enjoyed this， and it wasn’t like any other memoir I had read before。 Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。

Liz ，

This sounded super interesting from the get-go， and it was！ Patric Gagne realized as a young child that she felt very differently than other kids and people， and as she dealt with it in different ways growing up her understanding of sociopathy developed and evolved until she eventually decided to go into psychology and specialize in it。 A lot of the remembering of childhood experiences is obviously told through the lens of adulthood， and conversations are re-written with good detail according to This sounded super interesting from the get-go， and it was！ Patric Gagne realized as a young child that she felt very differently than other kids and people， and as she dealt with it in different ways growing up her understanding of sociopathy developed and evolved until she eventually decided to go into psychology and specialize in it。 A lot of the remembering of childhood experiences is obviously told through the lens of adulthood， and conversations are re-written with good detail according to her memory of them and the impact that particular conversation her on her。 I really enjoyed this and appreciated the insight of someone who feels so differently than the majority of people; the discussion of differences between sociopath and psychopath is interesting。 My big questions - I want to know who her father is？！ Who's "Max"？！ What happened with the crazy stalker lady？！ Another thought on this is that if she had not been born into privilege， she may not have been able to manage herself and her circumstances the way she did - she had money， opportunities， overall parental support， etc。 - Overall this was a really interesting and thought-provoking memoir and I wish her continued success with developing her therapies for sociopathy， which seems so important！Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more

Karen D ，

What a fascinating memoir！ People think they understand sociopaths because of how they're portrayed in pop culture， but this does so much to show how someone with that diagnosis actually acts and feels （or doesn't。） I know there's plenty out there to show that sociopaths aren't necessarily violent， and how many sociopaths are leaders in their industry， but this does so much more to humanize those people。 *I really enjoyed seeing Patric's perspective， her struggles， her trying to figure out how t What a fascinating memoir！ People think they understand sociopaths because of how they're portrayed in pop culture， but this does so much to show how someone with that diagnosis actually acts and feels （or doesn't。） I know there's plenty out there to show that sociopaths aren't necessarily violent， and how many sociopaths are leaders in their industry， but this does so much more to humanize those people。 *I really enjoyed seeing Patric's perspective， her struggles， her trying to figure out how to be "normal" and ultimately realizing that just because she experiences the world in a different way doesn't mean that she's wrong。 It's frustrating to see how difficult it was for her to find people in her life who could truly accept her， and also be healthy for her。 *This was such a unique read， and I think it will do a lot to help people （all people！） have a better understanding of each other and the range of ways people experience emotion。 Definitely recommend！ 。。。more

Kenzie | kenzienoelle。reads ，

*WOW。 Full stop。 I’m honestly not going to say much about this book except， READ IT！！ *I thought this was phenomenal。 From the writing to the storytelling， I was hooked。 I’m thankful that Patric shared her story to hopefully help others who may feel like she did and want to understand why they feel so “other。” From Patric’s writing， there seems to be a gross lack of understanding of Sociopathy （and the like） and so many misconceptions。 I learned so much and I hope so many people pick up this boo *WOW。 Full stop。 I’m honestly not going to say much about this book except， READ IT！！ *I thought this was phenomenal。 From the writing to the storytelling， I was hooked。 I’m thankful that Patric shared her story to hopefully help others who may feel like she did and want to understand why they feel so “other。” From Patric’s writing， there seems to be a gross lack of understanding of Sociopathy （and the like） and so many misconceptions。 I learned so much and I hope so many people pick up this book！ *A huge sign I’m loving a book is that I’ll read out passages to my Mom and tell her all about the story and I know she’s dying to read this soon now too😆 （I guess I had more to say than I thought！） FANTASTIC。 Thank you， @simonbooks for this gifted ARC！ Pub date: April 2， 2024！ 。。。more

Sandra ，

After reading “Sociopath” by Patric Gagne， I felt a constant sense of anxiety from beginning to end。 It’s difficult to express how it made me feel。 The idea of not having emotions is hard for me to comprehend。 I am the completely opposite of a Sociopath， I am an empath through and through。 Sociopaths are manipulative， show no regard for right and wrong， and dismiss the feelings of others， among other behavior traits。Throughout my reading， I found myself deeply intrigued by certain factors， and o After reading “Sociopath” by Patric Gagne， I felt a constant sense of anxiety from beginning to end。 It’s difficult to express how it made me feel。 The idea of not having emotions is hard for me to comprehend。 I am the completely opposite of a Sociopath， I am an empath through and through。 Sociopaths are manipulative， show no regard for right and wrong， and dismiss the feelings of others， among other behavior traits。Throughout my reading， I found myself deeply intrigued by certain factors， and often overcome with a deep sense of sadness。 Ultimately， I gained a great deal of knowledge about it。 You probably know at least one sociopath， but because of their behavioral characteristics， I feel like it would be hard to see on the spot especially if it’s not somebody you know well。 I would definitely recommend it。 It was an interesting memoir！Thank you simonbooks for my gifted copy of Sociopath。 。。。more

Sam Sattler ，

I've read dozens of memoirs over the last few years， but seldom has one surprised me quite as much as Patric Gagne's Sociopath。 I initially wanted to read Sociopath because of my confusion （and as it turns out， my misunderstanding） of the difference between the terms "sociopath" and "psychopath。" I had come to believe that the difference between the two was based on criminal activity - psychopaths were criminals， sociopaths were just manipulative jerks。 Patric Gagne has opened my eyes regarding I've read dozens of memoirs over the last few years， but seldom has one surprised me quite as much as Patric Gagne's Sociopath。 I initially wanted to read Sociopath because of my confusion （and as it turns out， my misunderstanding） of the difference between the terms "sociopath" and "psychopath。" I had come to believe that the difference between the two was based on criminal activity - psychopaths were criminals， sociopaths were just manipulative jerks。 Patric Gagne has opened my eyes regarding sociopathy by first pointing out that many mental health professionals themselves don't seem to understand the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath a whole lot better than I understood it before reading Sociopath。 And that's the problem。Patric Gagne is a sociopath。 She lives the life of a sociopath so she knows what she is talking about。 But Gagne does not draw only from her personal experiences to reach the conclusions that she reaches about what sociopathy really is。 While in college， she tried to learn more about why she was so different from all of her fellow students only to be frustrated by how little information she could find about sociopathy in the university library。 Frustrated as she may have been， Gagne was so determined to learn why she is the way she is that she ultimately earned a PhD in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and became a therapist。 Her mission is to help write an expanded definition of sociopathy that likens the condition to a learning disability; in this case， an inability to learn or absorb most of the spectrum of human emotion。 By eliminating the negative connotation of the term， Gagne hopes that the rest of us will understand that sociopaths are not evil people， that the disorder they were born with is a treatable one。 Just as importantly， she wants to give hope to others struggling to control their own antisocial behavioral compulsions。 You only have to read the "Introduction" to Sociopath to know that you have something special in your hands。 In the very first sentence， Gagne tells you that she is a sociopath。 And within the book's first half-page， what she tells you about herself and other sociopaths is enough to make you more than a little bit nervous about being around people like her。 But that's the point。 You already are around people like the ones she describes because they are doctors， neighbors， lawyers， co-workers， school teachers， etc。 They are everywhere。If you want to learn why they behave the way they do （especially， I think， if you've ever worked with or for a sociopath）， this is a book you need to read。 If you want to learn what it feels like to live the daily struggle of being a sociopath in a world in which everyone "gets it" but you， this is a book you need to read。 But most of all， if you are a sociopath wanting to know more about yourself and the disability you were born with， Sociopath is definitely the book for you。 。。。more

Paige Peploe ，

Did I just tear up at the end of a memoir titled “Sociopath？” I sure did！ And I also believe there are a lot of readers out there who will read this book and have the same reaction as me。Patric Gagne grew up knowing she was different from other children， but it wasn’t until taking psychology classes in college that a diagnosis clicked with her– sociopathy。 When she found few resources to help her understand sociopathy， she forged a path for herself and has spent the years since leading the resea Did I just tear up at the end of a memoir titled “Sociopath？” I sure did！ And I also believe there are a lot of readers out there who will read this book and have the same reaction as me。Patric Gagne grew up knowing she was different from other children， but it wasn’t until taking psychology classes in college that a diagnosis clicked with her– sociopathy。 When she found few resources to help her understand sociopathy， she forged a path for herself and has spent the years since leading the research on the very topic。 There is a great balance in this memoir between personal anecdotes and basic science that made it extremely enjoyable for me。 Patric also has close ties to the music industry， which always makes for even juicier， fascinating stories。 As for the science， I had little knowledge of psychology or sociopathy before this so I feel like I took a lot away from reading on those topics。 Major takeaway from this story is that when you point the finger at others， there are four fingers pointing back at you。 Criticizing sociopaths for lacking feelings and emotion only reflects a lack of empathy and compassion on yourself for not accepting them the way they are。 It warmed my heart to see how the relationships in Patric’s life， namely with David and Everly， blossomed into acceptance and love from all parties。 I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be the memoir of the summer！*Thanks to NetGalley for exchanging an e-ARC of this book for an unbiased review！ 。。。more

A Broken Zebra ，

Thanks to NETGALLEY and Simon and Schuster for eARCThis book seems to be causing quite the stir and is polarizing。 Kirkus Reviews said， "A peculiar， provocative exploration of the limits of social acceptance。" For what it's worth。This memoir is told in four parts， including an intro。 It is written under a pseudonym， as the author is allegedly a therapist。 Because of the nom de plume， there is little to no information available on the author， which was a bummer for me， since I really enjoyed Thanks to NETGALLEY and Simon and Schuster for eARCThis book seems to be causing quite the stir and is polarizing。 Kirkus Reviews said， "A peculiar， provocative exploration of the limits of social acceptance。" For what it's worth。This memoir is told in four parts， including an intro。 It is written under a pseudonym， as the author is allegedly a therapist。 Because of the nom de plume， there is little to no information available on the author， which was a bummer for me， since I really enjoyed her writing style and was hoping to find/read more。 Perhaps in the future。 ¯\_（ツ）_/¯ I think Gagne is an extremely engaging storyteller， very raw and honest*。 Asterisk， because Reasons。 Using a direct quote from the author - “Like any good con， the information was just accurate enough to seem credible。” I am not a sociopath， however， I've been diagnosed with MDD， GAD， PTSD， and I think this book could be helpful to others， sociopaths and people who have also had moments of 'am I alone in this？'， because I've certainly had experiences of negativity and gaslighting with regards to my mental illnesses （and even a few physical things - like when a doctor insinuated it's all in my head， when in fact， I had vulvodynia）。 For me， this memoir was enlightening and， in some sense， empowering。 eARC feedback-wise， my copy had a lot of befuddling typos that started small and barely there and then for some reason increased？ Assuming this will be resolved before the final product， but oof， it was strange， heh。Also， I'm miffed we didn't get a conclusion to the Ginny story。 Considering how heavy it was， it seems irresponsible or like a total letdown。 。。。more

Heather Kirkpatrick ，

When I saw that there was a book about sociopaths written by a sociopath with a phD in clinical psychology， I knew I had to read this book。 This book was so insightful。 I love how the author educates her readers through her thoughts and life experiences。 I can't imagine a better way of learning about this misunderstood mental disorder。Sociopath: a Memoir tells the story of Patric Gagne from young childhood to now。 Patric always knew she wasn't like everyone else: she didn't feel emotions like ot When I saw that there was a book about sociopaths written by a sociopath with a phD in clinical psychology， I knew I had to read this book。 This book was so insightful。 I love how the author educates her readers through her thoughts and life experiences。 I can't imagine a better way of learning about this misunderstood mental disorder。Sociopath: a Memoir tells the story of Patric Gagne from young childhood to now。 Patric always knew she wasn't like everyone else: she didn't feel emotions like other people do， like empathy， guilt， or fear。 But it wasn't until a college psychology class that she had a word for what she felt: sociopath。 This book shows people what her challenges were when feeling apathy and how she discovered treatments when there were none 。 I have no criticisms about this book。 I learned so much， and the book was very well written。 I enjoyed following Patric throughout her whole life - from beginning to know she was different to experiencing treatment。 Before I began reading this book， I didn't know the difference between psychopaths and sociopaths。 It turns out not many people do。 I had no idea what the history of sociopathy looked like。 I had no idea that there was no treatment for so long。 Anyone who reads this will develop empathy for any sociopaths they know， and anyone who is a sociopath will learn that they are not alone。 。。。more

Jessica ，

This was riveting！ I have always wondered about the difference between sociopaths and psychopaths， and this sort of cemented it in my brain。 I really commend her for stepping forward to shed light on a “disorder” that more than likely affects more people than we think。 It was mystifying to have insight to a sociopath’s thoughts and inner workings。 This memoir adds humanity and incites empathetic feelings toward people who struggle with sociopathy。 I do have to take a step back and give a slight This was riveting！ I have always wondered about the difference between sociopaths and psychopaths， and this sort of cemented it in my brain。 I really commend her for stepping forward to shed light on a “disorder” that more than likely affects more people than we think。 It was mystifying to have insight to a sociopath’s thoughts and inner workings。 This memoir adds humanity and incites empathetic feelings toward people who struggle with sociopathy。 I do have to take a step back and give a slight criticism to the fact that there doesn’t seem to be much of a paper trail to back up many of Patric’s claims or educational history。 This may not matter， but it has been a topic of interest on the Internet， as far as the validity to her claims。 Maybe this will change as this memoir gains traction and more factual information comes to light。 Overall， I’d highly recommend this memoir and I look forward to any further developments Ms。 Gagne makes in the world of psychology。 * I received an ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster* 。。。more

Stacy40pages ，

Sociopath: A Memoir by Patrice Gagne， PhD。 Thanks to @simonandschuster for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This was a fascinating look at a topic that interests many of us， sociopathy。 The memoir is not only about her life， but also an investigation into sociopathy and her discovering her own symptoms and diagnoses。 Anyone interested in psychology will find this memoir engaging。 I would have loved even more of a look into Patrice’s childhood but the latter parts were interesting as well。 “I am a crimin Sociopath: A Memoir by Patrice Gagne， PhD。 Thanks to @simonandschuster for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This was a fascinating look at a topic that interests many of us， sociopathy。 The memoir is not only about her life， but also an investigation into sociopathy and her discovering her own symptoms and diagnoses。 Anyone interested in psychology will find this memoir engaging。 I would have loved even more of a look into Patrice’s childhood but the latter parts were interesting as well。 “I am a criminal without a record。 I am a master of disguise。 I have never been caught。 I have rarely been sorry。 I am friendly。 I am responsible。 I am invisible。 I blend right in。 I am a twenty-first century sociopath。”Sociopath: A Memoir comes out 4/2。 。。。more

Alicia Ceasar ，

Sociopath by Patric Gagne is a memoir following the author as she is growing up knowing that there is something off about her。 When she goes to college， she starts learning about “sociopaths” and feels very connected with the traits associated with that diagnosis。 This memoir follows her life from early childhood to her time writing this book。 I will say， when I saw the cover with the word “Sociopath” on it and a big PH。D beside the authors name， I thought this would be a dense， more science hea Sociopath by Patric Gagne is a memoir following the author as she is growing up knowing that there is something off about her。 When she goes to college， she starts learning about “sociopaths” and feels very connected with the traits associated with that diagnosis。 This memoir follows her life from early childhood to her time writing this book。 I will say， when I saw the cover with the word “Sociopath” on it and a big PH。D beside the authors name， I thought this would be a dense， more science heavy book and it’s not that at all。 It is very easy to read and when it does get a little technical， it uses language that is very easy to understand。 The authors picks very interesting parts of her life to represent her sociopathic tendencies。 I thought the memories of her childhood were particularly interesting。 While the latter half of this book felt a bit repetitive， it never bothered me because that how life is。 I think this author could probably do very well in future books because the story telling is really engaging。 If you are thinking about picking this up， I would recommend it to people who enjoy memoirs but not to people look for something super scientific。 This is very much just the author’s own feeling Ms surrounding her diagnosis and what effects that had on her life。 Huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

h ，

This was a fascinating read。 It was uncomfortable to read at times， but I think that this discomfort was important to sit with and analyze where this feeling came from， as well as integral to Gagne's main point in redefining how we view vilified diagnoses like sociopathy and give these people the empathy and care that all people deserve。 As someone who struggles with empathy， it was also incredibly thought-provoking at times and made me reconsider the way I think about emotions in general as wel This was a fascinating read。 It was uncomfortable to read at times， but I think that this discomfort was important to sit with and analyze where this feeling came from， as well as integral to Gagne's main point in redefining how we view vilified diagnoses like sociopathy and give these people the empathy and care that all people deserve。 As someone who struggles with empathy， it was also incredibly thought-provoking at times and made me reconsider the way I think about emotions in general as well as how they can affect my relationship to others。 Overall， I really enjoyed this book。 Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy。 。。。more

Chris ，

Where To Watch: available April 2， 2024; pre-order your copy here www。amazon。comRAVING REVIEW: Patric Gagne's SOCIOPATH: A MEMOIR isn't your run-of-the-mill life story; it's a journey into the heart of what it means to navigate life with a sociopathic diagnosis。 Gagne's narrative is compelling， offering an intimate glimpse behind the curtain of a life that defies conventional understanding。 This book is a roller coaster of emotions， thought-provoking insights， and a testament to the resilience o Where To Watch: available April 2， 2024; pre-order your copy here www。amazon。comRAVING REVIEW: Patric Gagne's SOCIOPATH: A MEMOIR isn't your run-of-the-mill life story; it's a journey into the heart of what it means to navigate life with a sociopathic diagnosis。 Gagne's narrative is compelling， offering an intimate glimpse behind the curtain of a life that defies conventional understanding。 This book is a roller coaster of emotions， thought-provoking insights， and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit。 It manages to educate while entertaining， making you laugh， ponder， and even shed a tear or two。 Yet there’s a feeling I can’t quite put my finger on， something about the read that feels off。 It’s still a fantastic experience， but something seems slightly skewed。The core of SOCIOPATH: A MEMOIR is a tale of profound isolation—a young Gagne feeling alien in a world driven by emotions she can't grasp。 Yet， this is a lively exploration of identity， from the shadows of confusion to the light of comprehension， leading Gagne on a journey from her depths to academic achievement。 Her quest to decode "sociopath" serves up a story rich in revelations， challenging the audience to rethink their preconceptions。In a candid exploration， Gagne navigates through life's waters， her actions often misunderstood by society—lying， theft， and more。 Yet， these are not acts of rebellion but survival tactics in her quest to find a place in a world that often views her through a lens of fear and misunderstanding。 This nuanced depiction adds a deeper understanding and meaning to the memoir， presenting Gagne not just as a character in her own story but as a genuine person confronting life's complexities。The memoir critiques the mental health sector's flaws and highlights Gagne's encounters with its inadequacies。 Faced with frustration， her spirit for advocacy and enlightenment shines through。 Pursuing higher education is more than an academic endeavor for Gagne; it's a crusade to illuminate the shadowy corners of understanding and care for sociopathy。SOCIOPATH: A MEMOIR goes beyond just a personal narrative to address the more considerable societal and cultural challenges confronting those with personality disorders。 Gagne's call for a more enlightened and compassionate mental health dialogue stands out， urging readers to reconsider their views on sociopathy。The memoir strikes a balance， weaving through the difficulties of her diagnosis and the beautiful moments of connection that defy it。 Gagne's relationships， especially with a past love， demonstrate that labels cannot constrain the human capacity for deep， meaningful bonds。SOCIOPATH: A MEMOIR emerges as more than a recounting of personal experiences; it's a call for empathy， a challenge to the stigmas surrounding mental health， and a powerful affirmation of the possibility for personal evolution and love。 Gagne beckons readers to look past the labels people are given， to recognize the individual beyond， and to embrace the shared humanity that unites us。 Her story is a compelling invitation to expand our understanding of sociopathy， presented through a narrative that is as engaging as informative。#SimonBooks @SimonBooksFor more reviews， please visit https://linktr。ee/overlyhonestmr。You can follow me on Letterboxd， Instagram， Twitter， and YouTube。 You can also find my social media accounts on most platforms by searching Overly Honest Movie Reviews。I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please say hi or send me any questions about movies。 。。。more

Lorin ，

This was so incredibly fascinating and super fun to read！ Like the rest of the world， I have always associated sociopaths with serial killers and awful people。 Then this memoir comes along and gives me an extremely likable sociopath。 Seriously， Patric。。 could we hang out sometime？ While I did enjoy Patric’s mischievous activities， I really was most interested in how self aware she is/was even from a young age。 She knew she was different and certainly struggled with that， but her insight was admi This was so incredibly fascinating and super fun to read！ Like the rest of the world， I have always associated sociopaths with serial killers and awful people。 Then this memoir comes along and gives me an extremely likable sociopath。 Seriously， Patric。。 could we hang out sometime？ While I did enjoy Patric’s mischievous activities， I really was most interested in how self aware she is/was even from a young age。 She knew she was different and certainly struggled with that， but her insight was admirable！ She also had me cracking up throughout。 Definitely read this if you want to challenge your beliefs in what being a sociopath looks like！ 。。。more

Emma May ，

This is such an interesting read。 The author does not hold back on the details of some of their past， but is also self-aware enough to acknowledge areas for growth and things that are issues。 Its very interesting to read about sociopathy， how it can manifest and vary between people， and how its quite likely that we all know a sociopath。

Amy ☾ ，

A well written memoir by a woman diagnosed with sociopathic personality disorder， who tried her whole life to be “good。” When she enters college and learns about this disorder the first time she connects with it and decides to learn more， and eventually ask to be evaluated， and realizes more and more how little information there is， no treatment， and how misunderstood it is。 She even talks about how one professional in this story stated they’d rather have a child with cancer than a child diagnos A well written memoir by a woman diagnosed with sociopathic personality disorder， who tried her whole life to be “good。” When she enters college and learns about this disorder the first time she connects with it and decides to learn more， and eventually ask to be evaluated， and realizes more and more how little information there is， no treatment， and how misunderstood it is。 She even talks about how one professional in this story stated they’d rather have a child with cancer than a child diagnosed as a sociopath。 Personality disorders are definitely stigmatized heavily even among professionals。 How she decided to pursue a doctorate to research this and help herself and others is very inspiring。 An educational， insightful， and uplifting book。 。。。more

J Reads ，

An interesting memoir that focuses on one woman’s experience with sociopathy and her research on sociopathy as a spectrum disorder。 I wish it had been more engaging， although I understand that is not the way of a sociopath。 There were elements I wanted more expansion on - such as Patric’s father and whatever went down with him in those mysterious pictures。 The book mostly left me unsatisfied and wishing for something…。more。 Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my An interesting memoir that focuses on one woman’s experience with sociopathy and her research on sociopathy as a spectrum disorder。 I wish it had been more engaging， although I understand that is not the way of a sociopath。 There were elements I wanted more expansion on - such as Patric’s father and whatever went down with him in those mysterious pictures。 The book mostly left me unsatisfied and wishing for something…。more。 Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Kristen Morris ，

If you did not give this 5 stars， I do not understand why？！I found this memoir compelling， well written， enlightening， and an intriguing， packed with self-reflections and the drive to understand。 Author， Patric Gagne， did a phenomenal job of proving thought-provoking questions， the varying spectrum of mental health diagnoses， and being one to step out and challenge the “norms”。 I found the author to be well humored and appreciated her taking other perspectives of those around her for deeper unde If you did not give this 5 stars， I do not understand why？！I found this memoir compelling， well written， enlightening， and an intriguing， packed with self-reflections and the drive to understand。 Author， Patric Gagne， did a phenomenal job of proving thought-provoking questions， the varying spectrum of mental health diagnoses， and being one to step out and challenge the “norms”。 I found the author to be well humored and appreciated her taking other perspectives of those around her for deeper understanding from her lens。 There is such a drive for understanding， not just for herself， but for the bigger picture of life。I do think her goal of being able to help others with similar， if not the same diagnosis， will be accomplished with this memoir。 There is still so much we do not know， but it is reassuring there are others out there with similar life challenges， on the path to understanding。 。。。more

JoAnn ，

Sociopath A Memoir by Patric Gagne， Ph。D。 is the story of a young woman struggling to understand and live with her mental disorder。 As a child the author knew that she was different from other people。 Normal feelings were not a part of her makeup。 It is only after taking a college psychology course that she realizes that she is a sociopath。 She embarks on a difficult journey to find out how to cope with her disorder。 And more importantly how to have fulfilling relationships and a happy life。 A f Sociopath A Memoir by Patric Gagne， Ph。D。 is the story of a young woman struggling to understand and live with her mental disorder。 As a child the author knew that she was different from other people。 Normal feelings were not a part of her makeup。 It is only after taking a college psychology course that she realizes that she is a sociopath。 She embarks on a difficult journey to find out how to cope with her disorder。 And more importantly how to have fulfilling relationships and a happy life。 A fascinating story that had me rooting for the author from beginning to end。 。。。more

Amy Bookseller ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。75 rounded up。 I don’t know how to feel about this book。 Some things I didn’t believe， but then as a self-confessed and diagnosed sociopath and liar， maybe some things in the book didn’t happen？ Maybe though it’s down to the fact I usually consume my memoirs as an audio book， meaning that the author is “talking” to me and thus what they’re saying feels more truthful and genuine？ Some things didn’t end up getting explained which is disappointing， like why she believes she was a sociopath， as it 3。75 rounded up。 I don’t know how to feel about this book。 Some things I didn’t believe， but then as a self-confessed and diagnosed sociopath and liar， maybe some things in the book didn’t happen？ Maybe though it’s down to the fact I usually consume my memoirs as an audio book， meaning that the author is “talking” to me and thus what they’re saying feels more truthful and genuine？ Some things didn’t end up getting explained which is disappointing， like why she believes she was a sociopath， as it does imply they’re made rather than born。 Or if she did go to the police over the stalker。 Also there were no views or opinions from her parents in the book looking back on her childhood， I think that’s why I don’t believe some of the things actually happened。 Nothing she did was ever actually that bad， the breaking and entering， the “stealing” of people’s cars， it wasn’t stealing， it was prolonged borrowing from drunk people who gave her their keys。 Plus she never got caught doing any of the things she supposedly did， like the time she went into their old house and the girl was in her old room， we have no evidence to back this up。 Or just happening to find blueprints to the old house she was staying at on summer camp。 Or， do I just find it hard to believe these things as it’s just very hard to relate to a sociopath being in that I’m not one？ It was well written and I sped through it so I did enjoy it。 But many unanswered questions imo。 。。。more

Brice Montgomery ，

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster For the ARC！Patric Gagne’s Sociopath: A Memoir is almost certainly going to be one of the most discussed books of 2024。 You can’t possibly come up with a better hook than the book’s eyebrow-raising title， but I feel torn about whether or not the memoir does enough to justify its existence。 This is not an artful memoir because sociopathy is not artful。 In fact， the book is just as difficult to pin down as its title suggests， and I finished it with very mix Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster For the ARC！Patric Gagne’s Sociopath: A Memoir is almost certainly going to be one of the most discussed books of 2024。 You can’t possibly come up with a better hook than the book’s eyebrow-raising title， but I feel torn about whether or not the memoir does enough to justify its existence。 This is not an artful memoir because sociopathy is not artful。 In fact， the book is just as difficult to pin down as its title suggests， and I finished it with very mixed feelings。 On the one hand， there’s some really thoughtful reflection here， particularly about the unhealthy limits of guilt and the way sociopathy is stigmatized and exploited by people with malicious intent。 There are so many examples here of people who attempt to use Gagne for their personal gain， and the author does an effective job of highlighting the distinction between morality and sociopathy。 Additionally， she draws particular attention to the ways the DSM actually limits access to care， and I found that fascinating。 On the other hand， there’s a lot about this book that just feels extraneous。 Despite being a brisk 300 pages， it’s far too long， offering countless iterations of the same experience—a scenario is presented in which Gagne does something sociopathic， followed by her explanation or others’ judgment。 This would be effective if limited to a few choice examples， but it quickly turns into a laundry list—wash， rinse， repeat。 What’s even odder is how many of these events diverge so little from universal human experience。 
It demonstrates a tension within the book’s premise: How can the author ask for understanding while still catering to the reader’s desire for titillating details？ For a book that is ostensibly preoccupied with self-definition， I finished it feeling like it was largely responding to external judgment， which makes many of its conclusions feel manufactured and superficial。 Memoirs are best crafted around the belief that readers already accept the author， and I just didn’t see that here。Despite all these critiques， I recommend people give this book a read if they are interested。 It may just be one to skim rather than read cover-to-cover， especially as the final few chapters pick up a great deal of momentum。 。。。more

Marie-France ，

This was a fascinating and enlightening read。 I'm not usually a big fan of memoirs but I was thoroughly engrossed in this one。 The book's main focus is the author's personal experiences rather than a scientific examination of sociopathy， but I think that the author managed to integrate both in a seamless and compelling manner。 Although I would have liked to learn more about her graduate work on sociopathy， I recognize that having this balance between her personal and professional perspectives wo This was a fascinating and enlightening read。 I'm not usually a big fan of memoirs but I was thoroughly engrossed in this one。 The book's main focus is the author's personal experiences rather than a scientific examination of sociopathy， but I think that the author managed to integrate both in a seamless and compelling manner。 Although I would have liked to learn more about her graduate work on sociopathy， I recognize that having this balance between her personal and professional perspectives would likely make the book more accessible to a broader audience。 This book did a great job of challenging misconceptions about sociopathy， humanizing sociopaths， and demonstrating that sociopaths are equally as deserving of understanding and compassion。 If the author goes on to write more books on this topic， I will be very interested to pick those up too。 Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Christine ，

I received this book as a winner of a giveaway， which was very exciting。 （Note: This copy did contain numerous typos， but I’m assuming it will all be fixed in the final copy so I did not take that into consideration for my rating。） I thought Patric’s story was fascinating。 I love how she learned to be unapologetically herself and still a “good” person。 My perception of sociopaths has definitely changed because of her story。 Would recommend！

Tag

    sociopath a memoir sociopath a memoir patric gagne memoirs of a sociopath memoir of a sociopath book memoir life of a sociopath

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Sociopath: A Memoir

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Sociopath: A Memoir&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Sociopath: A Memoir&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0