Sociopath: A Memoir

Published 11/04/2024 | Hardback,
Description:

‘A surprising, thoughtful and deeply personal exploration of what it means to be a sociopath.’ – Pandora Sykes’A fascinating memoir’ – Stylist magazine’Addictively page-turning’ – The TelegraphSociopath: A Memoir is at once a jaw-dropping tale of a life lived on the edge of the law, and a moving account of one woman’s battle to gain a deeper understanding of people who, like her, are sociopaths.

‘Your friends would probably describe me as nice. But guess what? I can’t stand your friends. I’m a liar. I’m a thief. I’m highly manipulative. I don’t care what other people think. I’m capable of almost anything.’Ever since she was a small child, Patric Gagne knew she was different. Although she felt intense love for her family and her best friend, David, these connections were never enough to make her be ‘good’, or to reduce her feelings of apathy and frustration. As she grew older, her behaviour escalated from petty theft through to breaking and entering, stalking, and worse . . .

As an adult, Patric realized that she was a sociopath. Although she instantly connected with the official descriptions of sociopathy, she also knew they didn’t tell the full story: she had a plan for her life, had nurtured close relationships and was doing her best (most of the time) to avoid harming others.

While her darker impulses warred against her attempts to live a settled, loving life with her partner, Patric began to wonder – was there a way for sociopaths to integrate happily into society? And could she find it before her own behaviour went a step too far?’She is compelling, like a movie character – a sociopath who’s beautiful, warm and funny, articulate and charming’ – The Guardian’A heart-rending account of a lonely child growing up into a lonely adult, misunderstood and unable to connect with people’ – iNews