What do Scott Peterson, Neil Entwistle and timeless literary seducers epitomized by Don Juan and Casanova have in common? They are charismatic, glib and seductive men who also embody the most dangerous human qualities: a breathtaking callousness, shallowness of emotion and the incapacity to love. In other words, these men are psychopaths. Unfortunately, most psychopaths don't advertise themselves as heartless social predators. They come across as charming, intelligent, romantic and kind. Through their believable "mask of sanity," they lure many of us into their dangerous nets. Dangerous Liaisons explains clearly what psychopaths are, why they act the way they do, how they attract us and whom they tend to target. Above all, this book helps victims find the strength to end their toxic relationships with psychopaths and move on, stronger and wiser, with the rest of their lives.
As a clinical specialist in psychopathy, I find that nobody addresses this personality disorder more trenchantly, and with more penetrating insight, than Claudia Moscovici... Dangerous Liaisons examines the dynamics of this puzzling, chilling personality and applies its insights to real-life, contemporary examples of psychopaths in the news. Moscovici has written a book from which anyone (curious lay person or seasoned clinician) interested in how psychopaths insinuate themselves into our lives, leaving behind a trail of devastation, will benefit immensely. --Steve Becker, MSW, LCSW, LoveFraud.com feature columnist, expert on psychopathy and narcissism The Institute has long said that what is shocking is not that pathology exists, but that there is so little public and survivor education about the most dangerous relationships on the planet. Claudia Moscovici's Dangerous Liaisons is a needed perspective about the invisible tyranny and death grip of pathological love relationships and what they do to those who love psychopaths. We can't avoid what we can't spot, and we can't heal from what we don't identify. This book helps to highlight the unique strength and lure of pathology, the devastating outcomes to the survivor, and an understanding of what pathology is and does. --Sandra L. Brown, M.A., psychopathologist, CEO of The Institute for Relational Harm Reduction & Public Pathology Education, author of Women Who Love Psychopaths (2nd Ed.), How to Spot a Dangerous Man, and Counseling Victims of Violence.
Contents Introduction Part I. What is a Psychopath? 1. Charismatic Psychopaths: Mark Hacking and Neil Entwistle 2. What is a Psychopath? Close Readings of Hervey Cleckley's The Mask of Sanity 3. Psychopaths and Pathological Lying 4. The Psychopath's Antisocial Behavior 5. Psychopaths as Lovers 6. Psychopaths and Failure Part II. The Process of Psychopathic Seduction 1. The Case of Drew Peterson 2. Red Flags: How to Identify a Psychopathic Bond 3. The Process of Psychopathic Seduction: Idealize, Devalue and Discard 4. Artistic Psychopaths: The Case of Picasso 5. The Psychopathic Seducer in Literature: Benjamin Constant's Adolphe 6. The Women Who Love Psychopaths 7. Coping Mechanisms for Staying with a Psychopath Part III. How to Save Yourself from Psychopathic Seduction 1. Escaping the Psychopath 2. Understanding the Science Behind the Disorder 3. The Two Phases of Mourning: The Rational and the Emotional 4. Sharing Information with Others 5. Resisting Family/External Pressure to Stay with the Psychopath 6. Know your Worth: A Healthy Self-Esteem is the Key to a Good Life 7. Conclusion: Reclaiming Your Life: Asserting Your Agency and Your Boundaries Notes Bibliography Additional Resources: Websites About the Author
