I know what you mean - I've worked in the medical arena (the business part, not the curing part) and your ass is grass if you confirm somebody was a patient. Not only does it endanger the facility you work for, you can also be held personally liable and subjected to a federally mandated fine. That stuff is supposed to be kept extremely private.

It's funny though, when I watch crime type shows, they always act like hipaa is some silly easily-gotten-around little formality.

I agree. I work in the field (also on the biz side) and we get hammered about the "thou shalt nots." Disclosing personal info is like begging for a big fat fine, the loss of a job, and the inability to get another one in the field anytime soon.

...I have met
 

I've encountered these type of folks a few times in my life; I've also seen close friends who have been subjected to these types of folks. I've been fleeced a few times because of this type of person, and seen friends fleeced. Fleeced, meaning emotionally or financially or mentally or any number of ways possible, although thankfully, I've not personally known anyone who lost their life to someone like this.

I've always struggled with the concept of how people like this sleep at night, and then I read the description of this type of person, like that posted by Nat, and it makes me realize all over again that they sleep just fine as they truly have no conscience and therefore are undeterred by working people over in whatever fashion it is that seems to trip their trigger at the time. They have no remorse because they have no understanding or reference point as to what is right and what is wrong.

It is one of those head tilt things for me. The whole notion of "no conscience" is just so far out of my realm of understanding that it is hard for me to get my brain around it. This is an interesting topic just by virtue of the whole head tilt thing. It is good to read these descriptions to help with understanding that some people aren't just doing things to others intentionally; sometimes, they truly are sociopaths and they truly just aren't like the vast majority of folks in the world. Interesting topic. Thanks for starting the thread and creating thinking points.

Glynn

i found a bunch of medical paperwork including people's diagnosis codes and their social security numbers blowing along S. University in Ann Arbor some years ago. i picked it all up and took it to my office. i called the most likely source, and they had put a box of the stuff out on the street on a windy day. They seemed unconcerned, said the papers were duplicates that had been used for research.

re sociopaths, only one person, a relative though not a close one. He lived off women and was an alcoholic. He had no feelings of remorse about the people he hurt, including his sons.

It's scary the amount of narcissism that is out there. They aren't sociopaths, but they do a lot of harm. These people look and sound normal, but other people aren't that real to them. They are just tools to get the narcissist's needs met. If others aren't useful for that, then they can be treated in any way and it doesn't matter. i find these people pretty damned scary too. And their emotions, while intense, have a limited range. Anger and self-pity mixed with entitlement and scorn for others. i have so so learned to look for this profile. Oh yeah, and these folks, imo, have a distorted self-image. Their view of themselves is way different from how others see them.

On a more positive note, i teach in a high school, and my students seem to be very empathetic. They live hard lives, but they aren't hardened. It's good to see.

This is very disturbing to hear about. Confidentiality of mental health records is very serious- and ought to be. Actually, any and all medical records. The person that faxed this really should have been prosecuted- and if a licensed clinician- had their license yanked.

What is so amazing is that those that "ought" to know better do this kind of stuff all the time! Someone with a valid clinical license can get into just about everything. And with the internet and hospital records, etc. being digitalized, it has become very easy to get medical, including mental health information about people.

WOW!!!SO MANY OF THESE THINGS RELATE TO THE PERSON I HAVE BEEN DATING ON AND OFF FOR ALL THESE YEARS!! I will say not all of the above information applies but a lot of it does and this information has given me so much to think about. My son was diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder and I have been so focused on his well being I guess I have forgotten to look our for myself.Thank you for this post.

I was married to madness for 7 years.
We're divorced now. (HappyDanceOMG!)
To this day our mutual friends and his family don't believe his the person I say he is -- no matter what I say, even when I try to tell them about the gun in my face and the blank look in his eyes. To them he is charming, witty, sociable, compassionate.
But I watched behind the scenes for almost a decade as he struggled to understand people and came up with intricate gestures/displays to put on in order to convince people he "cared"
He never accepts responsibility for his actions and is painfully passive aggressive. (I endured weeks of silent treatment for the smallest slights -- not loading the dishwasher "correctly"... really.)
He refuses to discuss his "feelings" -- these days I understand he just didn't have any to discuss -- or thoughts unless he thinks he will come off sounding intelligent and "win" the conversation.
He has no conscience. I've seen him lie and steal without blinking.
He disparaged every belief I held. (I'm pagan. We're all evidently pacifist suckers in his eyes.) Insulted every family member I loved. (My dieing grandfather? WTF?) And attempted to destroy every friendship I built. All the while putting on an amazing front to his friends and family, making himself look nearly heroic for all of the trials he endured "for the sake of our relationship."

:|

If you find yourself on the crazy train I only have one piece of advice. Get off the train. You can't fix them. You can't save them. You can't even save the other passengers. Jump and run. Cut ties. Stop, drop and roll. Save yourself!

:praying:

Yes I have met a few sociopaths. They are long gone from my life now thank the universe.

My older brother (by 4 years) is one of these people. I grew up under his thumb and my folks left the two of us alone a lot, assuming he would look after me since he was older. The opposite was always the case. We are estranged now.

I have met a few in my time ...I also have noticed when you get space from different relationships regardless if they were romantic or just friendly....you can look back and be like woah! when you are going thru it it seems normal does that make any sense lol?

It makes a ton of sense. Most of these people are experts at making everyone around them feel like "the crazy one." They depend on it...and work that weakness.

I agree with Sassy...the only "solution" is distance. Just run....fast and far and don't look back.

exactly!! run run run lol :D and go whew...

they do make you feel like it was all your fault,just like your the crazy one right on Jo! said it perfect

I've come across more than I care to admit in my lifetime - but more recently, a friend of ours dated this guy who stated he worked for Homeland Security. As a former employee of a federally mandated program that dealt directly with various military branches but more specifically, the US Coast Guard and Homeland Security - I found it interesting that he couldn't answer basic questions.

Mare and I repeatedly told our friend that something was wrong with this guy. Even in the very beginning, I asked for his birth data and pulled up a quick astrology chart. One of the things I predicted was that he was living a double life - and sure enough - it was all that and more.

To make a long story short - turned out he was not an employee of Homeland Security. The DHS badge he was carrying was a fake that was purchased on the internet. All the DHS clothes he wore were also purchased online. He was in the military, but nothing to the extent of what he claimed. He made up elaborate stories of how he flew with a president and engaged in various crime investigations. He even tried to tell her that he was involved in a shooting where a young boy was shot - and that he was the one who shot him. All of his stories never made sense to me and put him in a timeline that didn't fit. Besides the fact that the military would not have been involved in the specific shooting he claimed to have been involved in. All he was was security at a shipyard.

He was also married and had a baby recently with another woman, even though he stated to our friend that he was unmarried. When his wife came by his house one day while our friend was there - he tried to tell our friend that she was an ex girlfriend who tried to claim that the baby she was carrying was his and it wasn't. It was. In fact, during the baby's christening - he left early to take our friend out to a concert. He was also only there a few hours when the baby was born - I think to take her out to dinner. He also told her that he "dated" some girl down south who had a baby, and even though the child wasn't his - he was supporting it because he felt bad that this woman was raising a child on her own. Turned out to be an ex wife and the baby was his.

He never let her come to his house - and he was always "working late". Everything he told her became more grandiose and unbelievable and we insisted that maybe she should show up at his door and demand to be let in. She never did that, but if she had, she would have discovered that he was married - as there was evidence of this all over the house. The wife, while pregnant, was temporarily staying with her parents that lived close by.

What ultimately led him to get busted was a text message that she received from his wife. Friends that were with her at the time of the text insisted that she meet with her and find out what was going on. That's when it all unraveled. Our friend even went to court proceedings on behalf of the wife. They have since divorced and last I heard, he was still playing a game of push/pull with the ex wife and child.

Another thing that was unsettling, was that this guy had several unregistered guns in his house and in his truck. They have since been confiscated. There is A LOT more to this story - but we are just happy this psycho is out of her life and she has since moved on - and we won't allow her to bring anyone here until we feel comfortable enough with whoever it is she dates.