I think it's important for all of you to read this to understand who and what you've been dealing with all of these years. This is from Wikipedia but extracted directly from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 for Anti-social personality otherwise known as a sociopath:
[
en.wikipedia.org]
Some excerpts:
A. Significant impairments in personality functioning manifest by:
1. Impairments in self functioning (a or b):
a.Identity: Ego-centrism; self-esteem derived from
personal gain, power, or pleasure.b.Self-direction: Goal-setting based on
personal gratification; absence of prosocial internal standards associated with
failure to conform to lawful or culturally normative ethical behavior.AND
2. Impairments in interpersonal functioning (a or b):
a. Empathy:
Lack of concern for feelings, needs, or suffering of others;
lack of remorse after hurting or mistreating another.
b. Intimacy:
Incapacity for mutually intimate relationships, as exploitation is a primary means of relating to others, including by deceit and coercion; use of dominance or intimidation to control others.
B. Pathological personality traits in the following domains:
Antagonism, characterized by:
a.
Manipulativeness: Frequent use of
subterfuge to influence or control others; use of
seduction, charm, glibness, or ingratiation to achieve one's ends.
b.
Deceitfulness: Dishonesty and fraudulence; misrepresentation of self; embellishment or fabrication when relating events.
c.
Callousness: Lack of concern for feelings or problems of others; lack of guilt or remorse about the negative or harmful effects of one's actions on others; aggression; sadism.
d.
Hostility: Persistent or frequent angry feelings; anger or irritability in response to minor slights and insults; mean, nasty, or vengeful behavior.[/i]
When I said that Cousin Marilyn was a textbook example of a sociopath, I meant it.