Demented

Session #01

   Frank knocked on Dr. Bitch's door. He had high anxiety. He didn't want to be here. He'd rather be in his room, doing something useless and unentertaining. There was a yippy reply from the other side. Frank braced himself for the worst.

  He walked through the doorway, seeing Dr. Bitch's smiling face. He already felt sick to his stomach. "Take a seat, Frank." He obeyed, taking a deep breath. "How are you?"

  "I'm good."

  "Is there anything you would like to discuss?"

  "No."

  "Can we talk about your attempt?"

  "I guess so," he shrugged, digging his thumbnail into his pointer finger.

  "What made you feel like you needed to take your life?"

  Frank didn't want to answer questions. He didn't want to be in the presence of anyone. He wanted to leave. "I don't know."

  "You have to know."

  "I can't tell you."

  "Not telling people is what makes things worse."

  "I guess."

  "Have you opened up to anyone else?" she pressed him.

   "Gerard."

   "Gerard? Why him?"

  "I feel comfortable around him."

  "You're probably the only one," Dr. Bitch laughed.

   Frank was unamused.

  "Now, Dr. Ottoson showed Dr. Eston and I the note Gerard left you. The heart shaped one. You two are together?"

  "If it's any of your business, yes," his tone became snappy.

  "It is kind of my business when it comes to your wellbeing."

  "Hm?"

  "I'm not going to tell you to break up with him. In all honesty, it's probably best for me to encourage your relationship. If it's healthy, that is."

  "What exactly are you getting at?" Frank's tone was cold.

  "Gerard, as we all know, is a sociopath. He doesn't have any empathy. He does not regret the things he does. He has violent impulses. He's been better at not acting on them, but he can snap- really badly. Gerard can manipulate and hurt people. Love- love for sociopathic, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and psychopathic people can be confusing," she explained.

  "Okay?"

  "Whether psychopaths can love or not, well there hasn't been a conclusion. Sociopaths can. But, um, they- not all of them can really settle down with a person or find love with anyone. It's certainly not impossible, of course, as there's been many that have, it's just rare. They love differently from empaths."

  "Empaths?"

  "People who can have empathy. Or do have empathy. But, um, love for a lot of socios means some things that differ from the norm."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Some, for instance, might have different criterias for boundaries and so forth. Rewarding systems for the socio. Rewarding them if they do good. You have to treat them more like a toddler at times, because they act like one." She flipped through some papers and pulled one out. "M.E. Thomas, a sociopath herself, has written a book and has her own blog, Sociopath World. She says, "The closest analog to a sociopath's love is probably the love of a child: intense, accepting, selfish. And finally, like a child, the sociopath will be extremely loyal. A sociopath will never put you above himself, but he will readily put you above all others."

   "That's interesting. "A sociopath will never put you above himself, but he will readily put you above all others"?"

   "Gerard will put you above other people. But never himself."

  "Even if he had a child? Because most parents would die for their kids."

  "He more than likely wouldn't feel that way. If he did love the child, then he would put them above others, but never himself."

   "Why though?" Frank shifted in his seat.

  "His ego. Narcissism and sociopathy are linked in the way of how much they think of themselves. Sociopaths think they're high and mighty. Narcissists are much worse."

   "Oh. Can narcissists love?"

  "I'm not sure, Frank. They can love themselves, that's for sure. But others- there's been opposing theories."

   "So, are you saying there's a possibility Gerard doesn't really love me?"

  "Sadly, yes."

  "Oh." Frank has never been a close minded person, but he didn't want to hear this.

  "Mm-hm. Um, I think it's best if you be cautious. And tell somebody if he does anything that worries you."
______________________________

   Frank took a stroll to the cafeteria. When Gerard said he had a bubble that only him and Mikey were in, was he putting them above others, except himself? It seemed plausible. Frank wasn't going to deny Gerard's love for him. He believed he loved him one hundred percent. When was the last time someone told him they loved him that wasn't Gerard? No one. In fact, his family didn't even say they loved him when they stuck him in here. Frank realized the possibility of him being the only that loved Gerard.

  Loving Gerard was easy. Not loving Gerard was easy. He would act so different at times. Didn't he say being a sociopath also comes with being bipolar? That seemed a bit strange now. Gerard really didn't act bipolar...he changed during different parts of the day, not a change every few weeks or months. He's never depressed. He can't be. Maybe he had misheard him?

A/N: Credit: SociopathWorld.com

Author: M.E. Thomas

http://www.sociopathworld.com/2009/01/do-sociopaths-love.html?m=1