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Sociopath

A Memoir

by Patric Gagne

Narrator Patric Gagne

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Length 11 hours 6 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“Read this book if you know a sociopath... And statistically you probably know several (1 in 20 Americans qualifies for a diagnosis of sociopath under the DSM V.) Patric Gagne, daughter of a powerful music executive, grew up knowing she was different. She could feel love (of a sort) but lacked basic empathy and remorse. Her sister calls her 'Captain Apathy': Patric doesn't care who her actions hurt and she doesn't fear consequences. As a child, she breaks into her neighbors' houses, steals her friend's possessions, stabs another child with a pencil, chokes a cat, and generally makes her mother despair for her daughter who is clearly not normal. Patric may not want to be normal but she does want a normal-ish life. She devises rules that she follows to keep out of trouble with her mother and society. She learns how to 'fit in', to mask as a normie. Ultimately she even gets a Ph.D. in psychology and devotes her practice to helping people like her. This is just a fascinating book that never fails to astonish. I couldn't put it down.”
— Rachel • Quail Ridge Books

Bookseller recommendation

“WOW. This memoir was absolutely riveting and the author's narration was incredible. I found myself looking for chores to do and walks to take just to continue listening to the author's story. For anyone who loves a good memoir, is interested in mental health issues, or wants an audiobook that will keep them glued to their earbuds, Sociopath is for you. ”
— Mary • Skylark Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“Read this! The best nonfiction I’ve read. It is educational, inspiring and uplifting. The memoir is told by Dr. Patric Gagne who suffers from sociopathy, one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses. I loved her incredible honesty. I learned so much that I didn’t know. I am grateful she shared her story to hopefully help others. ”
— Sandra • Underground Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Sociopath is compelling, reflective, funny, informative, complicated, and beautiful. While both a coming-of-age story and an informative memoir on sociopathy, this book, at it is core, is a love story. A self-love story, a familial love story, and a romantic love story. The author does an amazing job of narrating - making you feel like you are listening to a friend tell you a collection of stories about their life. ”
— Grete • More Than Words

Bookseller recommendation

“I picked this audiobook on a whim, but I got so into it that the next day I was telling all my coworkers about Patric Gagne's life. She reads it herself and does a great job, which really makes the audiobook version special. If you're neurodivergent, this book will make you feel less alone. Otherwise, it's a captivating memoir that'll expand your world a little more. ”
— Sydney • Book Soup

Bookseller recommendation

“This is a fascinating story from Patric Gagne outlining a life as a sociopath. For anyone interested in mental health, family relationships, and hearing life stories of fascinating people. ”
— Nichole • Bryant Books & Music

Bookseller recommendation

“Unique and thought-provoking, Sociopath was a memoir unlike any I have read before. Why is that? Well, because the author is a diagnosed and unashamed sociopath with a PHD and desire to help others like her know that just because they lack the ability to emote like others (or at all), they are not inherently bad or evil people. I truly enjoyed reading this memoir, it was eye-opening and educational, something I think everyone should read!”
— Keeley • Ink Drinkers Anonymous

Summary
About the author
About the narrator

#4 in Bestselling Health Audiobooks

The acclaimed New York Times bestselling memoir of the author’s struggle to understand her own sociopathy and shed light on the often maligned and misunderstood mental disorder.

“A cross between a podcast by relationship therapist Esther Perel and a salacious tell-all.” —San Francisco Chronicle

Patric Gagne realized she made others uncomfortable before she started kindergarten. Something about her caused people to react in a way she didn’t understand. She suspected it was because she didn’t feel things the way other kids did. Emotions like fear, guilt, and empathy eluded her. For the most part, she felt nothing. And she didn’t like the way that “nothing” felt.

She did her best to pretend she was like everyone else, but the constant pressure to conform to a society she knew rejected anyone like her was unbearable. So Patric stole. She lied. She was occasionally violent. She became an expert lock-picker and home-invader. All with the goal of replacing the nothingness with...something.

In college, Patric finally confirmed what she’d long suspected. She was a sociopath. But even though it was the very first personality disorder identified—well over 200 years ago—sociopathy had been neglected by mental health professionals for decades. She was told there was no treatment, no hope for a normal life. She found herself haunted by sociopaths in pop culture, madmen and evil villains who are considered monsters. Her future looked grim.

But when Patric reconnects with an old flame, she gets a glimpse of a future beyond her diagnosis. If she’s capable of love, it must mean that she isn’t a monster. With the help of her sweetheart (and some curious characters she meets along the way) she embarks on a mission to prove that the millions of Americans who share her diagnosis aren’t all monsters either.

This is the inspiring story of her journey to change her fate and how she managed to build a life full of love and hope.

Biography & Memoir Science & Technology Health Nonfiction Psychology

Patric Gagne is a writer, former therapist, and advocate for people suffering from sociopathic, psychopathic, and anti-social personality disorders. She earned a PhD in clinical psychology with a dissertation that examined the relationship between sociopathy and anxiety. This research became the groundwork for her continued studies on sociopathic disorder, as well as the foundation for her memoir. She did her undergraduate work at UCLA and earned her masters and doctorate at the California Graduate Institute of The Chicago School.