The myth of the sociopath, with Patric Gagne

Doing It Right with Pandora Sykes

What does the term ‘sociopath’ mean to you? Serial killer? Social outcast? Or wait - is that a psychopath?

Patric first told her story in a column for the cult Modern Love series, titled ‘He Married a Sociopath: Me’. After the piece received an enormous response, Patric wrote a probing memoir about a life spent searching for answers: Why didn’t she feel guilt or shame like other people? Why did she have this overwhelming feeling of apathy? And how could she escape the strange pressure she felt, without resorting to violence?

In this episode, Patric, a qualified psychotherapist, debunks the myths around sociopathy, sharing some of the cons, but also the pros. Above all, she wants us to see that sociopathy is a part of neurodiversity - and not a mere personality type.

[NB: ‘sociopath’ is not a recognised psychiatric term in the UK - it comes under ‘antisocial personality disorder’. But Patric thinks the two are different and so I defer to her experience/ language.]

Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne

The Perks of Being a Sociopath by Patric Gagne for TIME magazine

He Married A Sociopath: Me by Patric Gagne for The New York Times’ Modern Love column

Get in touch at [e-mail]

Presented by Pandora Sykes

Sound by Kelsey Bennett

Co-production by Pandora Sykes and Kelsey Bennett