Have you ever been swept off your feet by a charming, handsome man, only to find his declarations of love were false? If so, you will be interested to learn that maybe, you were entangled with a sociopath.

Some people hear the word sociopath and conjure up the image of a psychopathic killer, but while all psychopaths have sociopathic characteristics, sociopaths do not kill the body. They are killers of souls. Driven by narcissism, they lack a sense of moral responsibility and have no conscience. The definition doesn’t come close to what lurks beneath the surface.

I know because I was entangled with one. It started with “love-bombing”. Daniel came on strong. He seduced me with texts and phone calls, drawing me into his web until I couldn’t think straight. Once he had me where he wanted me, he played on my sentiments to throw me off balance and put my world on the crazy train.

Disguised by his upbeat and funny demeanor, his abuse was subtle and hard to pinpoint. I walked around in a fog and functioned, mindlessly accepting his behaviors for fear of causing a rift. Under constant stress and anxiety over losing him, I give Daniel the benefit of the doubt. Doubt! Remember that word. It will drive me to the edge of insanity by the time the relationship is done.

Not everyone will understand how he could manipulate and deceive me for so long. They don’t know. Daniel was clever and a master of manipulation, able to twist the truth until I accepted his fabricated reality. I didn’t recognize his cunning, devious nature. It’s still hard to believe that the person I loved never really existed. He was a ghost, a man without a soul.