title: Breaking Free of Manipulation: A Story of Struggle And Survival After Being In The Grip Of A Psychopath
author:  Melody 
description: <b><span>BOOKREVIEW</span></b><br /><b><span>Reviewed byLorraine Cobcroftfor Readers' Favorite</span></b><br /><b><span></span></b><br /><b><span>''Melody'' (not her real name)survived a relationship with a man she believed to be a psychopath. In BreakingFree of Manipulation, she offers us a brief but useful combination of apersonal story of her experience and advice for those who may face a similarchallenge. Writing under a pen-name, and using fictional names, she wiselydisguises identities to avoid defamatory comment or personal hurt to personswho may be connected in some way to the story. This does not detract from astory that others who walk in Melody's shoes may find reassuring.<br /><br />Melody presents this book as a work of non-fiction about relationships. In heropening, she is careful to ensure that the reader understands this book isbased on personal experience, and it is not the work of anyone withprofessional qualifications or recognized expertise in diagnosing orrecommending ways to deal with psychopaths. Melody's goal is to assure otherswho walk on her path that their experiences are not unique, and that theirfears and feelings are entirely valid. She presents, in plain and simpleEnglish, information she has uncovered by various means about the habits andbehaviour of psychopaths and the likely effect on their victims, and she offersadvice on how to defend oneself and how to escape and heal. She notes,correctly, that a fairly commonly-held view that psychopaths are violent, orengage in criminal behavior, is not valid. Like the ''Eddie'' in her story,most psychopaths inflict hurt through psychological manipulation. They playwith their victim's self-esteem. They set up scenes to confuse and causevictims to mistrust their own judgements and beliefs. They toy with emotions.Their methods are often so subtly cruel that their victims misread thisbehavior and doubt themselves.</span></b><br /><b><span><br />In a world where it is believed between 1 and 2% of individuals havepsychopathic tendencies, one can reasonably hope not to suffer as Melody did,but forewarned is forearmed. And anyone already in a relationship with asuspected psychopath may well find, in Breaking Free of Manipulation,reassurance that their fears are founded and comfort that it is possible tobreak free and mend. If just one person is helped to find a way through the fogand into the light, Melody's efforts in writing this story will be provenworthwhile.</span></b><br /><span></span>
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  Cover
  
   **Eternal Craving**
  
  _**Nina Bangs**_
  
   **Contents**
  
  _Dedication_
  
  Chapter One
  
  Chapter Two
  
  Chapter Three
  
  Chapter Four
  
  Chapter Five
  
  Chapter Six
  
  Chapter Seven
  
  Chapter Eight
  
  Chapter Nine
  
  Chapter Ten
  
  Chapter Eleven
  
  Chapter Twelve
  
  Chapter Thirteen
  
  Chapter Fourteen
  
  Chapter Fifteen
  
  Chapter Sixteen
  
  Chapter Seventeen
  
  Chapter Eighteen
  
  Chapter Nineteen
  
  **Epilogue**
  
  _Copyright_
  
  _For Donna Maloy,_
  
  _who for so many years has guided my literary ship_ _through treacherous
  waters filled with deadly logic_ _problems. Thanks for keeping me afloat._
  
   **Chapter One**
  
  _Kill._ It was a primal scream filling his mind, blocking out things he should
  understand, remember. _Kill._ It was heat and rage and a pounding in his head
  demanding more, more, and still more death. It blazed hot and hungry,
  devouring him from the inside out. But nothing could burn away what lived in
  his soul.
  
  His beast was free. No way was he forcing it back into its cave when t