This pandemic situation caused me a lot of stress. But not because of the things I have to deal with, such as financial strain, work from home, and limited access to people, and whatnots. I am stressed because I got locked down with a sociopath. Honestly, I don’t want to sound rude, but there are red flags that indicated that I am.
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How It All Started
I met Dan at a social networking site a few months ago. I can say that our relationship was merely based on social media interaction. We spent most of the time chatting, texting, and video calling each other. It was the usual. We have gone a few dates, and everything was quite okay in person. Yes, it seems pretty reasonable to have small arguments at a time, but we somehow got over it. So when the outbreak began a few months back then, we have decided that Dan will move in with me at my apartment. At that time, I thought it was a great idea. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
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Sociopathic Behavior
Dan and I agreed that our situation must not take a toll on our relationship. Whatever happens, we must always be there for each other. We went spending time normally for a week. But after that, I noticed some behavioral changes in him. Dan began to demand things that only he can benefit from. It was as if I only exist to serve his needs. He began to ignore my feelings and often tell me to quit acting like a child because of my constant ranting and nagging. Dan started insulting me and often required me to appreciate his little efforts all the time. He condemned me for pointing out his mistakes and often lashed out about it.
I ignored all of these things because I thought his behavioral changes are merely a cause of stress from the lockdown. But then, after a few more weeks, I noticed he quickly get angry. Dan often threw tantrums at me, especially when he lacked control over the things I do. In most instances, he got mad for no reason. It felt like Dan gets angry about being bored or something. He tried to entertain himself by making me cry. He didn’t even care to say sorry despite admitting that he only did that for fun. His emotions don’t match our situation.
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As the days went on, Dan’s behavioral changes ultimately escalated into something outrageous. He began to think about sex as a purely physical exchange of pleasure in a moment. That anytime he wanted it, he must get it. I felt uncomfortable, but I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening. I tried to start a meaningful conversation so we can discuss that matter, but he got so upset that he went to our room and locked himself there for the whole day.
I was so curious about his behavior, so I tried to contact my friend Elie, a psychologist. Right from then on, she told me I was indeed living my quarantined life with a sociopath. Elie explained that Dan’s behavior matched up with a sociopathic diagnosis. At first, I was in denial, and I told Elie that perhaps it was just a coincidence. But she assured me that Dan knew what he was doing and just won’t recognize it as a mistake.
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So with all the things I learned about Dan, I came up with a decision. I asked him to leave my apartment. Surely, I don’t want him to go out there alone, especially in a pandemic time like this. But I also don’t want to lose all my remaining mental and emotional stability.