Reader’s Question

I was married to a sociopath. When our daughter was 7 months old, I forced him to leave, and a judge eventually annulled the marriage. He does not have visitation rights and has not attempted to see my daughter (who is now 4) in 2 years and hasn’t contacted us in any way. He does not know where we live now. Still, I have reoccurring nightmares that he is trying to see my daughter. I have this nightmare weekly. In the dream I always scoop my little girl up in my arms, hold her tightly and run from him…until I wake up.

I know why I have the dream, that is pretty easy to figure out. But I want the dreams to stop. Is this something that may go away over time or should I see a therapist and get some help?

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

If you were involved with a genuine sociopath, you are likely to have symptoms of post-traumatic stress that extend beyond your nightmares about your daughter. It would probably be a good idea to see a therapist not only to address the issue of your nightmares, but to process and deal with all of the emotional aftermath that typically accompanies being involved with someone of such greatly disordered character.