My first job after graduate school as a clinical social worker was at an adult, inpatient psychiatric hospital. Various types of patients could be challenging but among the most were those with personality disorders. The most difficult were the antisocial personalities. One of the things that made it so challenging was that most of them entered the hospital for treatment of depression. Some calamity had occurred in their lives, divorce, job loss, legal problems, etc. and some medical professional had decided they must be depressed and needed inpatient care. Given the nature of this type of personality there may or may not have been actual depression and the stay in the hospital was likely a place to hideout for a while and to build sympathy. I vividly recall standing by the elevators discussing one such patient with his psychiatrist. Being new to the profession I was uncertain as to diagnosis. I had this patient in my therapy group and had witnessed what I felt was manipulative behavior from him. Nevertheless he was among the most popular individual among the other patients. I remember the doctor looking at me and saying, “The easiest and best way to diagnose sociopathy in an inpatient setting is to watch what the staff do. With these kinds of patients half of the staff want the patient discharged and gone as soon as possible while the other half would lay down their jobs for him.” A similar dynamic on a smaller scale happens for those stuck in abusive relationships with individuals who can be, “so sweet” and have, “tremendous potential”. Lawyers, social workers and medical professionals often find themselves ensnared by the charms of these people for awhile. In time it always becomes clear but not before a great deal of harm is done. Those caught up in it rarely own up to their role. It’s too embarrassing. Seems like a similar dynamic is at work on a national scale.