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A Tale of Two Masks: A Transgender Psychopath’s Search for Realization and Restraint
“A Tale of Two Masks: A Transgender Psychopath’s Search for Realization and Restraint" builds upon existing accounts of psychopathic individuals in a way that is brutally transparent and honest. It is a memoir of an introspective, transgender psychopath that offers hope for a demographic often written off as “broken.” It paints the condition in a way that is relatable by those who are antisocial and that is insightful for the “neurotypical.” In addition, it gives a rare voice - that of a transgender woman - to the subject of mental illness. A Tale of Two Masks challenges what it means to be male or female, and, more importantly, human.
- GenresPsychologyMental Health
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 8, 2015
Jessica Kelly is an IT professional, transgender and a clinically confirmed psychopath, receiving therapy for this and other psychiatric conditions since her marriage started to crumble. The book presents as an auto-biography. The author’s objective is to tell her own story (coming out of the closet style), while educating the population on her own disorder. A person who’s familiar with the PCL-R and what each item (enumerated at the beginning of the book) really means, will be able to identify each trait in her account, from childhood to adulthood.
The book is well written and easy to read (even for a non-native speaker) and it is illustrative of the condition the author suffers from and also describes her experience as a transgender woman. However, if the reader does a little research, he’ll find that the author has narcissistic personality disorder and by reading the book, will also find that she also has borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder II (with severe depression), and probably an abnormally high IQ, so, as the author states, this is not a life experience we can apply to any and every psychopath. I recommend it, though. Especially to those who are studying to be mental health professionals (as it’s my case – I’m a psychology major with a background in biomedical science). It’s a good way to learn what to look for in a patient and that when you less expect, you may encounter a psychopath or a patient who suffers from antisocial personality disorder (of which psychopathy is a subtype and a superset), even when it looks like a simple case of depression associated with marital issues.
The author makes some good points throughout the narrative, such as the role that “victims” have in their own ruin and that the psychopath also suffers (as much as she can) with some facets of the disorder (just to single out a few). It also sheds some light in what concerns the evolution of the author since childhood.
She recounts her antisocial proclivities and behaviours since a young age (there is evidence of conduct disorder) and throughout her whole life. The mindset of the psychopath is clearly illustrated throughout the narrative, even since childhood. The narrative is not chronologically organized, but that’s maybe one of the reasons why the book reads so well.
As for writing style, the book reads like a novel for the most part, especially when the author goes into details about her marriage.
Psychopathic traits, such as lying (many times to escape punishment) and forming mostly parasitic relationships were present at a young age, in agreement with expert opinions and various studies, but the author was capable of feeling terrified with storms, which is not the norm in psychopaths - it’s part of the “shallow emotions” item (PCL-R). As an adult, however, her flat affect is (at least in some specific circumstances) a trait that is much more pronounced in her then in many other psychopaths I came in contact with by conducting an internet survey. Parasitism also seems to be one of her strongest traits. As I stated above, the author makes a good point regarding parasitic relationships: many times “victims” have to be willing to be victimized – the husband has to be willing to do chores, cook, drive, etc, while his wife does nothing, people don’t call the psychopath on their parasitic behaviour, etc. She also made the point that it’s not only bad for those around the psychopath – the sense they have that they live in a bubble it’s uncomfortable to them and it’s tiring to pass as “neurotypical” or even as an “empath” all the time.
I also stated above that future mental health professionals should read the book, because, as illustrated, it describes how psychopaths act, think and also the effort that is for them to appear “normal” an that they sometimes let their masks slip and can be detected by the therapist that is willing to consider the possibility and know what to look for. The book itself is a guide to that identification – that’s why I make that recommendation. The description of her relationship with her husband, the way she sees people as means to an end, her lack of emotional response in general, the complete lack of affective empathy or any emotional bonds to anyone, even family members who never abused, mistreated or smothered her as a child (her aunt and her divorced paternal grandmother), as well as the evidence for conduct disorder are all good indicatives for a psychologist or psychiatrist to be warned by. But the book may be a bit off-putting for those who are willing to treat a psychopath (in my own experience). The impression I got from reading the book in general was that their mindset doesn’t change much (it changes very little), but their behaviour (related to parasitism and criminality, for instance) may visibly improve – and a glimpse of that struggle is also presented. I wouldn’t say psychopathy (at least in this case) is treatable, but it’s manageable. For that reason, even if their mindset and their antisocial ways can put you off, as their therapist, you should never quit based on the diagnosis. A mental health professional has responsibilities that concern both the patient and society. And he or she can still make a difference.
I still recommend the book. Therapists and psychiatrists should know better the type of personality they are dealing with.
Other accounts by psychopaths (M.E. Thomas’ “Confessions of a Sociopath” is a good example) use obsolete terms (such as “sociopath”), pseudonyms and changing of situational specificities to cover up the writer’s identity. In this book you won’t find any of these. You’ll find what seems to be an honest account, using the proper terms that leave no doubts to refer to the disorders (aspd and psychopathy). That’s another reason why I recommend the book to anyone interested.
The book is well written and easy to read (even for a non-native speaker) and it is illustrative of the condition the author suffers from and also describes her experience as a transgender woman. However, if the reader does a little research, he’ll find that the author has narcissistic personality disorder and by reading the book, will also find that she also has borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder II (with severe depression), and probably an abnormally high IQ, so, as the author states, this is not a life experience we can apply to any and every psychopath. I recommend it, though. Especially to those who are studying to be mental health professionals (as it’s my case – I’m a psychology major with a background in biomedical science). It’s a good way to learn what to look for in a patient and that when you less expect, you may encounter a psychopath or a patient who suffers from antisocial personality disorder (of which psychopathy is a subtype and a superset), even when it looks like a simple case of depression associated with marital issues.
The author makes some good points throughout the narrative, such as the role that “victims” have in their own ruin and that the psychopath also suffers (as much as she can) with some facets of the disorder (just to single out a few). It also sheds some light in what concerns the evolution of the author since childhood.
She recounts her antisocial proclivities and behaviours since a young age (there is evidence of conduct disorder) and throughout her whole life. The mindset of the psychopath is clearly illustrated throughout the narrative, even since childhood. The narrative is not chronologically organized, but that’s maybe one of the reasons why the book reads so well.
As for writing style, the book reads like a novel for the most part, especially when the author goes into details about her marriage.
Psychopathic traits, such as lying (many times to escape punishment) and forming mostly parasitic relationships were present at a young age, in agreement with expert opinions and various studies, but the author was capable of feeling terrified with storms, which is not the norm in psychopaths - it’s part of the “shallow emotions” item (PCL-R). As an adult, however, her flat affect is (at least in some specific circumstances) a trait that is much more pronounced in her then in many other psychopaths I came in contact with by conducting an internet survey. Parasitism also seems to be one of her strongest traits. As I stated above, the author makes a good point regarding parasitic relationships: many times “victims” have to be willing to be victimized – the husband has to be willing to do chores, cook, drive, etc, while his wife does nothing, people don’t call the psychopath on their parasitic behaviour, etc. She also made the point that it’s not only bad for those around the psychopath – the sense they have that they live in a bubble it’s uncomfortable to them and it’s tiring to pass as “neurotypical” or even as an “empath” all the time.
I also stated above that future mental health professionals should read the book, because, as illustrated, it describes how psychopaths act, think and also the effort that is for them to appear “normal” an that they sometimes let their masks slip and can be detected by the therapist that is willing to consider the possibility and know what to look for. The book itself is a guide to that identification – that’s why I make that recommendation. The description of her relationship with her husband, the way she sees people as means to an end, her lack of emotional response in general, the complete lack of affective empathy or any emotional bonds to anyone, even family members who never abused, mistreated or smothered her as a child (her aunt and her divorced paternal grandmother), as well as the evidence for conduct disorder are all good indicatives for a psychologist or psychiatrist to be warned by. But the book may be a bit off-putting for those who are willing to treat a psychopath (in my own experience). The impression I got from reading the book in general was that their mindset doesn’t change much (it changes very little), but their behaviour (related to parasitism and criminality, for instance) may visibly improve – and a glimpse of that struggle is also presented. I wouldn’t say psychopathy (at least in this case) is treatable, but it’s manageable. For that reason, even if their mindset and their antisocial ways can put you off, as their therapist, you should never quit based on the diagnosis. A mental health professional has responsibilities that concern both the patient and society. And he or she can still make a difference.
I still recommend the book. Therapists and psychiatrists should know better the type of personality they are dealing with.
Other accounts by psychopaths (M.E. Thomas’ “Confessions of a Sociopath” is a good example) use obsolete terms (such as “sociopath”), pseudonyms and changing of situational specificities to cover up the writer’s identity. In this book you won’t find any of these. You’ll find what seems to be an honest account, using the proper terms that leave no doubts to refer to the disorders (aspd and psychopathy). That’s another reason why I recommend the book to anyone interested.
February 9, 2015
Jessica is a very intelligent individual. This book is the account of one transgender and antisocial narrative and the struggles met with oneself and a society that spurns both. But most of all, the journey to and acquisition of restraint.
As an antisocial (and even transgender) individual myself, I was able to compare some things that Jessica described in her life, to that of my own, but upon doing so, I am forced to see the big, black hole of nothing that I am, which inspires just a few of the impulses I struggle to keep at bay. That's not to say that her work in this novel is bad, in fact, it's good, very good. It was educational and interesting enough to follow along with, even though I struggle with keeping interest in the lives of others. Forced introspection on the other hand, is maddening.
Jessica wants her antisocial brothers and sisters to look inside of themselves and discover the same restraint that she's after, and to acknowledge what we do, along with the moral implications of those things.
I guess that, even after reading this book and listening to all of the things she has said to me outside of the nonfiction medium, I still have a lot to learn, because I struggle enough on a daily basis in regards to acting on every little impulse I have and keeping my freedom without the added weight of actively acting in a pro-social manner.
Regardless, I give this book a 4/5 stars, would recommend to friends.
As an antisocial (and even transgender) individual myself, I was able to compare some things that Jessica described in her life, to that of my own, but upon doing so, I am forced to see the big, black hole of nothing that I am, which inspires just a few of the impulses I struggle to keep at bay. That's not to say that her work in this novel is bad, in fact, it's good, very good. It was educational and interesting enough to follow along with, even though I struggle with keeping interest in the lives of others. Forced introspection on the other hand, is maddening.
Jessica wants her antisocial brothers and sisters to look inside of themselves and discover the same restraint that she's after, and to acknowledge what we do, along with the moral implications of those things.
I guess that, even after reading this book and listening to all of the things she has said to me outside of the nonfiction medium, I still have a lot to learn, because I struggle enough on a daily basis in regards to acting on every little impulse I have and keeping my freedom without the added weight of actively acting in a pro-social manner.
Regardless, I give this book a 4/5 stars, would recommend to friends.
January 21, 2015
This is a fascinating read which flows like fiction. I would definitely recommend this book. This fascinating account is a thought-provoking insight into a mind which stands apart, disconnected from the rest of humanity. It is as much an indictment of neurotypical society as it is a revelation of the thoughts of a psychopath. It also questions our perceptions of psychopaths as necessarily evil, by presenting the psychopath as not a cardboard cut-out killer but as many different roles: a gifted child, talented scholar, spouse, transgendered person, depression sufferer and ordinary nine-to-fiver. Though it's not a main theme, the supposedly safe, sane neurotypicals variously abused Jessica, committed crimes and discriminated against Jessica for being transgender. In the end we are left with these questions: What is 'dangerous'? What is 'antisocial'?
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January 23, 2015Very well written. Even though Jessica is diagnosed ASPD, you seem to forget it at times and connect with such a raw insight into the human condition. I found it to be very succinct and never boring. Usually I read books in stages, but this I read in a sitting. Even if you do not share the same moral grounds and think her level of selfishness is beyond belief, you cannot dislike a book that readily explains the "things that make people tick" in such an honest manner. My only complaint is that I read the excerpt first and found the repetition monotonous. That aside, I found the author to be Dr. House-like in her charisma and honest brutality. Do read this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews