Having the experience of being exposed to a predatory psychopath has given him or her ample opportunity to set up a sophisticated and intertwined set of tripwires that are booby-trapped and can be tripped by anything from the slightest thought to being triggered by sensory perception, sight, sound, touch, audio, or sense of smell that sets off an entire cavalcade of emotional response that can send the victim into a state of panic or trembling in fear.
This is no accident. These psychological and physiological traps have been set intentionally by the psychopath to keep the victim silent and in fear of further abuse. This is all disconcerting to the casual onlooker who does not understand what is happening. Ignorance might suggest that the victim is losing his or her mind or is overreacting to something that wasn’t as bad as the victim is making it out to be.
Unfortunately, the truth is that the damage that the highly skilled predatory psychopath can wield is so severe, that what you can witness is only what is observable on the surface. Deep beneath the surface is incomprehensible damage. Only someone keenly aware of the complexity of the lurking deeply hidden trauma or presenting issues faced by the psychopath victim can be comprehended someone experienced or specializes in psychopathic victimization.
Be aware that there is no quick fix. I make that statement as though it is absolute. Still, I have known victims that have found instant and longstanding relief, with few if any relapses, from a deeply profound spiritual experience. More often, I have worked with people who claimed to have experienced spiritual salvation, only to find out later that the effects wore off after the initial enthusiasm waned.
That said, some methods may be employed to help the psychopath victim find some relief from the tension, stress, strain, torment, and fear of having survived such an ordeal.
Once the victim has found a sacred, safe, and serene location, safely removed from the psychopath, I first encourage the victim to submit themselves to a physical evaluation, which he or she may be able to perform him- or herself. Check for blood pressure, bruising, aches, and pains, hydration, and having a little something to eat, as they try to relax in this new more secure environment.
It is advised to have a full physical performed by a licensed doctor, if possible. You never know what a victim of a predatory psychopath may have subjected this person to. Bloodwork should be done to look for everything from malnutrition to toxic or poisonous substances in the body.
The victim of a psychopath may be nutrient deficient, and very likely to have a compromised immune system, so they will be more susceptible to bad bacteria or other pathogens, including infections, viral exposure, and/or parasites.
As always, document everything.
Following the physical review, give the victim ample time, space, and support as he or she is allowed to delineate the details of his or her experience with the psychopath. This is not an investigation, so do not lead or persuade the victim to write (preferred) or say (while recorded) things in chronological order. This initial release of information will likely be led by emotion. If allowed to flow emotionally, this will help to relieve some of the pent-up emotional angst the victim is struggling with. This is your first empathetic line of support. Do not interrogate the victim.
Any attempt to make sense of the victim’s story can be done at a later date.
If the victim requests the presence of a friend or a confidant, this can help to ease the anxiety being felt by the victim, but exercise due diligence in checking to see if the person that the victim would like to see has any connection with the psychopath, first.
Assure the victim that you want him or her to have a friend at this time, but it must be someone who has had no contact with the psychopath and who is also someone that the victim can trust. At this point, you have no idea who in the victim’s world has been polluted by the psychopath.
After the victim has been medically evaluated, had some nourishment, delineated their initial data concerning the experience with the psychopath, been comforted to a reasonable degree, and allowed to reach out to a safe confidant, a nap or slumber may be in order, if possible.
After allowing the victim to recuperate from the affair with a period of sleep, then we can move on to tools that can help the victim’s recovery process.