The scenario is all too common: Girl meets guy (or Guy meets girl). Guy is smart, charming, and maybe even endearing. Girl falls in love. As the relationship progresses Guy's serious personality problems begin to surface. She gets longer and more vivid glimpses of habits and tendencies she didn't notice at first. With about 15% of the adult population suffering from one or more personality disorders — that's over 16 million potential relationship partners, says the National Institutes of Health — finding the right partner and maintaining a healthy love relationship is harder work than we thought!

Crazy Love sheds light on the odd but surprisingly common disorders of personality so that readers can become better informed and more careful when entering or continuing a relationship. Johnson and Murray tell us why so many of us are attracted to personality disordered partners, and — most important — they offer strategies for detecting and avoiding such potential disasters. They also recognize the needs of readers who are already in committed relationships with personality-impaired partners, and offer hope in the form of healthy survival strategies and tips for making the relationship more livable.

Softcover. 248 pages 
April 2007, U.S. $17.95
ISBN-13: 978-1-886230-80-4

Here are a few key warning signs that a partner may have a personality disturbance:

·         Did things start off wonderfully but then come to a screeching halt for some reason?

·         Does your partner appear to be completely unaware of his or her impact on others and the effects of his or her behavior?

·         Is your partner “okay” with behaviors you find quite inappropriate — perhaps even disturbing?

·         When you make efforts to correct the problem, does your partner fail to respond or follow-through (suggesting little motivation to change)?

·         Is your partner frequently in intense conflict with you, other people, or even institutions and employers?

·         Does your partner create a positive first impression on people, only to later display problems with anger, poor social interaction, or manipulation?

·         Is your partner “odd” and “eccentric” to the point that it causes him or her rejection?

·         Does your partner seem to feel most comfortable when he or she is the primary focus and you are diminished by comparison?

·         Does your partner have profound needs for your attention or adulation such that you feel exhausted managing the relationship?

·         Is your partner so rigid and regimented that changes to the routine provoke anxiety or anger?