Abuse to animals is only considered criteria for a sociopath if that abuse is performed deliberately with the intention of hurting the animal, and if the abuser shows no remorse or understanding of the wrongness of what he or she has done. You keep trying to apply mental diagnoses to people that don't even come close to having the symptoms. You must never swat at flies or bees. Frankly, this has just gotten ridiculous. I said what I had to say, and you can try to suggest that the poster and/or I need counseling all you want, but the bottom line is, the person made a mistake and recognized it, and they came here seeking help, not rash judgment.