To the original poster.
(Or, for that matter, anyone else in a similar position.)
If you are wondering if it’s your imagination or not, then it’s probably not.
If you’re being told (habitually, over and over, by a strange person or strangely behaved person) that you’re crazy, you’re stupid, you’re bratty, you’re rude, selfish, stuck up, jealous,…[Read more]

By the way and to anybody.
Borderline with narcissistic tendencies is (believed to be probably) more common than actual narcissism.
Tough to tell, of course, because borderline personality disorder and narcissism are both very underdiagnosed and also are both very often misdiagnosed as various other things.
(And of course *some* people *with*…[Read more]

If you want my opinion then here it is.
I think she is probably borderline with narcissistic tendencies.
(Based particularly on, she does act nice to you sometimes, seems like this is mainly just when she is the right mood, or probably so.)
She could have a mood disorder, or borderline personality disorder, or narcissistic personality disorder, or…[Read more]

I need to get numbers 1 and 2 printed out and put on a wall sometime.
To remind me not to cooperate with or participate in *that* kind of thing, any more, ever again.
When a person is like that, or is acting like that, or is treating you like that, for ANY reason, just get out of the circle.
(Easier said than done. That’s why I might need a…[Read more]

Often had wondered before if this sort of thing is what is meant by being “caught in a circular conversation” (or stuck, trapped, etc.).
Yes. This is definitely it.
Been in so many of these I can’t even count them any more.
And most were all with the same person.
Sigh.

Thank you to Renee for the useful information and the informative education.
Many thanks.

Second post by me is posted as correction to first one.
(Sorry, I don’t know how to edit in these forums.)
Doesn’t much matter because most of the time no one is here anyway.
But just in case anyone besides me does ever happen to read this.
We really, really need either more people here or another group of forums which would be very similar but…[Read more]

1,2,4,7, and to a lesser extent, 5 and 6.
Experienced by me with a particular person.
Possible reasons for this might include:
ADHD, dyslexia, bipolar, borderline, borderline with narcissistic tendencies, migraine disorder, and being abused or neglected or not receiving enough love or enough appropriate teaching or guidance about communication and…[Read more]

1,2,4,7, and to a lesser extent, 5 and 6.
Experienced by me with a particular person.
Possible reasons for this might include:
ADHD, dyslexia, bipolar, borderline, borderline with narcissistic tendencies, migraine disorder, and being abused or neglected or not receiving enough love or enough appropriate teaching or guidance about communication and…[Read more]

Thank you.
This is good information.

Identity theft, of a sort.
Losing your identity to them.
Feeling like you are not even yourself when you are with them.
Feeling like you are whoever and whatever they labeled you to be.
That is indeed exactly what it’s like.
And that’s why it makes you feel crazy.
And the person doesn’t even have to be an actual narcissist. It’s their stupid…[Read more]

Thank you. Exactly.
If we could just get a few more people here sometime and we could maybe post more about this very topic.
(Is so-and-so narcissistic, histrionic, borderline, etc., etc. and so on? Doesn’t matter a bit unless you are trying to learn more about and understand more about the person and/or the disorder or disorders [some people do…[Read more]

Have not ever witnessed or experienced *this* particular type of “circular conversation” in which there is no conversation, there is no argument, it is absolutely just a lecture, period.
Have definitely been involved in some extremely strange conversations, however.
The kind that make me want to literally *never* have *any* sort of conversation…[Read more]

Borderline personality disorder?
Or could be covert narcissism maybe.
Much less obvious than that other guy’s wife (the one that you said she sounded similar to yours if not more so).

She is definitely a very strange woman and you are definitely not a bad husband or a bad person.
Like I said. Try to divorce her as soon as possible and try to get custody of the kids. It sounds like she does not even want them but you still might have to (repeatedly) present evidence in court that she is an unfit mother (which she obviously is,…[Read more]

Covert narcissist or else borderline with narcissistic tendencies (turns out you can read about that online too).
And it’s indeed strange that you actually *first found out about* these kinds of disorders from her or thanks to her.
She is basically lying every step of the way just to make herself look good.
She is the one who is emotionally…[Read more]

RockinRobin.
I used to believe (I think most people do) that if you go no contact you *have to* just permanently stay that way because that is what “no contact” means.
Now I know that “no contact” rules can be changed or broken or altered to suit the situation if necessary, but there will presumably always still have to be rules. Whether you go no…[Read more]

Andishine. Yours was the longest story but the most interesting.
There is someone called queenbeeing who has a site she started several years ago that is about narcissism. Her mother (now estranged/no-contact) and your mother-in-law seem to have quite a lot in common. (Both of them strange people who used to try to get the grandson on their side.…[Read more]

RockinRobin. Thank you for mentioning that there actually were some good things about your dad and that in the end you actually respected, liked and admired him and found him funny.
(Reminds me of my parents in some ways too. They have good things about them and they also have bad things about them. So, I suppose, do most people. Some are just…[Read more]

Enjoyed reading these messages.
Under the heading of “Toxic Parents” this is the *only* thread so far that’s really had an actual discussion with many posts from multiple participants.
Wish there were more but glad that at least there’s this one.
Best of luck to all who post here.
Cheers.