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Narcissistic Personality Disorder - how to cope?

(68 Posts)
Heckter Thu 08-Mar-18 14:20:06

Our block of 4 flats was formed into a company for the proper organisation of the properties, with a Company Secretary and a Director appointed from each of the four flats. We run the company ourselves, and one of the Directors is appointed Company Secretary to do the administration: it is registered with Companies House. No Director or Company Secretary is paid, to save money, which is why a management company hasn't been appointed to run our affairs.

A friend has a now-ex husband who was formally diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is why it dawned on me that the Company Secretary of our block of flats, probably has a narcissistic "tendency."

Symptoms include
- lack of empathy for other people
- arrogant, self-centred, manipulative and demanding
- difficulty tolerating criticism or defeat
- believe they are superior.

I dare say we all know somebody resembling the above list, but it gets serious when our Company Secretary enjoys publicly humiliating, among the other residents of our block, my kind, thoughtful, helpful and really good husband. We have a string of emails to prove this erratic behaviour. Basically she is determined to make us move out of our home ......

So far I have just emailed all the residents, explaining that Directors and Company Secretaries have a responsibility to all the flats, and that public humiliation stops all co-operation.

We have to have the support of the other directors to get rid of her, but she has one of the elderly directors to side with her, who publicly humiliated my husband in front of the shared gardener and an acquaintance. My husband said nothing, just turned away, and heard "don't turn away from me when I'm speaking to you"......! She may be elderly but I don't think she has narcissistic tendencies!

How do we stop this young accountant of a Company Secretary forcing us out of our home - any ideas?

Jalima1108 Fri 13-Apr-18 20:45:47

ps but I am sorry that you had such an awful upbringing and dreadful mother sad, I cannot imagine what that must have been like as a young child.

Jalima1108 Fri 13-Apr-18 20:44:02

Yes sorry Jalima we have hijacked your thread. I sympathise you have to deal with such people.
It's not My Thread and I hope other posters realise that overthehill and all others.

I don't have anyone like that to deal with, thank goodness.

Someone called Heckter is the OP.

gummybears Fri 13-Apr-18 15:01:50

I pity the solicitor who takes this matter on from the bottom of my heart.

overthehill Tue 10-Apr-18 13:45:09

Thank you Humpty yes I am very happy now since I met my second husband age 26 my life changed for the better. My difficult childhood did affect my teenage years but luckily it made me strong and self-sufficient

overthehill Tue 10-Apr-18 13:39:33

Yes sorry Jalima we have hijacked your thread. I sympathise you have to deal with such people.

Unfortunately they will never see your point of view, they are always right

humptydumpty Tue 10-Apr-18 13:36:34

overthehill that is very sad to read. I do hope your life is happier now.

overthehill Tue 10-Apr-18 13:33:20

Missfoodlove I'm on your side as I to suffered at the hands of a narcissistic mother and if you haven't had the misfortune to experience it, then you can't really judge.
I was subjected to what I would term mental abuse as an only child with my NPD mother. Not to bore you all to much detail this is a small example.

I was constantly told I was to be sent away to boarding school. This upset me and made me cry and I would beg her not to. When I reached around 9 I realised money was needed for boarding school and she would always tell me there wasn't any. I said 'yes' I would like to go. This had the desired effect and the threats ended.
My mothers form of punishment was to ignore me, not for an hour or even a day but for days and sometimes a week at a time. After many attempts by me to literally get down on my knees and beg forgiveness she would forgive but never forget as she told me. I never knew by the way what I had done. I would leave for school she'd say bye, I'd come home and she wouldn't talk to me.

Armed with my latest knowledge I decided that instead of begging forgiveness I wouldn't do it anymore and hopefully she would stop constantly ignoring me.

Well this backfired in spectacular fashion and she never spoke to me again in a friendly manner until I'd left school and was at work.

There is so, so much more but she was queen and me and my dad were her surfs.

OurKid1 Tue 13-Mar-18 08:21:05

Jalima1108 Me too, which is why I keep returning despite my better judgement.

Jalima1108 Mon 12-Mar-18 20:47:12

Well, I am still rather confused as to the point of this thread.

Is it to discuss the legal position re the flats or is it to discuss personality disorders?

icanhandthemback Mon 12-Mar-18 20:37:29

Hekter, from your posts it seems that 1 person in your community is on the "Narcissists" side, one neighbour who doesn't wish to get involved and the other we don't know about. It only seems to be you who is upset at this Company Secretary's actions. Forgive me if I have summarised this incorrectly. I am not doubting that the CS has the traits you say but that doesn't necessarily make them a narcissist which is a very serious accusation. It seems there are a lot of people who have responded with similar thoughts so that might just be something to consider before you start feeling defamed on this forum. Whatever the rights or wrongs of the situation though, I do hope you get the flood situation sorted out so you can relax about that.

Anniebach Mon 12-Mar-18 15:53:49

Sorry .Jane , I was explaining to Heckter not you

Jane10 Mon 12-Mar-18 15:19:33

I know Anniebach I was just trying to summarise my objections!

Anniebach Mon 12-Mar-18 15:01:36

Dementia is not a mental illness

Jane10 Mon 12-Mar-18 14:02:48

No one is arguing that mental illness isn't a serious matter. What many of us don't like about your approach is how you are trying to mix in amateur diagnoses with what are straight forward legal matters. Stick to facts not speculation.

Anniebach Mon 12-Mar-18 13:57:09

Sorry but you are diagnosing dementia and personality disorder and I really believe this to be unfair

Heckter Mon 12-Mar-18 13:37:49

Interesting. Which is more cruel: quadriplegia or severe mental illness that is undiagnosed? In recent months the media have been attempting to get the public to accept that there is as much mental illness as physical, and there is no shame in disordered thinking.

My sister-in-law had to keep returning to her doctor, and when eventually the medics diagnosed her dementia, when she asked to go on a clinical trial to attempt to slow the disease, her condition was too far gone.

My friend's greatest regret is that she wasted 35 years of her life being married to someone with undiagnosed NPD: a long time to suffer psychological abuse.

The government is now in the process of amending the bill to protect abused women to include psychological damage.

The great majority of women prisoners are suffering from undiagnosed mental conditions.

I am simply attempting to assist our very small community of 4 flats from injustice and defamation, just as I am doing for myself now, in this forum.

M0nica Sun 11-Mar-18 18:06:40

Does that make any difference? The OP needs legal advice and that is just one of several places she can seek it.

jenpax Sun 11-Mar-18 16:52:41

Small point MOnica Citizens Advice changed name a couple of years ago and have dropped Bureau so it’s now just Citizens Advice

icanhandthemback Sun 11-Mar-18 16:15:58

It doesn't seem really fair to involve the previous Company Secretary or the current Company Secretary's sister. That is strange behaviour from you to involve a relative and not at all appropriate. Apart from anything else, blood is often thicker than water and you will probably inflame things further. You seem to have very skewed thinking when it comes to this matter and you would probably be better to seek professional legal help. Involving the world and its wife will be less helpful. Suggesting your husband take over is a little telling...hmm

M0nica Sun 11-Mar-18 15:11:36

Has she asked herself whether she has a personality disorder or dementia?hmm. I was going to put a wink there but the subject is too serious.

What she needs to do is to look at the problem objectively and stop obsessing about the mental condition of the other three flat owners. Is the company being run correctly and legally? For that she needs legal advice.

Getting objective professional advice seems to be the one solution she keeps kicking into the long grass

Oopsadaisy12 Sun 11-Mar-18 14:22:48

I hate to think That any advice we GNs have given her has been twisted to help her come to her flawed opinions!

Anniebach Sun 11-Mar-18 13:13:05

Thank you Jane, both personality disorders and dementia are serious, cruel illnesses

Jane10 Sun 11-Mar-18 11:32:22

I agree Anniebach!

Anniebach Sun 11-Mar-18 11:29:03

You are still declaring you know people have personality disorders , you do not know this is true , you thought your elderly neighbour was showing signs of dementia , you really shouldn't do this , it is unfair .

Heckter Sun 11-Mar-18 10:54:57

I have asked the previous Co. Sec. and his wife, who are friendly with the UN to arrange a lunch together, for which I would pay. The UN says that she is not yet ready to meet up, so there is a softening of attitude.

My DH has attempted to arrange two meetings with the current difficult Co. Sec. but her response is "I work." Her predecessor worked much longer hours in a very challenging job and had a long commute. I tried to talk to her once, but I am very bad in a highly charged emotional situation and will say nothing for fear of saying something to upset, and you can never take it back. So as you Gransnetters have probably observed I have plenty to say by email, when thoughts can be considered and reflected upon.

My DH does not wish me to involve the previous Co. Sec., but having asked him to arrange a lunch, he has become somewhat involved, and it transpires there is history about which we were unaware.

As I begin to see it, with the help of some of the Gransnetters people with personality disorders are particularly vulnerable. We can ask her privately to consider standing down, as it seems to be taking up rather more time along with a full time job. We know that none of them will want to pay for an outside agent to manage, but they might accept my DH doing the job, with the Co. Sec. becoming the treasurer, as he doesn't really want to do it, and particularly doesn't want to do the accounts. Then she can save face, and she can go back to just meeting us incidentally and at the AGM, which has always been her choice, as before. There has never been a suggestion of ignoring her. So we can rub along together carefully, like hedgehogs.

If that doesn't work, it'll have to come out at the AGM, and if that doesn't work, we may have to contact a solicitor. Her sister is a solicitor, so we may need to ask her sister to help defuse the situation.

BUT other people in the block need to be aware that there is a problem, so as to avoid pressing her buttons, otherwise we all end up in this miserable situation again.

And thank you Gransnetters, for helping me to arrive at some sort of way of dealing with our situation.