Hi Rebecca

Thanks so much for responding and sharing your experience. The ability to manipulate others is definitely something I'm alert to as I've seen it in action. I know that she's doing it now by feeding other family members her version of why I stopped contact: essentially I'm crazy. As you say, the insight just isn't there. My daughter has had the occasional phone call with my parents - it's never just my mother. She can't wait for it to end because she has to hear all about the favourite grandchild rather than being able to talk about her life. We debrief afterwards. She is aware in a way that I never was.