Thanks Kimmy. No, I don't see a T. I don't have insurance or the money to afford one.

It's an unacceptable coping mechanism. I need to stay on top of things since I'm taking him back to court in order to reverse things I agreed to when under duress four years ago. I can't let myself step into a fog where he's concerned. Pat (fayerody) had made a good suggestion, I think, and that's cut him off when he starts wandering off into "personal" issues. He does it so sneakily, though, going from discussing the kids to mentioning his financial struggles. It makes it difficult to just cut him off at the pass, because it also involves the kids. I know I just have to be strong and do it anyway.

POSSIBLE TRIGGER
I was reading some links just now about narcissistic personalities, and I see a lot of him there. He makes scholastic demands on our kids that they just can't hold up, demands that if they meet they will get preferential treatment. A lot of our phone calls are regarding their school performance. I don't agree with his tactics, know my opinions will be discarded, so I zone off because it's a waste of brain activity to listen to it. Same old, same old, if you know what I mean. The Ph.D. I transcribe for told me that's learned helplessness. Where you don't even try to put up a fight anymore because you know it's useless. I feel like this "zoning out" is the next step in the process of removing myself from his influence and I don't like it one bit, this feeling of not being 100% in the moment.