TRAPEZE...
I liked what you had to say, and I used to say something similar to my A all the time when he was drinking and abusive/lying/conning...
I would sometimes liken him to a sociopath, and he did not like that.(who would?)
In the end, I took to saying,
"it doesnt really matter if you are or you are not a sociopath if I feel like I am being treated like a victim of one. Either way, I am getting the treatment."
thanks for the reminder