ASD vs Psychopath

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I wrote some stuff about having friends in another post but wanted to say it here. My comment was 'Who would even have friends anyway!?' then i thought 'Well, me actually. Just one maybe.' At least thats what I tell myself sometimes. I dont know, I sometimes see other people with friends, and sometimes its fascinating to witness the interaction. It's been a long time since I had someone other than my partner that I could call a friend. I mean I have work colleagues but we dont socialise, I just keep myself to myself. I think I have trust issues too. After I left school in 90's I had one friend but they fell off the radar about ten years ago, they just stopped answering the phone. I think this person may have their own issues. I think my point is that sometimes I think I want a friend but if I am honest with myself I'm not sure I want it. In a way I'm pretty happy just having acquaintances I rarely see. My partner is my best friend.

However, the thing is I had a bad experience a couple of years ago when someone new started at a place I used to work. They were very friendly and positive with a good sense of humour and slowly I became to like this person. This relationship built over several months and just when I thought I found a potential friend, things started going wrong. All of a sudden other colleagues were talking down to me and my 'new friend' started being very oppressive and cruel. Somehow this person 'Arron' had also manipulated my boss into believing that I was causing problems in the department. Each day at work Arron was either very nice or utterly abhorrent (particularly when no one was around). This behaviour went on for several months and completely messed with my head. My dad had not long died and I was not then diagnosed with ASD so looking back I may have been quite vulnerable.

Prior to this incident I had read a book by Robert Hare about antisocial personality disorder but it didn't occur to me to that this individual, who was causing me all these issues, may have displayed some similar traits of this personality type until three months of such behaviour. When I realised, I re-read the book and another by Martha Stout and the more I read, the more of this persons behaviours I recognised. Not long after this realisation, another job came up in a separate department and so I applied and was lucky enough to get the job. This removed me out of direct contact with Arron which helped me escape his behaviour. Throughout this experience this colleague behaved extremely manipulative, compulsively lied, was a superficial charmer, aloof in nature and grandiose and narcissistic in behaviour. I began to realise that I may have been working with a psychopath.

After a while working in my new department this same individual had developed a relationship with one of the very senior managers. Arron, who was quite good looking had managed to end up dating this not so attractive senior manager and as time went on, my former antisocial colleague had managed bag a top job in the directorate! Next thing I know a massive departmental reshuffle occurred and several middle managers were made redundant, the same people that used to be mine and Arron's bosses! However it was 2 months later when it all started going wrong for Arron. He split up with the senior manager who was furious to say the least, especially after she supported his move to the directorate. After another month I then heard that Arron had been removed from his post and was no longer working for the company. Phew!

Anyone else had a brush with such people?

kuze