Posted By:
Paul SIt’s disturbing to me that Lee would receive an email like this but I am sort of astounded that this is not an isolated incident. The situation seems like something I’ve run into first hand in my own life, and so I ran ours by a respected professional that I know. It is difficult to assess these things clinically from a distance but he exhibits symptoms of some a schizophrenia or related delusional disorder. I kid you not. I have read in his own posts and from the posts of other here of what they personally received from him, and sparing the lengthy diagnostic criteria, see symptoms of grandiosity, paranoia, an overt argumentative nature, display threatening behavior, and misinterpretation of what others have written. I wouldn't be surprised if he is either taking medication, or refuses (or occasionally refuses) to take medication. These kinds of disorders are not necessarily always like they are portrayed on TV or in the movies -- such as Olivia de Havilland in The Snake Pit. In fact, many who suffer it can be highly functional. In many, the activity can be episodic, and often the person later disavows knowledge of them happening (and believes that too.) Much of this can explain the emails to many here, apparently received from him out of the blue. And also the erratic behavior. There is something of a dichotomy in a person who would write such formalized postings on the forum and yet write in a private email that “darkness is lurking.” (Sounds like something out of a Bela Lugosi film.) Or later claim that the emails were not meant as a threat or that “NO one wants to hurt you.” What’s up with that? Or, as Barry just mentioned, via T206 Collector, starting a thread and not participating in it.
I am not defending him by way of armchair diagnosis; in fact I realize how disturbing receiving these might be for some people (I’m only trying to figure out an explanation for it all.) Hopefully, anyone who does get one might take some solace in the fact they are not the sick one. Wouldn't it be a terrifying thing to have to inhabit that mind?
Leon -- re the public posting of private emails: I am totally against it. In fact I think that anyone who sends them should be suspended or banned, especially when there are repeated occurrences. While this extends to what Lee received, the upside is that it now exposes just how many people have received the same. Otherwise we may not have known the extent of it all. Probably people should forward these things directly to you rather than simply deleting them.