CA CA - Derek Seehausen, 26, USC med student, Glendale, 5 Aug 2014

[ThinkThinkThink]

Yes I do, which is why I think he may be hiking the PCtrail or in mexico surfing.

Well, if that is what he needs, I just pray he finds his way back home, when he is ready.

Did we scare you off? Or will you hang out with us, as you can? What can we do to help, Shuhan?

 

[texasgirl2]

Shuhan, thank you for taking the time to come to WS and answer questions for everyone. I wish every case had a "someone" like you to speak for them and be so transparent. It really helps!! I hope Derek comes home to you guys soon!

I am off to read the AMA!

 

[Helpfindderek]

He did not submit the ERAS (I hope I did that acronym right) for his residency, correct? Meaning if he did come back he will not have been accepted to a residency program? If so, it appears he did not plan on coming back and/or has decided to follow different career aspirations (either now, or after having some time for reflect off the grid for a while). Perhaps the long talk with Shuhan prior to leaving sparked some thoughts that prompted Derek to take action on any emptiness or dissatisfaction he may have been feeling.

This is unprecedented territory and unclear what would happen. Honestly, he has such good marks that people would take him anyways.

 

[Dixie811]

This is probably a longshot, as I know the records for his iPhone has been examined as well as his internet history. BUT, it might be prudent to examine any other adults of a similar age range who may have gone missing around the same time as Derek in the U.S. or at least the west coast. He has lived in several locations for school and rotations such as NYC, Atlanta, and others? Maybe, just maybe someone else has also walked away recently that could possible have had some type of connection to Derek.

I know it seems unlikely and doesn't really answer the question of "why?", but it's an idea to explore during those times when it seems like every option has been examined.

 

[Helpfindderek]

Well, if that is what he needs, I just pray he finds his way back home, when he is ready.

Did we scare you off? Or will you hang out with us, as you can? What can we do to help, Shuhan?

Apologies, we just got a very credible tip from DTLA, sent it up the chain.

 

[Helpfindderek]

Shuhan, he is an avid outdoor camper and survivalist. Do you think he could live off the grid indefinitely? Was he on any medications he left behind or would have to get a refill of?

Would he jeopardize his entire medical career by taking off like this if something wasn't seriously wrong?? What kind of things would be so important to him that he would walk away from his schooling in the middle of it? When he returns, it will be hard for him to get back into the routine he walked away from, right???

He could survive indefinitely. He is athletic and smart enough to, especially in the angeles national forest (it never gets truly cold , conditions never truly lethal).

-he had no lifeline medications

-i dont think this was an entirely concious/well planned act, clearly something hit him that night. That feeling of confusion you have--we have that exact same feeling. How could someone who has their life so much together just get up and leave?

 

[DocBrew]

Just read much of the Reddit thread. Good job advocating for your friend HFD. I noticed that you all feel he could've retrieved the $200 for a fare of some sort. Please forgive the morbid speculation, but has anyone checked footage at the Golden Gate for the subsequent day or two after he went missing? It is the 'mecca' of suicides, and a $200-ish ticket could've gotten him there.

Hope he just went off the grid for a bit though. Good luck.

JMO.

 

[Helpfindderek]

Just read much of the Reddit thread. Good job advocating for your friend HFD. I noticed that you all feel he could've retrieved the $200 for a fare of some sort. Please forgive the morbid speculation, but has anyone checked footage at the Golden Gate for the subsequent day or two after he went missing? It is the 'mecca' of suicides, and a $200-ish ticket could've gotten him there.

Hope he just went off the grid for a bit though. Good luck.

JMO.

yes, all relevant morgues, hospitals, jails, etc are notified during official missing persons and he would have turned up in a public location/suicide like that

 

[Seajay]

We noticed that he has many different looks in the different pictures we've seen of him. Do you think it would be difficult for anyone to recognize him as a missing person if they saw him?

By now he could have longer hair, a beard and mustache, lost weight. Is there any distinguishing features like tattoos or anything that would make him stand out in some way??

 

[Helpfindderek]

We noticed that he has many different looks in the different pictures we've seen of him. Do you think it would be difficult for anyone to recognize him as a missing person if they saw him?

By now he could have longer hair, a beard and mustache, lost weight. Is there any distinguishing features like tattoos or anything that would make him stand out in some way??

We think it'd be pretty difficult unfortunately. He was a clean cut good looking caucasian 6'0 brunette male. Not very distinct in his features unfortuntaely.

He likely has a red beard now, lost weight, and have longer hair.

 

[ThinkThinkThink]

Thank you, we all love Derek and this has brought us closer together.

My gut tells me 3 scenarios
1) living with the homeless in LA
2) Living with the homeless in SD
3) Hiking the Pacific coast trail.

Not one answer, truly split between them

I was about to say which I thought was the most likely (even though I've only been on this site a month, I am obviously in need of intervention, LOL)...like seriously, get a grip, "Think, Think, Think"! (and no, I was NOT thinking when I came up with my WS name/ID)...

You are a gem, Derek's friend. Thanks for being so gracious. We are here for you, whenever you need us.

And you should have my email now -- please email me anytime! I am good for a laugh...I will break down in tears with you...and I will be there for you, whatever comes.

Okay, I think this has been enough for you for one day. Keep the faith...hold the dream...let it flow as it must.

 

[ThinkThinkThink]

He could survive indefinitely. He is athletic and smart enough to, especially in the angeles national forest (it never gets truly cold , conditions never truly lethal).

-he had no lifeline medications

-i dont think this was an entirely concious/well planned act, clearly something hit him that night. That feeling of confusion you have--we have that exact same feeling. How could someone who has their life so much together just get up and leave?

Yes...just yes.

 

[DocBrew]

Did I read somewhere in this thread that his father had done something similar earlier in his own life? Has anyone looked into the father's mental health dx's (and history) to see if there are any parallels (age of onset, etc.)?

 

[Helpfindderek]

Did I read somewhere in this thread that his father had done something similar earlier in his own life? Has anyone looked into the father's mental health dx's (and history) to see if there are any parallels (age of onset, etc.)?

yes his father did something similar x2. was found both times. lets hope for the best.

 

[DocBrew]

This picture from the imgur site could be indicative of an underlying/impending MI. Eyes and pose look...off...for some reason. Do you know how long ago this was taken?

 

[Helpfindderek]

This picture from the imgur site could be indicative of an underlying/impending MI. Eyes and pose look...off...for some reason. Do you know how long ago this was taken?

We hiked half dome. He was making a funny pose. Why impending MI?

 

[Dixie811]

This picture from the imgur site could be indicative of an underlying/impending MI. Eyes and pose look...off...for some reason. Do you know how long ago this was taken?

I think he is posing in jest.

To jump off the mention of mental illness. I know that here on WS we are eager to think a man in his early twenties who has walked away is mentally ill, because we do see it so often. But, I just don't get that sense with Derek. Not because he was intelligent and successful, as mental illness can effect anyone. But because even though this decision appeared to be fairly spur of the moment, he still executed it perfectly as far as we know. He was thorough, and he was also living up to his responsibilities by paying his friend back and returning his friend's keys. He had had intimate conversations with his best friend just before disappearing, and Shuhan hasn't indicated that there was any reason to believe Derek was exhibiting any signs of mental illness. He had attended class regularly, was making amazing grades... I just don't see that he was 'slipping' and left due to either the mental illness itself or because he could tell a mental illness was escalating an wanted to leave before it got worse.

It just doesn't fit for me, but I respect everyone's opinion who disagrees. I think mental illness is often the culprit in similar cases but at the same time, just because we don't understand what motivated someone's actions does not make them mentally ill.

 

[DocBrew]

We hiked half dome. He was making a funny pose. Why impending MI?

I can't place my finger on it. Many patients that I've seen had similar looking 'glassy' gazes (re: '1000 mile stares'). Affect looks like it could be a little constricted. How was his speech the last couple of weeks that you interacted with him? Any mumbling/incoherence/flights of ideas/tangential thinking? Any odd ticks/quirks that were more pronounced than usual?

Excuse the extreme example:

Having said this, if it was just a funny face, then it was just a funny face.

 

[Helpfindderek]

I can't place my finger on it. Many patients that I've seen had similar looking 'glassy' gazes (re: '1000 mile stares'). Affect looks like it could be a little constricted. How was his speech the last couple of weeks that you interacted with him? Any mumbling/incoherence/flights of ideas/tangential thinking? Any odd ticks/quirks that were more pronounced than usual?

Excuse the extreme example:

Having said this, if it was just a funny face, then it was just a funny face.

It was a funny face, we were debating putting the picture up because it does look odd. He didn't seem off at all beforehand, and had dinner a few hours before with a friend that was very normal. We have about 5-6 other friends that saw him on campus that same day he disappeared and everyone was shocked. They talked about how they discussed career plans, etc.

 

[Dixie811]

The PI at the press conference stated Derek bought milk (and cereal) prior to going missing. The milk and cereal were found in his home. The cereal had been opened and some had been eaten, but the milk had not. It does seem that even at the beginning of the evening he hadn't planned to do this (at least not to do it that day). Seems to me like the decision was made sometime after returning to his apartment that night.