- Joined
- Jan 17, 2004
- Messages
- 43,171
- Reaction score
- 236,867
If 18 visits to expensive treatment centers with highly qualified professionals could not diagnose the problem, I doubt anyone today will have success.Rage episodes can be symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, ODD, bipolar, drug-induced psychosis, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, and some organic brain diseases.
Also, some people with personality disorders can develop rages. In fact, even people without diagnosed mental illness can —if severely provoked— go into fits of rage.
In the case of NR, it’s hard to say what caused any of his rages because he is reported to have so very many conditions that overlap. We know he has addiction problems, and had childhood behavior issues; he may also be on the spectrum, may have schizophrenia, and seems to exhibit antisocial and narcissistic personality traits. It’s going to take a while for his mental health professionals to tease those all apart, IMO.
I've wondered whether Nick has a mild form of Aspergers that was undiagnosed, and which may be the reason that he seemed to enjoy provoking a reaction from his parents - a curiosity about their emotional reactions. He pushed them, manipulated them, gave them hope then yanked it away, embarrassed them in public, acted arrogant and superior, seemed to enjoy provoking a negative or shock reaction from others, did everything possible to be an obnoxious centre of attention.
This latest diagnosis of schizophrenia seems more like grasping at straws and trying to fit symptoms into a box rather than accepting that Nick's brain is severely damaged through extensive drug abuse throughout his life. Nick is responsible for his choices. He made poor choices at the age of 15, and at no time made a choice to be respectful of others.
"Although schizophrenia can occur at any age, the average age of onset tends to be in the late teens to the early 20s for men, and the late 20s to early 30s for women. It is uncommon for schizophrenia to be diagnosed in a person younger than 12 or older than 40."
Schizophrenia
Learn the signs, causes, and treatment options for schizophrenia. Get trusted information and support from NAMI to better understand this complex mental health condition.