hoah writes:
Having said that, and reflecting on bi-polar persons (I tried to forget about it), it seems to be a cop-out excuse for his behavior.
It's impossible to say for sure--bipolar disorders fall across a broad spectrum, from mildly depressed/mildly manic to suicidal depression/florid psychotic mania. But psychiatric institutions don't tend to hold people for mild to moderate disorders, due to budgetary pressures if nothing else. His biggest challenge will be upon release, since community outreach and outpatient support have suffered most in budget cuts.
I'd hazard a guess that in his manic phase he had little to no control over his actions, and when depressed he withdrew into total isolation. There would be brief periods in between spent contemplating the horror and shame of his nightmare roller coaster ride.
I guess I'm a softie. I can feel nothing for him but pity.
"If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you can collect a lot of heads."