# Can psychosis be diagnosed from BB posts?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [January 7, 2000, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026 "2000-01-07T03:40:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/1 "2000-01-07T03:40:00Z")
I am 99.9% sure that Phaedrus is FORMERAGENT/Finder/Mikey/etc. I can only think of two reasons why he is doing this:
1-He finds it amusing.
2-He is mentally unbalanced.
If it is the former, he is, at worst, annoying. If it is the latter, I think he is an extremely dangerous person in need of serious help. He has exhibited delusions of granduer, split personality, and extreme paranoia in both his Phaedrus guise and his recent incarnations.
I am, by no means, an expert on things psychological, but I am curious about what is going on here. Any shrinks out there? Is it 1 or 2 or something I haven’t thought of?
P. S.: I would really have liked to post this in GD, because I’d like to hear some serious discourse on the subject. However, since my query concerns a single poster, I feel I had best make it here. If anyone else here is uneasy about publicly antagonizing a lunatic, you might want to follow my example and use a pseudonym.
---
### Author:  [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/2 "2000-01-07T03:52:00Z")
**Can psychosis be diagnosed from BB posts?**
Is that why Cecil hasn’t been posting lately? 🙂
---
### Author:  [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/3 "2000-01-07T03:56:00Z")
I wouldn’t attempt anthing close to diagnosis, both from a lack of expertise and from too-limited data available on a BB.
But isn’t there an option #3? Whether it’s Phadreas or not, or how many of these twinkies are actually one poster, it’s still possible to observe how they present themselves. And that is door #3: socially limited at best, and actively hostile as well.
Computer or face to face, we all make judgments about other people based on observation. My conclusion: yuck.
Veb
---
### Author:  [@Kvallulf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kvallulf)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/4 "2000-01-07T04:16:00Z")
I think your him, too.
---
### Author:  [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/5 "2000-01-07T09:37:00Z")
Q:
“Is that why Cecil hasn’t been posting lately?”
A:
[http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000446.html](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000446.html)
The most wise one did indeed reply to this thread.
---
### Author:  [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/6 "2000-01-07T16:37:00Z")
Of course it can. I, for example, am obviously as crazy as a shithouse rat.
* * *
“It’s my considered opinion you’re all a bunch of sissies!”–Paul’s Grandfather
---
### Author:  [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/7 "2000-01-07T16:52:00Z")
Are rats that live in shithouses more likely to suffer from mental illness than the general rat population?
---
### Author:  [@Sentinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sentinel)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/8 "2000-01-07T17:02:00Z")
Well, I’m no expert, but from reading a great amount of posts here, I would say that some of the posters have some major mental problems and there are a few that I’m glad are not my next door neighbors. (If they were, I’d probably have to buy silver bullets, string garlic up along the property lines, plant Wolfbane, dig traps, sprinkle Holy Water around and probably place Crucifixes on the walls. Not to mention a few mines, an electrified fence, BIG guard dogs, and bear traps.)
Some of the posters I’m surprised are actually allowed to run around loose, in public. A few, I strongly suspect, have been sneaking into the INSTITUTION’S computers at night and posting from the State Mental Institution.
---
### Author:  [@Minxsmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minxsmom)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/9 "2000-01-07T17:02:00Z")
Only if fed a diet of Nutrasweet
---
### Author:  [@Minxsmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minxsmom)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/10 "2000-01-07T17:03:00Z")
DOH! Simul-post! The Nutrasweet comment was answering dlv’s question. Sorry ☹
---
### Author:  [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/11 "2000-01-07T17:09:00Z")
I dunno, I mean, I hesitate to jump to comclusions based on a person’s posts but there are definately a few people here who just aren’t running the flag to the top of the flagpole.
* * *
She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again.
---
### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2000, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/12 "2000-01-08T06:39:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I hesitate to jump to comclusions based on a person’s posts
I don’t. Online, it’s impossible to understand anyone _except_ through their posts.
Your point is well taken, though–Phil may be absolutely sane, for example, and merely _pretending_ to be a whacko as the aforementioned water closet rodent.
But, even if everyone posting on the board appeared IRL to be perfectly well-adjusted, the mere fact that some of 'em are so damn good at imitating psychotics gives me pause.
And FTR, **Phaedrus** , I don’t know who the dipshit OP is, but (s)he is indeed a coward. I, for one, will not hesitate to call you a screaming nutball to your face if I feel the need. Or anyone else, for that matter.
-andros-
---
### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2000, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/13 "2000-01-08T06:42:00Z")
Of course, if **Coward** is really you, **O Shining One** , I _certainly_ will call you a screming nutball.
---
### Author:  [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/14 "2000-01-07T19:24:00Z")
Now that would be interesting – Phaedrus signing on as somebody else to suggest that he was also the other screwballs who signed on. Whoa. Maybe I’ve been too skeptical of Multiple Personality Disorder…
---
### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/15 "2000-01-07T19:43:00Z")
I can proudly say as me, that I am none of the above mentioned folks, and that I shouldnt be included in these generalizations.
But I can and will agree that i believe that some individuals are in need of help, but after deeper investigation of MR FORMERAGENTS claims, I have been awestruck at some of the things I am finding. He may have illusions of grandeur, but his leaking of information seems auspiciously accurate.
So now rather than questioning his writings, we should question what would make a person in a position to know such things, go over the edge per se. Anyone else here know any secrets they would like to discuss, about any big thing that us mere mortals may want to know?
---
### Author:  [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/16 "2000-01-07T19:55:00Z")
It’s shit like this that makes me absolutely convinced you are a total poser.
* * *
Jodi
_Fiat Justitia_
---
### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/17 "2000-01-07T19:58:00Z")
Jodi, cant you ever get off my fucking back?
I mean for christs sake woman, you are a relentless bitch, i know it, you know it, they all know it. DROP IT.
Go pick on someone else, you are just a conversation killer, and a mean spirited butch.
STOP IT
---
### Author:  [@dlv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlv)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/18 "2000-01-07T20:05:00Z")
jodih, I dare you to pick on one of the administrators instead.
* * *
[Note: Opinions offensive to Christians may have been edited out by **TubaDiva**.]
---
### Author:  [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/19 "2000-01-07T20:07:00Z")
Can’t really blame Jodi on this one Mikey. Post anywhere else about anything else, do it consistently, and I doubt anyone on this board will have an issue with you. I certainly wouldn’t. However, if you do nothing to separate yourself from either the pit or the debacle known as formeragent, you will never hear the end of it.
It’s not that hard of a solution.
* * *
Well, shut my mouth. It’s also illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026/20 "2000-01-07T20:08:00Z")
Deal, good idea too.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-psychosis-be-diagnosed-from-bb-posts/4026.md?page=2)