| We all go nuts sometimes. Even someone as | | | | 2. Stay the hell away. When a person goes |
| sublimely well balanced as myself goes off the | | | | beserk, it can last a few days. During that time he |
| deep end once in a while. | | | | will be manically obsessing about whatever insult |
| When this happens, the bizarre behavior of the | | | | or injury they perceived to have happened. He is |
| suddenly wacko can bring damage to themselves, | | | | not negotiable yet; don't even try unless your idea |
| their business relationships, and yes, even their | | | | of fun is bashing your head repeatedly into |
| furniture. | | | | masonry. |
| Why do we go bananas? Sometimes we allow | | | | 3. Watch (from under the desk if necessary) for |
| frustrations to accumulate without releases such | | | | the real person to return. After such an intense |
| as "talking it through", physical activity or | | | | outpouring, Dr. Jekyll will crash from exhaustion. |
| masturbation until we boil over. | | | | When he emerges, he might be in the sheepish, |
| Sometimes a situation pushes a button in our | | | | "What happened?" mode. That is the time for |
| psyche which releases a gusher of emotion | | | | love and support. Try saying, "Wow, you really |
| stored from long-ago pain. This eruption can come | | | | went through something there, didn't you?" If he |
| seemingly from nowhere and usually scares the | | | | says something normal, like "yes", you are making |
| piss out of everyone in range including the eruptor | | | | progress. If he snarls or throws his mouse at you, |
| himself. | | | | revert to #2 above. |
| At Evanston(IL) Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry, | | | | 4. Have some sympathy. Remember, you have |
| where I spent a six month internship bringing | | | | gone daffy yourself. Remember what it was like. |
| better mental health to scores of afflicted | | | | It came from pain, didn't it? That's what happened |
| suburbanites, it was openly discussed that more | | | | to your psycho, he had a tsunami of pain. |
| people would flip out during the full moon. I believe | | | | Remembering this will help you be sympathetic. |
| the term they used was "we have more patients | | | | You might need this help if el loco stabbed you in |
| in crisis". Is this human response to the 28 day | | | | the eye yesterday with a letter opener. |
| lunar cycle the etymology of "looney"? | | | | 5. Let him talk and offer only gentle guidance. If a |
| Perhaps not so coincidently, another 28 day cycle | | | | person talks enough, he will eventually realize that |
| which can bring occasional bouts of wackiness is | | | | they got "out of line", but he will need some |
| the so-called female cycle, which is not to be | | | | space in order to realize this. If you offer this |
| confused with a Vespa motor scooter. This | | | | insight yourself, especially too early, you might get |
| caused some UFO theorists to opine that women | | | | your hand stapled to your ear. |
| might actually be aliens not from Venus as | | | | 6. Listening is key. Here's how you do it: Look into |
| originally believed, but rather from the Moon, | | | | the person's eyes with a slightly sad frown. Nod |
| come to disrupt the football games and bank | | | | slowly and knowingly after they say each |
| accounts of men. | | | | sentence. Resist the urge to offer your wonderful |
| Some say that men have a similar cycle - not to | | | | opinion - this part is called "shutting up". Wait until |
| be confused with a Harley Davidson - but men | | | | he stops talking. Count to 10. Then say one |
| are either too complex, or more likely far too | | | | carefully chosen sentence which is either insightful |
| simple and random for a true pattern to emerge. | | | | or encouraging. Repeat until cool. |
| Whatever the reason, when someone you know | | | | 7. To take lunatic handling to the state of the art, |
| goes apeshit, do the following: | | | | try to get him to analyze the triggering event and |
| 1. Get the hell away. People in the throes of a | | | | why it was so extroardinarily evocative. |
| psychotic episode can have superhuman strength. | | | | 8. To really bring it on home, get your nutcase to |
| They experience something similar to the | | | | commit to monitoring his reactions, so that if |
| legendary adrenalin rush which allows animal | | | | another triggering event occurs in the future, he |
| activists to lift cars off pinned-down pussy cats, a | | | | will be ready with a better, more adaptive |
| frequent sight in my neighborhood. Nutcases in full | | | | behavior. This might include removing himself from |
| bloom can easily turn your head all the way | | | | the situation with a planned excuse like, "Pardon |
| around - remember Linda Blair in The Exorcist? - | | | | me but I must leave this meeting unexpectedly |
| by grasping it lightly between thumb and | | | | because my dry cleaning is ready. |
| forefinger. | | | | |