Ted Kaczynski....the Unabomber dies

[ladypanther]

What a fascinating but terribly tragic story.  First of all, so tragic for his victims.  But also tragic that such a brilliant mind was taken by mental illness.  If not for the tremendous courage and sense of moral duty by his brother, who knows how many more would have been hurt.

[LinvilleGorge]

The experiments he was subjected to at Harvard are interesting. Gotta wonder what role they may have played in what he ultimately became.

Interestingly enough, my wife's uncle was a geologist and lived in the same small Montana town. He knew Ted. No one really paid him any mind in town. He was just kinda the crazy town hermit that didn't really bother anything so whatever. He pretty much only came into town to go to the library.

[Shocker]

Total coward.  Glad he is dead

[NanuqoftheNorth]

Sadly, our society has way too many people wandering the streets these days contending with an untreated mental illness.  Ted was only one of millions.

As LP mentioned, we are all fortunate that Ted's brother put the safety of his fellow citizens ahead of his brother's continued freedom.   Otherwise, chances are good that more innocent lives would have been destroyed.

The following are the latest statistics available from the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health:

• Mental health disorders account for several of the top causes of disability in established market economies, such as the U.S., worldwide, and include: major depression (also called clinical depression), manic depression (also called bipolar disorder), schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older -- about 1 in 4 adults -- suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

• Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. In particular, depressive illnesses tend to co-occur with substance use and anxiety disorders.

• Approximately 9.5% of American adults ages 18 and over, will suffer from a depressive illness (major depression, bipolar disorder, or dysthymia) each year.

• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics

• Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime. Crisis Text Line is here for any crisis. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from our secure online platform. The volunteer Crisis Counselor will help you move from a hot moment to a cool moment.

• https://www.crisistextline.org/

[KatsAzz]

Ted Kaczynski’s belief in his own sanity went all the way back to his 1996 trial when his lawyers attempted to enter an insanity defense, but he rejected the plea. At one point, Kaczynski requested that he be allowed to represent himself on the grounds that his lawyers thought he was mentally ill.

Although Kaczynski’s case is an extreme example, the reason behind his lack of insight into his illness is actually quite common amongst people with severe mental illness.

Approximately half of all people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder do not realize they are sick - a condition called anosognosia.

Anosognosia, meaning “unawareness of illness,” is a syndrome resulting from anatomical damage to the brain and is the single largest reason behind why some individuals suffering with severe mental illness do not take their prescribed medications. Those affected believe there is nothing wrong with them, even though it is often obvious to those around them.

The brains of people who have and do not have anosognosia are different, which is why some people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are fully aware of their illness while other people with the conditions are not.