Man in Georgia guns down his co-workers husband at daycare

@celticeagle (166970)
Boise, Idaho
February 23, 2012 8:49pm CST
This guy is on trial right now. His defense is that he is bi-polar. I live with two bi-polar people and lived with a bi-polar husband for several years. One of the common happenings in this disorder is that they get on the right medication and start feeling better and no longer feel they need the medication. Going off of the meds will bring on a manic phase. In listening to the doctors and psychiatrists on Dr.Drew(HLN)they seem to think he is putting on. My argument is that the manic phases come less often with the correct medication but it still happens. And he could have been going through one. I doubt it but he could have. Any thoughts on this? http://hosted2.ap.org/CAVAN/7d8cc182f2be4ace870269f44557ee9a/Article_2012-02-21-Shooting%20Outside%20Preschool/id-5bf8e285e90a4925aff6437988d81cbc
1 person likes this
6 responses
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
24 Feb 12
Based on my friends who are bi polar and others I would say that bi polar affects many different people differently. Do I think this is why he gunned someone down, no, not really, but he may think it is a good excuse.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (166970)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Feb 12
I agree. In listening to this program tonight the docs talking about the disorder it brought alot of things to mind. I have about 55 years all total of experience living with these type people. I guess the point I was trying to make is that bi-polar disorder is handled with meds but you can go from high to low real quickly. And he could of a manic phase. Always curious about what really happened.
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@MandaLee (3764)
• United States
27 Feb 12
Several of my friends have bi-polar. Medication helps the condition. However, I doubt the jury will buy the defense. Is the trial being carried by trutv?
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@celticeagle (166970)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Feb 12
Ya, it's surprisingly common. I don't know if they will carry the trial on Trutv or not. I heard about it on HLN.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
24 Feb 12
My brother's girlfriend's sister (can you follow all that?) was taken off her meds by some Dr. that thought she could go without it. She showed up at her ex-boyfriend's place of employment with a knife and luckily he was able to wrestle the knife away from her. He did end up cut, but not stabbed and that was an improvement over what could have happened. She went to jail. The charges were lessened from attempted murder to assault (they even dropped the weapon part of it). She's under court order to take her meds for a year and to be on probation where she checks in with an officer 3xs a week.After the year is up, she's supposed to go see a judge again. She has the same diagnosis. Why the Dr. was such an idiot as to tell her she could go without her meds, I don't know.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
25 Feb 12
My thought: it's possible, but is it a defense?
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@celticeagle (166970)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Feb 12
Not really. It's like the insanity plea.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
24 Feb 12
I think the fact that a possible affair might raise some questions about his intentions and ability to determine right from wrong. Seems like there were some weird phone calls that throw a flag for me as well. I haven't got a lot of experience with anyone who is bi-polar, but I read the manic periods can be rough. Too much medicine can cause the manic phase too can't it? I saw that they said he had a delusional disorder too..makes me wonder about schizophrenia, but I know there are other disorders than that. Interesting to see how this turns out and what they find.
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@celticeagle (166970)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Feb 12
I do have a lot of experience with bi-polar and I think in a manic/ fast cycling situation it could give almost the same outlay of emotion. Delusional disorder added to this other could have done it. And how can the authorities know for sure that he didn't have a manic episode worsened by the dillusional aspect. Who knows!
• United States
24 Feb 12
The other issue that I'm not seeing brought up are there are different types of bi-polar disorder. Each have certain characteristics, but not all can be explained. And while I buy that people often go off their meds because they feel good, it is also a trait of bi-polar to thnk they don't need it. Another thing is after a while of being on a medication it is not uncommon for the medication to just stop being therapeutic. While I don't know everything, my husband has bi- polar disorder and I've lived with him over 8 years. Many times people with bi-polar are more danger to themselves, not others.
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@celticeagle (166970)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Feb 12
Yes, there is about six. It is a very complex disorder. Luckily there is alot of info and sites out there. Some cycle continuously and some don;t. Some are extreme and some aren't. In mydaughters case her meds are changed occasionally because they do stop being therapeutic. My daughter has it and she is 40. My granddaughter is 20 and she also has it. So I have had alot of experience with it. If a man is cycling fast and he is angry he can be very dangerous to others. My granddaughter has been physical with me.