No, it is extremely hard to diagnose correctly and even harder to treat because of their messed up brain chemistry and their disinclination to take meds which often have not nice side effects. Plus they frequently believe your purpose is to poison them.
Mostly, at first interview they seem depressed. You have to spend time with them over a period of time to realize that their physical and mental perceptions are uniquely crazy. They do not experience and percieve the physical world the same as the rest of us.
Thank you again. You are making things so much clearer for me. I suppose it may have done no good after all, even with the correct diagnosis.
Still, I wonder why they were satisfied with the diagnosis of depression. As I understand it (and we know news reports don’t always get it right), he was referred for treatment by the court after at least two female students complained he was stalking them and sending threatening messages. I realize that stalking is hard to verify. Still, someone who is simply depressed doesn’t stalk women and send threatening messages.
True, the counselors might never have been told of his other odd behaviours as observed by his roommates, classmates and professors(like writing on the walls, taking pictures of people during class, having imaginary friends, etc.). And wasn’t there something about setting a dorm room on fire?
I certainly don’t want our country to become like the old USSR where anyone who was odd or politically incorrect could be thrown in the loony bin. Still, I wish there were some way that those who are dangerously mentally ill (like this kid) could be helped or at least somehow contained. I suppose that isn’t really possible.