Okay, I think I get the drift, Sandilou, JPP221, barbiedoll, ti-pite. Whoa, guys, I did say, "Not an excuse, of course, but part of the explanation."  Well, maybe if he had just acted...hmm,  helpless and hapless, you'd all feel a little more --what's the word--sympathetic?  

Mental illness is often destructive--and not just for the person suffering the ailment. Families, friends, suffer too--especially, as Sandilou suggests, the one who is sick is a "narcissistic sociopath."  Anyway, very interested in your reactions.  Let's hope we all stay on the sane side, hmm?