Originally Posted by
Sanlmar
Reprinted with The Shrink's expressed permission. The Shrink is god.
I was noodling around with Micon's noodle and turned to PFA's resident mental health professional for input.
DIAGNOSIS PLEASE
Hey buddy,
Yeah, I've been pretty busy lately but I'll be back soon. I've been following the whole Micon thing and all I can say is wow. I feel your frustration in hearing Druff et al.'s tedious analysis of the legalities and justice/injustice of the debacle. That's not what we want to hear. We want hot takes like the one Drexel offered a couple of weeks ago on radio. I mean, these guys knew Micon fairly intimately so they can offer some incredible insight into what this guy might be going through.
And as you note, his current turmoil or lack thereof is going to be moderated by any kind of psychological issues he might have. The idea of a dissociative disorder is interesting but probably not quite right ("dissociative identity disorder" AKA: multiple personality disorder falls into that category).
I'm thinking probably a cluster B personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder has some dissociative characteristics to it but I don't think that describes him well. Keep in mind, I don't really know him - I can only piece together a psychological profile from years of listening to him on DonkDown and what others say/write about him. I've only met the guy for an hour at the poker table - coincidentally it was about a year before his exodus and the first thing he said to me after I introduced myself was "Have you ever tried Seals With Clubs?" Haha.
No, I'm definitely thinking narcissistic personality disorder. Now, of course poker players trade in narcissism. And I might even argue that any poker player worth his weight in salt needs a healthy dose of exaggerated sense of self-importance to succeed; but there's being narcissistic and then there's being a full blown narcissist that makes it a disorder (at least according to the DSM!).
Here are the DSM-5 criteria and you can just check each box for our favourite Antiguan bitcoin lord:
A. Significant impairments in personality functioning manifested by:
1. Impairments in self functioning (a or b):
a. Identity: Excessive reference to others for self-definition and self-esteem regulation; exaggerated self-appraisal may be inflated or deflated, or vacillate between extremes; emotional regulation mirrors fluctuations in self-esteem.
b. Self-direction: Goal-setting is based on gaining approval from others; personal standards are unreasonably high in order to see oneself as exceptional, or too low based on a sense of entitlement; often unaware of own motivations.
AND
2. Impairments in interpersonal functioning (a or b):
a. Empathy: Impaired ability to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others; excessively attuned to reactions of others, but only if perceived as relevant to self; over- or underestimate of own effect on others.
b. Intimacy: Relationships largely superficial and exist to serve self-esteem regulation; mutuality constrained by little genuine interest in others' experiences and predominance of a need for personal gain
B. Pathological personality traits in the following domain:
Antagonism, characterized by:
a. Grandiosity: Feelings of entitlement, either overt or covert; self-centeredness; firmly holding to the belief that one is better than others; condescending toward others.
b. Attention seeking: Excessive attempts to attract and be the focus of the attention of others; admiration seeking.
----
I mean, the grandiosity and attention-seeking are Micon hallmarks and, as I see it, characteristics that dominate his personality that have led to his current predicament. What did Drexel say on radio? "Micon always wanted to be big time. Well, now he's big time."
That's the scary thing, his actions and their consequences might actually reinforce his narcissistic personality so it becomes a vicious cycle. Scary stuff.
DISCLAIMER: This diagnosis is tentative and based on circumstantial information. Please consult your local Antiguan mental health professional for proper psychiatric care.
