<p>NSM, I had a friend who had a similar breakdown, although she was closer to 30. She had an extemely normal life, college experience, great job, etc. And then one day flipped out.
She was diagnosed as bi-polar and is on medication and as far as I know, has not had any “episodes” since. </p>
<p>I really do hope this woman gets help. But I couldn’t help but laugh at the diaper scenario.</p>
<p>Now charged with first degree murder and is out on $25k bail? (I know hundreds of defendants who would love to have her lawyer!) </p>
<p>I think it was caused by the stress of all that psychological testing.</p>
<p>Bail is not intended to punish. The purpose of bail is to ensure the accused shows up for trial. She’s not going anywhere with all this notoriety, so the dollar figure on her bail is inconsequential. </p>
<p>If she is spotted in the adult diaper aisle, stocking up on Depends, then the authorities might suspect she’s getting ready to flee. Otherwise, I think she’s likely staying put.</p>
<p>You would think that her first impulse would be to get a flight to Orlando, wouldn’t it? She could have put all of her kidnapping stuff in check in luggage. Wouldn’t a pilot be the one most likey to fly instead of drive??</p>
<p>Kathiep,
The reasoning in your post is more evidence that she has a mental health problem. What she did simply didn’t make sense. Seems like the kind of reasoning that a person would do who is manic or psychotic.</p>
<p>Maybe I’ve watched too much CSI, but perhaps the fact that she drove showed that she was rational and capable of planning–no ID shown, no record, paid cash and false ID at motel and if she had been successful at whatever her intent was–a higher chance of getting away with it.</p>
<p>From Salon:</p>
<p>Headlines: There’s nothing really new today in the case of Lisa Marie Nowak, the astronaut who went on a 900-mile mission, wearing diapers so she wouldn’t have to stop, in an alleged plot to kidnap and kill a female Air Force captain she saw as a rival to her great love, fellow astronaut Bill Oefelein. But that hasn’t kept quippy copy editors from having a field day, sampled below. </p>
<p>“Astronaut’s Life Took Swift Nosedive” </p>
<p>“Astro-nut’s Fixation Out of This World” </p>
<p>“Space Traveler’s Odyssey Mystifies” </p>
<p>“Lust in Space: ‘Robochick’ Planned to Whack Young Rival for Fellow Astro’s Love: Cops” </p>
<p>“Moonstruck Astronaut’s Mission Improbable to Murder Her Rival” </p>
<p>“Dark Side of the Loon”</p>
<p>Wow, Lust in Space and Dark Side of the Loon.</p>
<p>Yep exactly. Missed last nights Leno, but I bet he had a “field day”…</p>
<p>Houston, we have a problem…</p>
<p>“Maybe I’ve watched too much CSI, but perhaps the fact that she drove showed that she was rational and capable of planning–no ID shown, no record, paid cash and false ID at motel and if she had been successful at whatever her intent was–a higher chance of getting away with it”</p>
<p>One can be psychotic and/or manic and still capable of planning. Indeed, people who are in the euphoric highs of mania can sound so reasonable that they attract normally smart investors to their projects.</p>
<p>When it comes to psychosis think about the guy who killed John Lennon. He was psychotic, but still could plan. </p>
<p>As for Nowak, her whole plan seems crazy. Driving 1,000 miles without stopping to use the bathroom sounds like what someone who is in mania would do: Too impatient to even use the bathroom. That’s what sounds like manic behavior. Most people, even athletes, wouldn’t have that kind of energy to drive constantly while presumably only stopping to get gas.</p>
<p>After curmudgeon’s comment I have to wonder if she wore the same diaper the whole way, or did she change it at gas stops?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have done an enhanced photographic study of the wild haired :eek: pictures of our hero shown on the news, and have been able to determine that for part of the trip she wore it on her head.</p>
<p>And as far as long distance driving, I have done 900 miles by car a few times in my life with nothing but gas stops. Heck, I’ve done 770 on a motorcycle straight through tank to tank. You just have to get going real fast and be able to control the hallucinations. ;)</p>
<p>
:eek: :eek: um, were you wearing a diaper??</p>
<p>Nope. The last straight through solo driver long drive was from Central Texas to Telluride, Colorado. That was a bear.</p>
<p>
or perhaps a camel.</p>
<p>“Let’s see, this particular area of Houston has provided Andrea Yates, Clara Harris (who drove back and forth over her cheating husband), and now Lisa Nowak. Come to think of it, the Texas Cheerleading Mom lived near there, too.”</p>
<p>Yeppers…they all live in Clear Lake or near the Ship Channel. I agree with fendrock…I think there’s something in the water over there…lol!</p>
<p>“I don’t think that what we’re hearing about indicates a problem of the heart. Something now is not right in her head. While rare, it does happen that sometimes at midlife people have psychotic breaks or bi-polar experiences”</p>
<p>I agree with you, Northstarmom, and for all the same reasons. This sounds like some kind of psychotic fugue to me. It’s such a grandiose, bizarre, unrealistic plan, such a wild deviation from her stable and successful life – something’s broken.</p>
<p>I think she had just been told she was to be part of the first colony to settle Mars, so she needed the opportunity to practice the new ethical constructs.</p>
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</p>
<p>Ahm. Er. That’s the way I’ve always done long trips. I mean, I do use the bathroom when I get gas. I’m really not into diapers. But I really enjoy 1,000 mile plus drives, and do them fairly frequently. My longest single trip without stopping to sleep was from Charleston, WV to Grand Junction, CO.</p>
<p>Don’t think I’m manic though ;-).</p>