Booth's Mental health

[Jenny]

Herb, I am sorry you had to deal with a crazy alcoholic father too. I feel for both you and Roseio. And thank you, Eva!

Eva, you raise a great point by posting the modern criteria for alcohol abuse and dependency. What I think is sketchy about "diagnosing" John Willkes Booth with ANYTHING (and this is from someone who admittedly suspects he might have had a form of bipolar disorder) is that it can't be done using modern criteria. I mean, it usually takes *three* or more of what are listed as symptoms to get a diagnosis here and now. And unless we build that time machine, of course, and load up a professional to head back to the 1860s so he/she could observe or speak with JWB himself (provided JWB wanted to cooperate in the first place) to determine if he fit the number criteria for whatever issue, it is simply impossible to diagnose Booth with ANYTHING using modern standards.

Yes, a lot of us recognized traits in what is written about JWB that make us think, "I bet he was an alcoholic or had depression or bipolar disorder or schizophrenia because I recognize symptoms as I read about this man" etc. Despite our suspicions, there is just not enough material on JWB to diagnose him using the criteria doctors use now, no matter how much "research" is done. And we who live in the 21st century are used to the modern criteria which we simply can't use on Booth.

Just something I have been thinking about ever since this thread started. Whether or not he had anything wrong mentally or was abusing alcohol etc. I agree that any issues like those would have simply fuelled his anger and hatred towards the North around the time the war ended, not caused it.

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(07-21-2015 07:34 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Jenny,

You know that we are kindred spirits regarding our thoughts on Booth and Ella Starr. I have always thought she was the one "constant" female in his life at this point - despite the separation that went on not long before the assassination. Other than maybe Isabel Sumner, I don't think he had genuine feelings for any other female besides family -- and that includes Lucy.

We can only speculate, but I would like to think that he spent the night with Ella. On this point, I guess I am a romantic... And, one day, I will torture a certain author until he tells me what her married name was and what happened after she went back to Baltimore!

Haha! I'll bring the cattle prod if you will hold him against the wall! Kidding, kidding! (Sorry, Dr. Alford!)