I’m a reader, not an expert, so take this with a grain of salt. While I think you are absolutely correct, I’m sticking to suspicion.

I suspect Anaryl was bullied and may be still being bullied. If so, what he’s really doing here, is expressing rage he cannot express in real life, because he is terrified of his bullies. He is angry at you, Mr. Silvercloud, for three reasons. One, you can take care of yourself and Anaryl cannot. Two, Anaryl is either dependent on abusive people (for housing, food, money), or he is so ashamed he can’t bring himself to seek help (which would require him to tell someone what’s happened to him and how it made him feel). Three, Anaryl is a ticking time bomb, he knows he’s in mental and emotional trouble and is terrified of himself (and the emotions inside of him).

From my perspective, the 1970s pop-psychology trend morphed into a movement that revolves around self-analysis, self-diagnosis, self-help, self-improvement, self, self, self. Like mass-hysteria, with no physical cause whatsoever, people in the movement started developing inexplicable symptoms (strange feelings and uncontrollable behaviors). Along came the internet and these people started using it like a textbook, reading columns, papers, articles etc. then using the information to diagnose themselves, and other people.

I call the current phase of this bizarre movement, the Munchausen Culture – and I mean that literally. Too many people are diagnosing themselves then self-treating. Next thing you know, these people expect society to treat them like they’re really sick. Misery loves company – right? Well, it isn’t long before the same people start diagnosing other people with one mental illness or another. Round and round they go, from Munchausen to Munchausen by Proxy, getting dizzier and dizzier, with little hope of escape.

Medium has quite a few writers inside this culture and I suspect Anaryl is as well. I suspect Anaryl diagnosed himself with some imaginary bullied syndrome. By attacking you, from a safe place, he’s practicing his self-designed-treatment plan, of standing up to bullies. Again, I suspect Anaryl is a ticking time bomb – if he does not get professional help soon, he’s likely to explode. If Medium reports him to the proper authorities, he might get the help he needs.

In the meantime, I hope more people start pushing back the way you did here. If people think they are mentally ill, they need to make an appointment with a frigging psychiatrist – not spend all day on-line playing doctor - and diagnosing strangers.

Anyways that’s my two cents for the morning.

PS. I am perfectly aware that everything I just wrote is symptomatic – and that’s the reason, I think people have remained quiet about it.