Regarding the runaway bride from Georgia...

[Minnie824]

Do you think her fiance should/will still marry her. I don't think he should....I mean, if she's 32 and pulls an immature stunt like this, theres more to it than just jitters, shes not a child. I think she has some major issues, and this was a good break for the poor guy to get out now while he can. Just my opinion. BUT, I think they'll still get married.

 

[Hillbeans]

Well, it's sounding more and more as if she planned this whole disappearance about a week in advance (bus ticket and money she had hidden somewhere) so if that's the case, i'd say Heck no.

How someone can do that to their family, Fiance and friends is just beyond me. If she left a note and said she couldn't take it anymore i'd be a lot more forgiving because she then wouldn't have had everyone in her town out looking in the woods and swamp for her.

 

[ncgolfer]

This guy got threw the biggest bone that anyone could ever get when she ran off. He got to find out that she was psycho before he married rather than waiting until after he married her. The poor rest of us men don't find out until after were married about how crazy our ladies are.

 

[Chicago526]

I still can't believe she put her parents through this!

I guess it depends on what REALLY happened. If this is a symptom of some kind of mental problem or disorder and was just a cry for help, then I guess I could see him sticking by her. If it was just due to her being a spoiled brat, then I wouldn't blame him a bit for dumping her. The truth is most likely something in between these two reasons, so I'm not really sure what he should do. Poor guy!

 

[grinningghost]

Interesting twist on local talk radio today:

A guy called in to suggest that the husband was in on the whole thing. That together, they planned all this in order to capture their 15 minutes of fame.

He said he expects them to get married on Oprah's show, complete with free honeymoon, book deal, etc.

Anyone agree this could be possible?

 

[minkydog]

There has been a lot of speculation about this woman, her maturity, etc, but not much said about her mental health, other than in a derogatory fashion (ie "she's a nut.") But what occurs to me is that no one seems to be taking seriously the idea that perhaps she has a bona fide mental illness. People with mental illness are perfectly capable of making elaborate plans and carrying them out, even if the plans don't make sense. Someone who is experiencing a psychosis state, like mania, might do exactly what she did and not think it was unusual at the time. Psychosis would also explain why she made up her story--mental illness doesn't make you stupid, but it profoundly affects your judgement.

I hope she gets the medical help she needs (mental illness is as much a medical problem as a mental problem) and I hope her fiance sticks it out with her. If she ever needed her family, it's now, when everyone else is turning away. Mental illness isn't pretty and most people are not very understanding about the anguish it puts a family through.

Cathy--mom to a kid with bipolar disorder. If you haven't seen your kid swinging from the chandeliers, you don't know what crazy is...

 

[Trish Bessette]

All I can say is that I hope this guy takes a good look at the entire situation before making any drastic life altering change. I would not be comfortable going through with the marriage.

 

[Buckalew11]

Without knowing more facts, I just can't give an answer to this question.

 

[Figment]

My advice to the groom? Run Forrest, run!!!

 

[CajunDixie]

Here we go again. People that know nothing of the situation putting all the blame on one person. Did it occur to any of you that maybe her boyfriend might be controlling or abusive? How many times have we read on the DIS about women that have ex-boyfriends or ex-husbands that fooled their own families into thinking they were great when in reality they were terrifying their wife/girlfriend? Maybe she has a mental problem. Maybe she had a breakdown due to all the pressure of such a huge wedding. Think about a wedding that has 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen and 600 guests. Think of all the pressure she was under trying to please everyone. And how many of us have complained about our M-I-Ls?
I just don't see how any of us can judge her and what she did without knowing why she did it.

 

[Rozzie]

Here we go again. People that know nothing of the situation putting all the blame on one person. Did it occur to any of you that maybe her boyfriend might be controlling or abusive? How many times have we read on the DIS about women that have ex-boyfriends or ex-husbands that fooled their own families into thinking they were great when in reality they were terrifying their wife/girlfriend? Maybe she has a mental problem. Maybe she had a breakdown due to all the pressure of such a huge wedding. Think about a wedding that has 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen and 600 guests. Think of all the pressure she was under trying to please everyone. And how many of us have complained about our M-I-Ls?
I just don't see how any of us can judge her and what she did without knowing why she did it.

I was actually thinking the same thing when I first heard the truth....this guy might be a prince charming, but you never know what goes behind closed doors...the way she did it makes me think she just might have had a nervous breakdown--- has anyone heard, did she buy the ticket that day, or before hand? the whole story is so bizarre...

 

[siouxi31]

I feel sorry for her, her family, friends and the fiancee. I think she needs some time and space to be able to gather her thoughts to figure out why she did this. I have mental moments too of making stupid choices but they aren't nationally publicized (thank god).

 

[HollyJoy]

It's so easy to speculate what happened, and wonder how she could do this to her family... I"ve thought that myself. I've thought to myself, that anyone in their right mind WOULDN'T do this. Leads me to believe that she isn't in her right mind. I just hope that she gets help.

 

[CheshireVal]

has anyone heard, did she buy the ticket that day, or before hand? the whole story is so bizarre...

I heard she bought the ticket a week beforehand.

 

[pamlet]

There has been a lot of speculation about this woman, her maturity, etc, but not much said about her mental health, other than in a derogatory fashion (ie "she's a nut.") But what occurs to me is that no one seems to be taking seriously the idea that perhaps she has a bona fide mental illness. People with mental illness are perfectly capable of making elaborate plans and carrying them out, even if the plans don't make sense. Someone who is experiencing a psychosis state, like mania, might do exactly what she did and not think it was unusual at the time. Psychosis would also explain why she made up her story--mental illness doesn't make you stupid, but it profoundly affects your judgement.

I hope she gets the medical help she needs (mental illness is as much a medical problem as a mental problem) and I hope her fiance sticks it out with her. If she ever needed her family, it's now, when everyone else is turning away. Mental illness isn't pretty and most people are not very understanding about the anguish it puts a family through.

Cathy--mom to a kid with bipolar disorder. If you haven't seen your kid swinging from the chandeliers, you don't know what crazy is...

I'm in total agreement with you Minkydog! And really I think that some mental illness doesn't truly show itself until something outrageous happens. I had a relative that pulled a crazy stunt... and prior to that everyone just thought him a little "different" but not mentally ill. I think what happened here was that the media grabbed it - and the whole world knows about it!

What I don't understand it the VERY high emotional comments to "hang her high"... sheesh....

I saw a woman who owns a beauty shop in her town on television - she was really spinning out about it... very weird...

 

[mrsltg]

If I were the fiance, I would say, "Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of your life." Maybe she has a mental illness. Maybe he beat her. Maybe planning the wedding was just too much. Maybe she's a manipulative beast who doesn't care about who she hurts as long as she gets what she wants. I'm not her, I don't know. I do know that anyone who could subject their family to four days of unmitigated torture is really special.

Erin

 

[browneyes]

I think they'd both be better off without the other one.

 

[minkydog]

I'm in total agreement with you Minkydog! And really I think that some mental illness doesn't truly show itself until something outrageous happens. I had a relative that pulled a crazy stunt... and prior to that everyone just thought him a little "different" but not mentally ill. I think what happened here was that the media grabbed it - and the whole world knows about it!

What I don't understand it the VERY high emotional comments to "hang her high"... sheesh....

I saw a woman who owns a beauty shop in her town on television - she was really spinning out about it... very weird...

We have a saying about this kind of thing at our house--"they just don't have enough handicapped kids." It's easy to sit by and pass judgemnt on others when you don't understand their situation. Having witnessed first hand a young adult in mania free-fall I can believe just about anything now. Up until his first break, he never seemed like the type. Everyone was shocked at his behavior and we heard a lot of "advice" through the grapevine (you sure find out who your friends are!) Since then he has had three other episodes, not as severe but definitely manic.

 

[Hillbeans]

We have a saying about this kind of thing at our house--"they just don't have enough handicapped kids." It's easy to sit by and pass judgemnt on others when you don't understand their situation. Having witnessed first hand a young adult in mania free-fall I can believe just about anything now. Up until his first break, he never seemed like the type. Everyone was shocked at his behavior and we heard a lot of "advice" through the grapevine (you sure find out who your friends are!) Since then he has had three other episodes, not as severe but definitely manic.

Minkydog - while I understand where you are coming from with the above, aren't you also judging her when you don't know her either? Just as you say we shouldn't say she's X,Y, and Z because we don't know her, you shouldn't assume she's mentally ill.

Whatever the deal is with her, I do hope she finds peace and closure of some kind to this whole episode. I still stand by my feelings that I do feel terrible for her family, for being put through hell thinking their child was kidnapped, murdered, ???.

 

[pamlet]

We have a saying about this kind of thing at our house--"they just don't have enough handicapped kids." It's easy to sit by and pass judgemnt on others when you don't understand their situation. Having witnessed first hand a young adult in mania free-fall I can believe just about anything now. Up until his first break, he never seemed like the type. Everyone was shocked at his behavior and we heard a lot of "advice" through the grapevine (you sure find out who your friends are!) Since then he has had three other episodes, not as severe but definitely manic.

Yep - I know - I also knew a "then" young man in college who went through a manic break like that.. he was very promising.. under a LOT of pressure. He did get help and came back. Everyone in the school (it was pretty small and close) was somewhat aware that something happened, and thankfully there was a LOT of compassion. He was the very first one I thought of when I heard about this. It's really sad, and if she does have mental illness I pray that those around her will get her the help!