Hi Providence - nothing to rip apart there. Your post was very thought-provoking...I too don't rely too much on the board for anything beyond help in figuring out this treatment, part of which is getting over myself and trying to 'see' others. Lots of different strong personalities here that can daily rub me the wrong way, but I try to figure out why that is instead of getting too bothered by it. I don't always win that fight, but I'm working on it. I will say for the last time that RR has never bothered me as much as others reactions to him, but c'est la vie...

RV - I loved your letter. I'm sitting here laughing although I don't think that's what you intended by posting it: I never think of myself as a drunken rambling lady but that made me laugh (I don't ever post while drinking but, hey, I still could be called that). It was very caring and good to send. I'm surprised there was no response. For what it's worth, I would also have left the board during the RR bashing had it not been for you reaching out to me. So, yes, your opinion matters.

Firebird --

Excellent point. This guy RR -- who we know for a fact is less than honest -- is the main Wikipedia contributor regarding TSM and naltrexone. Considering that he has openly expressed his own doubts about the efficacy of the treatment and has repeatedly misquoted the success of the studies, this is something that should be watched carefully. Most appropriately, I would think by not only us, but especially by Dr. Sinclair and Dr. Eskapa.

OK, so the Robert Rapplean account is banned. What will keep him from creating a bogus email account with a different name and registering here as a different person? If he's clever (I will NOT say smart), he will not only do that, but he'll tone down his posts and PM's so as not to attract attention. Then he can lurk, observe, and do whatever he pleases, once he becomes accepted by our family here. We will never know it's him.

Of course, there is nothing that can be done about the above scenario without questioning the validity of any new member. I guess what I am alluding to is: I don't think we have seen the last of Robert Rapplean AND; Don't become paranoid and suspect every/any new member may be him in cyber-disguise. But nevertheless be aware of future impostors.

Bob

Well, I don't think this can/will happen. Robert's personality will always come through, even if he tries to hide it. I suspect that personality will always irk some members, and alert even those of us who don't take offense at him that he's baaaa-aa-ak! He's more likely to have someone else come on as his mouthpiece, him being the ventriloquist. . .

I've come to the conclusion that if he really wants to do some good regarding TSM, he'll work independently of this forum, as his presence here - for whatever reason - is merely distracting.

Excellent point, bob. I thought of this myself and it was one reason I was very hesitant to ban. But we can only go on and welcome each new member and judge the value of each post for ourselves, and choose if and how we respond. If RR or anyone goes to the trouble of creating a personna that purports to be doing TSM and writes pretend posts that are informative or thought-provoking, then the joke's on them because we benefit.

I've been asked more than once if I suspect we have anyone on the board who is such a poseur. The answer is, don't know and don't wonder. All two hundred or so of you could be the same guy amusing himself by fashioning characters and posts. Works for me either way.

Any guy who could invent 200 individual characters, and write posts maintaining each distinct persona, reflecting changing moods and circumstances, over the course of a 6 month, mood-altering, life-changing alcohol treatment program . . . well that guy would deserve a gold medal in the creative writing Olympic games! It would be an unparalleled solipsitic feat! Nope, we're for real.

For the record: I never objected to RR's presence on this board when he was here, but I understand why some were irked by his know-it-all tone. And when a person assumes credentials he has not earned, and starts PMing members with misquoted facts and dubious advice, that is crossing the line for sure.

The ban is a good call on Lena's part.

I echo , ditto last post by firebird .
RR did not bother me , in fact I apreciated some of his output .
BUT , the pming and odd discoutesy to RV is quite another thing
seems really out of order to me .

I assume RR, like most of us, work off the same ISP provider most of the time. The administrators here should be able to check IP addresses, and that would tell you if a poster has more than one identity. If you block a banned member's IP b/4 exterminating their info from the board, they won't be able to come on board using the same ISP service.

When a "Roberta" shows up on this board and starts telling people definitively about what to expect on TSM after her first 25 mg pill, we'll know he's back. RR is all about ego. His agenda, above all other motivations he may or may not have, is to show the world his dazzling intellect. If he does reappear, he'll be about as hard to spot as a whore in church.