Board member. You can read more about her on our Team page. Jack arrived at my office looking like the Hollywood version of a science professor. He was in his late 40s, with slightly unruly, longish hair, a buttoned-up shirt with a pen in the pocket, jeans, and well-made leather shoes. I asked for his level of education and he told me that he had a PhD in engineering. Department of Defense contractor. The contractor that had suspended him was paying for his therapy sessions with me and with his psychiatrist.
Jack not his real name talked about his passion for technology-related projects, and the discussion was fascinating—and plausible—until he told me that he believed the U.
When I asked Jack what made him believe the government was tracking or surveilling him, he said a government official, who had taken a liking to him, had leaked it to him. The year was , and I was fresh out of graduate school in the first months of my job as a psychotherapist. Still, where did the facts end and the fantasies begin?
The U. Within a month of his intake, Jack was on antipsychotic medication and said he no longer felt so tormented. He did continue to believe that he was being watched, however. While on medication, he described the alleged monitoring as an unpleasant, but not unbearable aspect of working in a highly classified environment. Jack was a good man, an intelligent man who was often so tormented that he wanted to die, and who never rose above discomfort.
My heart hurt for him. They include people from all walks of life—doctors, lawyers, engineers, military service personnel, artists, housewives—potentially anyone. In the past couple of decades, many have found solace and solidarity by sharing their stories in online support and chat groups. Others blame aliens, strangers, or any number of other sinister culprits. Despite the significant number of TIs, there are few substantive studies on the subject. Those that have been done conclude that TIs are most likely paranoid, delusional, psychotic.
