> He stopped answering my calls and moved around so much I have no idea where he is now, or if he's even still alive. I'm sorry to hear this; I have a friend i

> He stopped answering my calls and moved around so much I have no idea where he is now, or if he's even still alive. I'm sorry to hear this; I have a friend in a similar situation. I met my friend thru work, as a fellow SWE. An absolutely brilliant person. He had his quirks, and freely shared his past interesting experiences that indicated there were some former issues, but overall very likeable and friendly to be around. We hung out, we started doing some interesting robotics projects. Then things fell apart for him. He lost his girlfriend, he started having automobile accidents, we watched him literally walk into a wall at work. He started to sleep under his desk. He soon decided to quit his job. I kept in touch with him still; all signs pointed to him being bipolar/schizophrenic - and likely had always been, but his medication either wasn't working, or he wasn't taking it correctly, or something. One day he came over to my house in an old (but well kept) conversion van; extremely custom. He told me he was going to camp in the van, etc. He told me about hearing voices. He told me that he could "stop time". He ended up giving me a watch. Then after staying with my wife and I overnight, he left the next morning. I haven't seen him since, and that was over 5 years ago. But the story has a happy - or maybe bittersweet? - ending; and I hope you are able to have such a resolution yourself. My wife and I still noticed that someone updated my friend's facebook page; it was the only contact we had of his that still worked. Every now and then, I'd post a comment to his page, or send him a message, letting him know I was still out here for him. I didn't hear anything. Late last year he got in contact with me again. I was so worried that he had died or was homeless or something, somewhere - wherever the van broke down or what - I didn't know. Then out of the blue, there he was again. Sorta. At least a contact. I let him know both my wife and I were there for him if he needed anything. He said he had got his meds under control, and while the voices still spoke, they said nice things now. So I guess that's an improvement. At least I know he's still alive, and making some progress, whatever that is. I hope you're able to reconnect with your friend, too - or at least have some kind of closure, even if it isn't what you wanted to hear. Sometimes that better than not knowing at all.