Photos of a rental unit that was left in disarray are currently drawing a lot of attention on the internet.
A post in Reddit's "Mildly Infuriating" forum has been upvoted over 22,000 times and includes over 2,000 comments after a woman posted that her now ex-boyfriend destroyed her home.
"Definitely not the way I saw it last," she said in the title of the thread, which was accompanied by 17 photos of garbage strewn about, empty bottles and cans, broken light fixtures, cigarette packs on the floor, and many mysterious notes.
The majority of the notes, written in pen on paper, alluded to the man—whose identity or background were never revealed—calling himself a supernatural being.
"The truth is I am a god of the matrix which is life, the world, and planet earth," read one note that was taped to a wall.
Another note contained multiple references to the supernatural, with the man writing, "Everyone on Earth is an electric god. You all have the power." It also warned not to believe the "bold gods" and that "the god on Earth is not on your side."
The individual, who owned or paid for the rental and created the thread, goes by the username Echoplexical and posted that the last time she checked on the unit was "about a month prior" to her ex's arrest. A friend of the man, who had visited, "saw nothing close to what damage unfolded."
"I left in November but had friends he didn't associate with me check in, last one was around a month before he was arrested for the separate criminal 2nd degree burglary," the poster wrote. "Friend was worried about my pet still in the apartment and was let in. Friend said that apartment wasn't looking tidy but definitely wasn't near the state I had found it."
She added that her Rankin's dragon was alive, "but had been doused in some sort of cologne." Her pet is reportedly OK and is now being looked after.
One user called the scene "full blown psychosis" while others alluded to potential issues related to addiction or schizophrenia. Some described having similar conditions or knowing those who have them, and how medication—or the lack of—could potentially lead to situations such as these.
The Mayo Clinic defines schizophrenia as "a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally." It occurs in a combination of hallucinations, delusions, and "extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impairs daily functioning" and usually requires lifelong treatment.
"The 'electronic God' is a tell-tale sign of schizophrenia," one user commented. "I watched a girl descend into schizophrenia in her late 20s. Was terrifying to watch. She was the graduation speaker and an amazing student and really nice. Then she just broke. That's when I learned it's really common for them to believe their thoughts are electronic and being broadcast to the world."
The original poster admitted she realized something was wrong with her ex when "he attempted to convince me that rent wasn't real and it's just a matrix," saying even she began to doubt her own sanity.
The Pew Research Center, according to most recent data compiled in 2019 before the pandemic, reported that about 36 percent of the nation's 122.8 million households in 2019 were rented and tended to favor groups with certain demographics, including young people, racial and ethnic minorities, and lower-income individuals and families. That data was nearly identical to a report that Pew published back in 2017.
While there are no current annual studies on the amount landlords spend repairing damage caused by renters, the website Dream Home Inspection imagines the number is "high."
"Considering the amount of renters in the U.S., even just 13 percent of broken or damaged kitchen items translates to 5,590,000 rental properties that someone will have to fix," the website said.
When asked if she was OK, the poster said a police officer escorted her to the property so she could serve her ex with an order of protection. However, it didn't happen that way.
"Instead I got a call letting me know my ofp (order of protection) had been served to him upon his arrest the previous morning where he was found breaking into a mansion nearby and smashing, destroying property/things," she said. "So I did end up having to break my lease early due to domestic violence and the threats he left. I just couldn't be around that."
Now, she's just trying to move on with her life and wrote: "I fled my own apartment before his mental health issues deteriorated any common sense, I'm just trying to navigate having to completely restart."
Newsweek reached out to the poster for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek reporter based in Michigan. His focus is reporting on Ukraine and Russia, along with social ... Read more
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