Let me take a different perspective.
Winston displays the all-too-familiar symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). I know because I have a family member who has BPD, and it is something that can really traumatize family and friends. (Now, I am not a licensed psychiatrist, so don't take this as professional advice. Just a disclaimer.) Many sufferers of BPD have been highly successful people and highly functional in public. Oftentimes, the BPD symptoms will manifest themselves only among family members and close friends (and in this case, the forum).
BPD usually also comes along with other personality disorders and destructive behaviors, so many people only focus on those and don't see the BPD underneath it. Additionally, BPD is not very well-known among the general public.
I'll list some symptoms from
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/tc/b ... r-symptoms ,
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/sympto ... -disorder/ . Note that everyone has some of these traits to some extent or another, just that they are far more severe in people with BPD.
Have a pattern of difficult relationships caused by alternating between extremes of intense admiration and hatred of others.
(A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation.)
This is also known as "splitting." BPD people see the world only in extremes of black and white, good and evil. At first, they might think of someone as a complete angel with absolutely no flaws, and then suddenly "split" and see the person as completely flawed. This is simply how they perceive the world. We see that in threads like
Why I'm tired of living in Angeles City, where to move to?.
Have temporary episodes of feeling suspicious of others without reason (paranoia) or losing a sense of reality.
For instant, we see that in the thread
Outwest's death threats on Winston - What to do?.
Have inappropriate, fierce anger or problems controlling anger. The person may often display temper tantrums or get into physical fights.
See above. Rational argument is practically impossible in people with BPD, since they will get extremely defensive. Arguing with them feels like walking on eggshells.
No matter what others say or do, the person with BPD will twist it and use it against them. However, the person with BPD will feel like that is what the other person is doing to him/her (i.e., projection).
Act impulsively in ways that are self-damaging, such as extravagant spending, frequent and unprotected sex with many partners, substance abuse, binge eating, or reckless driving.
A key characteristic of BPD is the severe lack of impulse control.
Underneath all these symptoms, are a poorly formed self-identity, skewed perception of reality, and intense fear of abandonment. BPD is not something to make fun of. Keep in mind that it causes great misery for the sufferers as well, not only for those around them.
Many more women than men are diagnosed with BPD. One theory for this is that men with BPD end up in jail, while women with BPD end up at the clinic.
This is nothing to be ashamed of. This is something to be confronted with and dealt with in a serious manner. What you see as personal attacks are in fact others' concerns for you, even though their criticisms may sound brutally harsh. Winston, we all love you and care about you, and your family. We all sincerely appreciate the wonderful work you do here on HappierAbroad.