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Ken "The Shrink" Weitzner, the controversial website operator who killed himself earlier this month, had been medically treated for a mental illness--clinical depression--and had taken the prescription anti-depressant lithium.
Weitzner made the admissions in 1998, when he appeared in court after being sued for libel by offshore sportsbook operator Dennis Atiyeh.
Cross-examined under oath by Atiyeh's attorney, who sought to show that Weitzner was unstable, Weitzner admitted that he had been diagnosed as manic depressive, a form of the mental illness depression.
Weitzner also admitted that he was being treated for the illness, and that the treatment included being prescribed and taking an anti-depressant medication called lithium.
In addition, Weitzner admitted that he was receiving disability payments from the government because of his mental illness.
The admissions were stunning because Weitzner, who pretended to be a psychiatrist, was revealed to actually be a psychiatric patient.
During earlier testimony by Weitzner under oath, he admitted that he was not and never had been a psychiatrist or a doctor of any sort, and that the "Shrink" moniker he used online was merely a marketing tool to promote his then website, the medically-themed, gambling news and information site called The Prescription (www.therx.com).
It's unknown whether Weitzner was still being treated for depression at the time of his death, or whether he was still taking lithium or any other prescription drugs.
His stunning admissions 12 years ago though about his mental illness do shed some light on what may have caused or at least contributed to a wealthy and successful man in the prime of life taking his life.
Tom Somach
Gambling911.com Staff Writer
