Steelrgirl,

Is he still able to maintain a regular job?

Just because we can relate to what he's going through, I hope you don't allow the situation to remain ongoing. The fact that you've stuck with him "through sickness" is amazing. Having RSD doesn't give him (or any of us) a pass at treating famy or significant others poorly.

The alien question, not getting sleep and having severe chronic pain can't be doing ANYTHING positive for his mental health. Any underlying mental issue can be made worse...

Did his interest in cars involve him working on them physically? If so, the pain it would produce would likely kill the appeal.

I've noticed that if I'm in a very bad flare, if I can engage the obsessive part of my brain, it is easier for me to ignore my pain. I consider it a very dysfunctional band-aid of sorts. It isn't a healthy long term coping mechanism if that's what he's doing.

I'll confess that when I'm desperate, I wax my legs. It's occupies my brain in a different type of pain activity. It's akin to what cutters are trying to accomplish, just in a much less extreme fashion. Shaving is slightly dangerous anyway since I experience severe unpredictable spasms in both my hands, so I can justify why I do it--I'm killing two birds with one one stone... But, I discovered this little trick years ago, when my pain was out of control...And what started as a personal hygiene adaption, turned into a nightly ritual to help me cope with pain. And I knew it was weird at the time, as well. This probably qualifies as too much personal info...but it seems to kind of oddly relate, so...

Maybe his alien research engages his brain in a way that gives him temporary relief... How much time he spends doing it, and if it has any negative effect on his life should determine if it's something to be concerned about.