It was as if he had tripped a person who he knew had difficulty walking. That exploitation made him at least partly responsible. Treatment can help. Even better than treatment are the many things people can do to reduce their own excessive or self-destructive responses to emotional arousal and trauma, provided they start well before the severe trauma. Narcoleptics should not live in a box, sheltering themselves from all trauma.
Support groups help, even if their politics sometimes cause stress.
Meditation, journal keeping, a network of understanding friends, sometimes even psychotherapy can help prevent exhausting stress responses. There are many approaches. I hope to have a hand out at the network meeting in St. Louis and to discuss this further with narcoleptics and experts on narcolepsy.