Wow....absolutely brutal
If he is anything like I was, he loves any kind of attention.
That is what attention whores do.
I was such a loser in real life, that I had to create a fantasy world, where I was the center of attention.
I wasn't really a loser, I just had a low self esteem, and would rather isolate, than be around people. For me, that coupled with alcohol addiction, was a recipe for disaster.
The key is to get out, and actually enjoy the little things in life. Create real relationships, which usually leads to networking. You ever wonder why it seems that certain people always have good connections? It's because they actually get out, and have friends.
Relationships are the key. Humans were never meant to be solitary creatures.