Additional thoughts on "nutty" expats:

I actually meet very few nutty types here in China, especially not long-termers. Most of the true nut cases--or those who arrived normal but were turned into nut cases by the Chinese--will be out of this place inside of 3 years, often much less. The long-termers generally have opened businesses, have families and/or friends, are integrated in both expat and general life here, and are achievers and non-slackers. By no means are all of them corporate types or requiring luxury support services. I have met some of the most absolutely fascinating and thoroughly grounded expats in China, compared to anyplace on earth. And most of them have a mixture of love for China and the Chinese in general, but also problems and criticisms (and rants) about other aspects of this country and society.

Contrast that to parts of SE Asia (Thailand, Cambodia come to mind) where the living is cheaper and easier than China. These places have a very large collection of foreign slackers and truly Lost Souls wandering around. Lots of certified nut cases and parasite-types there, but most of them arrived in SE Asia already that way.