[Ron Week]: More Questions

heidi.h.tandy.c92 at alumni.upenn.edu heidi.h.tandy.c92 at alumni.upenn.edu
Tue Apr 10 17:38:57 UTC 2001


No: HPFGUIDX 16279

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Demelza" <muggle-reader at a...> wrote:
> Hermione 
> has more potential to be jealous of Harry's fame than Ron. Her near 
> pathologic obsession with studying can be considered a cry for 
> attention (not to mention a potential diagnosis of 
> Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder): I think it's in PS/SS where Ron 
can't 
> understand why Hermione wants to begin studying 4 weeks before 
final 
> exams when she already knows the material. Too bad we never get a 
> glimpse of her mirror of Erised. But her studying and academic 
success 
> is not met with overt admiration of her peers. She is considered a 
> 'bossy know it all' but her classmates and at least one teacher, 
> Snape. On the other hand Harry has celebrity status in the 
wizarding 
> community; he is a hero to and greatly admired by some. 

Even though I did some work on cases involving OCD when I was in law 
school, to refresh my recollection to counter your claim about 
Hermione's studying being a sympton of OCD, I did a little research 
on Webmd.com - check out 
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.51712 for more - OCD is a 
likely biological-based neurological problem that can manifest at any 
age. The following between the < and > is from the WEBMD site:

<Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), one of the anxiety disorders, 
is a potentially disabling condition that can persist throughout a 
person's life. The individual who suffers from OCD becomes trapped in 
a pattern of repetitive thoughts and behaviors that are senseless and 
distressing but extremely difficult to overcome. OCD occurs in a 
spectrum from mild to severe, but if severe and left untreated, can 
destroy a person's capacity to function at work, at school, or even 
in the home>
<Obsessions
These are unwanted ideas or impulses that repeatedly well up in the 
mind of the person with OCD. Persistent fears that harm may come to 
self or a loved one, an unreasonable concern with becoming 
contaminated, or an excessive need to do things correctly or 
perfectly, are common. Again and again, the individual experiences a 
disturbing thought, such as, "My hands may be contaminated -- I must 
wash them"; "I may have left the gas on"; or "I am going to injure my 
child." These thoughts are intrusive, unpleasant, and produce a high 
degree of anxiety.>

Compulsions
In response to their obsessions, most people with OCD resort to 
repetitive behaviors called compulsions. The most common of these are 
washing and checking. Other compulsive behaviors include counting 
(often while performing another compulsive action such as hand 
washing), repeating, hoarding, and endlessly rearranging objects in 
an effort to keep them in precise alignment with each other. Mental 
problems, such as mentally repeating phrases, listmaking, or checking 
are also common. 

Insight
Often, especially when they are not actually having an obsession, 
they can recognize that their obsessions and compulsions are 
unrealistic. 

Resistance
[O]ver the months or years, resistance may weaken, and when this 
happens, OCD may become so severe that time-consuming rituals take 
over the sufferers' lives, making it impossible for them to continue 
activities outside the home.

Shame and Secrecy
OCD sufferers often attempt to hide their disorder rather than seek 
help. Often they are successful in concealing their obsessive-
compulsive symptoms from friends and coworkers. 

Long-lasting Symptoms
OCD tends to last for years, even decades. >

While Hermione may have some level of performance anxiety, 
overstudying, or obsessive studying, is not an indication of OCD. As 
the site says, "People with OCD should not be confused with a much 
larger group of individuals who are sometimes called "compulsive" 
because they hold themselves to a high standard of performance and 
are perfectionistic and very organized in their work and even in 
recreational activities. This type of "compulsiveness" often serves a 
valuable purpose, contributing to a person's self-esteem and success 
on the job. In that respect, it differs from the life-wrecking 
obsessions and rituals of the person with OCD."






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