Could Snape have (or has had) a mental/personalitiy disorder?

[sherlock_2040]

No: HPFGUIDX 37904

I had a nice hour all to myself in the school library today, and I 
was casually browsing the books and came across one all about mind 
disorders (centering on Freud's theories). Since I'm planning on 
studying psychology at college, it was quite an interesting read. 

I came across a condition called 'Schizoid Personality Disorder' 
(nothing to do with schizophrenia). Noting down a few of the key 
symptoms my strange mind began thinking. Is it possible that Snape 
may suffer or may have suffered from any sort of mental or 
personality disorder? Could it be a condition that has never been 
recognised and one that Snape fears being told he is suffering from? 

Personally, I believe Snape might be a bit paranoid but there could 
perhaps be more to his nature than just he is bitter, confused and 
won't allow himself to be happy.

Having a quick search on www.mentalhealth.com was a gem in 
information, which I present here:

PERSONALITY DISODER:
A personality disorder is a severe disturbance in the 
characterological constitution and behavioural tendencies of the 
individual, usually involving several areas of the personality, and 
nearly always associated with considerable personal and social 
disruption. Personality disorder tends to appear in late childhood or 
adolescence and continues to be manifest into adulthood. It is 
therefore unlikely that the diagnosis of personality disorder will be 
appropriate before the age of 16 or 17 years.

SCHIZOID PERSONALITY DISORDER
Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following: 

(a) few, if any, activities, provide pleasure; 
(b) emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affectivity; 
(c) limited capacity to express either warm, tender feelings or anger 
towards others; 
(d) apparent indifference to either praise or criticism; 
(e) little interest in having sexual experiences with another person 
(taking into account age); 
(f) almost invariable preference for solitary activities; 
(g) excessive preoccupation with fantasy and introspection; 
(h) lack of close friends or confiding relationships (or having only 
one) and of desire for such relationships; 
(i) marked insensitivity to prevailing social norms and conventions. 

PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER:
Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following: 

(a) excessive sensitiveness to setbacks and rebuffs; 
(b) tendency to bear grudges persistently, i.e. refusal to forgive 
insults and injuries or slights; 
(c) suspiciousness and a pervasive tendency to distort experience by 
misconstruing the neutral or friendly actions of others as hostile or 
contemptuous; 
(d) a combative and tenacious sense of personal rights out of keeping 
with the actual situation; 
(e) recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding sexual 
fidelity of spouse or sexual partner; 
(f) tendency to experience excessive self-importance, manifest in a 
persistent self-referential attitude; 
(g) preoccupation with unsubstantiated "conspiratorial" explanations 
of events both immediate to the patient and in the world at large. 

DISSOCIAL (Antisocial) PERSONALITY DISORDER
Personality disorder, usually coming to attention because of a gross 
disparity between behaviour and the prevailing social norms, and 
characterized by at least 3 of the following: 

(a) callous unconcern for the feelings of others; 
(b) gross and persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard 
for social norms, rules and obligations; 
(c) incapacity to maintain enduring relationships, though having no 
difficulty in establishing them; 
(d) very low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for 
discharge of aggression, including violence; 
(e) incapacity to experience guilt and to profit from experience, 
particularly punishment; 
(f) marked proneness to blame others, or to offer plausible 
rationalizations, for the behaviour that has brought the patient into 
conflict with society. 

There may also be persistent irritability as an associated feature. 
Conduct disorder during childhood and adolescence, though not 
invariably present, may further support the diagnosis. 

What do you think?

Steph