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

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 37911

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "sherlock_2040" <merlyn_dawson at h...> wrote:

> 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;

Snape: Only brewing potions so far as we know.

> (b) emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affectivity; 

He certainly acts that way...

> (c) limited capacity to express either warm, tender feelings or 
anger 
> towards others;

Haven't seen one place where he does.

> (d) apparent indifference to either praise or criticism; 

He does. He makes a *big* point of his indifference to the praise of 
others on Harry - and other's criticism on potions...

> (e) little interest in having sexual experiences with another 
person 
> (taking into account age);

Well... how are we supposed to know?

> (f) almost invariable preference for solitary activities;

Aside from his work... Yes, Snape obviously prefers solitary.

> (g) excessive preoccupation with fantasy and introspection;
MM... Don't know about this.
 
> (h) lack of close friends or confiding relationships (or having 
only 
> one) and of desire for such relationships;

Only Dumbledore (unless there's something about Filch)

> (i) marked insensitivity to prevailing social norms and 
conventions. 

Well - Not speaking bad of dead/not speaking bad of a child's 
parents/not insulting frightened or harmed children are social norms 
Snape keeps breaking all the time.

4 yes, and a few 'may-be's.
 
> PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER:
> Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following: 
> 
> (a) excessive sensitiveness to setbacks and rebuffs; 

Mm.. Don't know what setback or rebuff mean...

> (b) tendency to bear grudges persistently, i.e. refusal to forgive 
> insults and injuries or slights;

Definate yes! Holding a grudge against a *dead* man over 10 years? 
Another, for *more* time?
 
> (c) suspiciousness and a pervasive tendency to distort experience 
by 
> misconstruing the neutral or friendly actions of others as hostile 
or 
> contemptuous; 

He does this to Gryffindor students all the time, doesn't he?

> (d) a combative and tenacious sense of personal rights out of 
keeping 
> with the actual situation;

Hmm... The matter with Neville's boggart?
 
> (e) recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding sexual 
> fidelity of spouse or sexual partner; 

Can't say - he doesn't *have* a spouse.

> (f) tendency to experience excessive self-importance, manifest in a 
> persistent self-referential attitude;

That's more Lockhart than Snape.
 
> (g) preoccupation with unsubstantiated "conspiratorial" 
explanations 
> of events both immediate to the patient and in the world at large. 

Don't know what he thinks... but he obviously has obsession about 
Harry Potter being the cause of all trouble.

2 definate 'yes' - and others 'don't know'..
 
> 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; 

Definate Yes - obvious;

> (b) gross and persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard 
> for social norms, rules and obligations;

Disregard for social norms - but not any of others
 
> (c) incapacity to maintain enduring relationships, though having no 
> difficulty in establishing them;

No. Just the opposite.

> (d) very low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for 
> discharge of aggression, including violence;

Not violent, is he?
 
> (e) incapacity to experience guilt and to profit from experience, 
> particularly punishment;

Hmm-- Hard to say.. guess not.

> (f) marked proneness to blame others, or to offer plausible 
> rationalizations, for the behaviour that has brought the patient 
into 
> conflict with society. 

Well, he certainly blames others! Mostly Harry so far as we know.

This gets one definate yes - and quite a few no's...

Schizoid Disorder... well, I got the required 3 - and it is fun to 
anylise if a character has some mental problem.

-- Finwitch