[HPforGrownups] Could Snape have (or has had) a mental/personalitiy disor...

[Edblanning at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 37929

Steph wonders if Snape has an undiagnosed psychiatric problem:

> 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? 
> 
> <snip>
> SCHIZOID PERSONALITY DISORDER
> Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following: 
> 
> 

Well, the man waxes lyrical over his potions. But the whole recreational side 
of life tends to be downplayed, doesn't it? Hagrid has his beasts and 
Dumbledore seems to derive pleasure from the simplest of things. But, for 
example, do we ever see McGonagall having fun?

> 

I think he (often) hides his emotions, but I think they're there. Look at the 
rages he gets into.

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

He can certainly express anger. We've never seen him in a position to express 
tenderness. It wouldn't do much for his image, would it?

> 

Some of us would say that much of his motivation has precisely to do with his 
desire for praise, or at least recognition. And he doesn't like it when Ron 
criticises his teaching methods, does he?

> (e) little interest in having sexual experiences with another person 
> 

Who knows (and wouldn't we like to? :-)  ) 

> 

Again, we don't see the teachers at play, as it were. But I'll agree that 
we've never seen him down the Three Broomsticks for a pint. 

> 

Who knows what goes on in that greasy head?  

> (h) lack of close friends or confiding relationships (or having only 
> 

Another one that's hard to judge. He seems to get on well with Filch (which 
may be no recommendation) and also have a fairly healthy relationship with 
McGonagall. I would think that he does have, to an extent at least, a 
confiding relationship with Dumbledore. But heck, how many men have many such 
relationships anyway? When he rounds on Lockhart, the impression is that he 
gets on pretty well with the rest of the staff. He was part of a gang at 
school. I think we've projected this loner image onto him.

> 

I don't see that.

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

I don't recall evidence of that. Dumbledore rebuffs him on occasion and it's 
always taken with good grace.

> (b) tendency to bear grudges persistently, i.e. refusal to forgive 
> 

OK, you've got him there!

> (c) suspiciousness and a pervasive tendency to distort experience by 
> misconstruing the neutral or friendly actions of others as hostile or 
> 

Definitely suspicious, but not of intentions towards himself.
I think this sounds a bit like Ron, on occasion, rather than Snape.

> (d) a combative and tenacious sense of personal rights out of keeping 
> 

He misinterprets situations and this gets confused with personal motivation, 
as we have discussed at length over the Prank and the Shack. But I don't 
think that's the same thing.

> (e) recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding sexual 
> 

who knows?

> (f) tendency to experience excessive self-importance, manifest in a 
> 

I don't think so. He  won't brook insubordination from *students*, but I see 
no evidence of this with his peers.

> (g) preoccupation with unsubstantiated "conspiratorial" explanations 
> 

He usually has good reason to suspect conspiracy! (although again, he often 
gets it wrong)

> 
> DISSOCIAL (Antisocial) PERSONALITY DISORDER
> Personality disorder, usually coming to attention because of a gross 
> disparity between behaviour and the prevailing social norms,
> 
I don't see that for a start, not WW norms.

 and 
> characterized by at least 3 of the following: 
> 
> 

He seems to show this (unless you are one of those who take the view that 
it's all done with the best of intentions).

> (b) gross and persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard 
> 

Quite the opposite


> (c) incapacity to maintain enduring relationships, though having no 
> 

No evidence of this either way. His old (school) friends aren't exactly 
available, are they?

> (d) very low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for 
> 

I don't think so. We've never seen him act violently. I think he has to cope 
with massive degrees of frustration.

> (e) incapacity to experience guilt and to profit from experience, 
> 

Er.... well, he did turn from the Dark Side. Many of us think he's carrying a 
huge burden of guilt.

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

But he's not in conflict with society since he left the Dark Side. I don't 
think he can have offered any lame excuses to Dumbledore about why he joined 
Voldemort, either, because they just wouldn't have washed.

> 
> There may also be persistent irritability as an associated feature. 
> Conduct disorder during childhood and adolescence, though not 
> 

Yes, he is irritable, but there are no indications of childhood conduct 
disorder. Others' conduct may have left a little to be desired, though.

So..... he's unkind and irritable and bears grudges. I don't personally think 
that adds up to a psychiatric problem.

Eloise, wondering if she ought to add some additional inscriptions to her 
Exploding SNAP (Snape's Not A Psychopath) badge.



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