Back to narcissistic!Snape (was: Lucious, Severus, and Narcissistic PD)

[demetra1225]

No: HPFGUIDX 127533


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:
> 
> SSSusan:  Oh, I'm afraid I'm fired up & ready to go again!  ;-)

Demetra - finding herself unable to resist joining the fray!

I have no credentials besides a minor in psychology and a 
(thankfully) brief clinical stint on an inpatient adolescent unit in 
a Psych hospital.    

SSSusan – I'm thinking that you are in the right forest, but perhaps 
barking up the wrong tree.  I'm  a confessed Snape-phile, but I'm not 
blind to his "issues".  I would agree that Snape seems to exhibit 
aspects of a Personality Disorder, I just don't think it's NPD – for 
a few reasons.  

One reason I resist the NPD label for Snape is tied to the colloquial 
understanding of the term Narcissist.  The term originates in Greek 
Mythology and JKR has consistently weaved aspects of traditional 
Greek and Roman Mythology into the books (the three headed dog, 
etc).  Thus, it is hard for me to imagine that JKR would consciously 
base any character as NPD precisely because the criteria you have 
listed does not appear to be consistent with the mythology.  In the 
myth, Narcissus is painted as quite superficial and vain, falling in 
love with his own reflection.  Thus she chose Mrs. Malfoy to be 
named "Narcissa".  

Plus, if I'm not mistaken, the UK uses ICD-10 criteria for 
psychiatric diagnoses, not DSM criteria that are used here in the 
states.  When I tried to look up ICD-10 criteria for NPD, I was only 
able to find this:  The ICD-10 does not specifically define the 
characteristics of this personality disorder, it is classified in the 
category "Other Specific Personality Disorders".  ICD-10 states NPD 
is a personality disorder that fits none of the specific rubrics 
F60.0 – F60.7
Clearly much more vague than the DSM criteria, IMHO.  

On the other hand, when I reviewed F60.0 – F60.7 I saw other 
personality disorders that I think Snape more closely fits.  
Of course the difficulty is that we don't have enough information to 
really know the why's of Snape's behavior.  Why is he a loner – is it 
that he thinks nobody likes him or does he think everyone else is 
beneath him or is he afraid he will slip up and reveal his spy 
status?  It makes it extremely difficult to classify him without this 
info.  
That being said, it is still fun, so I'll take a stab at it!

Here is the ICD-10 criteria for Anankastic (Obsessive-Compulsive) 
Personality Disorder
Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following: 
a. feelings of excessive doubt and caution; 
b. preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, organization or  
schedule; 
c. perfectionism that interferes with task completion; 
d. excessive conscientiousness, scrupulousness, and undue 
preoccupation with productivity to the exclusion of pleasure and 
interpersonal relationships; 
e. excessive pedantry and adherence to social conventions; 
f. rigidity and stubbornness; 
g. unreasonable insistence by the patient that others submit to 
exactly his or her way of doing things, or unreasonable reluctance to 
allow others to do things; 
h. intrusion of insistent and unwelcome thoughts or impulses. 

I'll put Sevvie down for meeting b, f and g.  Possibly d and e.  

Here's another one -Schizoid Personality Disorder 
Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following: 
i. few, if any, activities, provide pleasure; 
j. emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affectivity; 
k. limited capacity to express either warm, tender feelings or anger 
towards others; 
l. apparent indifference to either praise or criticism; 
m. little interest in having sexual experiences with another person 
(taking into account age); 
n. almost invariable preference for solitary activities; 
o. excessive preoccupation with fantasy and introspection; 
p. lack of close friends or confiding relationships (or having only 
one) and of desire for such relationships; 
q. marked insensitivity to prevailing social norms and conventions. 

I'll put Sevvie down for meeting j, n, p, q.  Possibly I, L. 
M – nope, ain't gonna go there. 

And finally, my personal favorite - Paranoid Personality Disorder 
Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following: 
r. excessive sensitiveness to setbacks and rebuffs; 
s. tendency to bear grudges persistently, i.e. refusal to forgive 
insults and injuries or slights; 
t. suspiciousness and a pervasive tendency to distort experience by 
misconstruing the neutral or friendly actions of others as hostile or 
contemptuous; 
u. a combative and tenacious sense of personal rights out of keeping 
with the actual situation; 
v. recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding sexual 
fidelity of spouse or sexual partner; 
w. tendency to experience excessive self-importance, manifest in a 
persistent self-referential attitude; 
x. preoccupation with unsubstantiated "conspiratorial" explanations 
of events both immediate to the patient and in the world at large. 

I think Snape meets r, s and w.  Possibles include t, u and x.  
Wonder if Kneasy ever addressed V in his Aggie theory?  


For those who've stayed with me this long, let's play a game.  This 
next one reminded me of another character (not Snape).  Which 
character do you think this best describes?    

Histrionic Personality Disorder 
Personality disorder characterized by at least 3 of the following: 
y. self-dramatization, theatricality, exaggerated expression of 
emotions; 
z. suggestibility, easily influenced by others or by circumstances; 
aa. shallow and labile affectivity; 
bb. continual seeking for excitement, appreciation by others, and 
activities in which the patient is the center of attention; 
cc. inappropriate seductiveness in appearance or behavior; 
dd. over-concern with physical attractiveness. 
Associated features may include egocentricity, self-indulgence, 
continuous longing for appreciation, feelings that are easily hurt, 
and persistent manipulative behavior to achieve own needs.


Demetra, who will go on record saying the character she would peg as 
NPD is Draco Malfoy