Sanity is madness put to good use. – George Santayana

I found this news story over at WebMD. It seems as though a team of researchers from the psychiatric department of France’s University Hospital of Toluouse have far too much time on their hands. After extensive research, and I’m guessing after a few too many beers, they’ve concluded that Anakin Sywalker, aka Darth Vadar, suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder. Team members rolled out the results of their research last month at the 160th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.
According to the authors of the report, Skywalker suffers from an identity disturbance, and meets the criteria for the borderline personality disorder because he has difficulty controlling his anger and impulsivity, he has issues of abandonment, and because he has a “pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of ideation and devaluation.” Sure, Darth has some serious issues, but I’m not seeing true evidence of borderline behavior. Most individuals suffering from borderline personality are cutters, and there is no evidence to suggest that Darth cuts himself with his light saber. And more importantly, there is no evidence that Darth carries a transition object, such as a teddy bear, in the privacy of his Death Star. Personally, I think he’s a narcissist. He’s always killing people and destroying universes so he can be the center of attention.
I guess even rich and famous villians have issues.
jaz
June 26th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I still like “Pathology in the Hundred Acre Wood,” the psychosocial study of Pooh and friends that appeared in CMAJ a few years back…
Amrita
June 28th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
You analyzed him very well Ma Jones
david mcmahon
June 28th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
So is he a Vader
Or an evader?
Jean-Luc Picard
June 29th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Vader may require a few years of analysis.
distracted by shiny objects
June 29th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
What a completely fabulous job…sitting around in your French and stylish smartie-pants diagnosing fictional,mythological characters. Sign me up! I bet they even high-five each other after reaching their conclusions. Can you high-five in French??
Tor Hershman
June 30th, 2008 at 1:33 am
he needs zinc
Sandi McBride
June 30th, 2008 at 10:03 am
The French don’t have enough crazy people to contend with they have to start psychoanalyzing fictional characters? Yeah, talk about too much time on their hands…perhaps they could dig up Hitler to find out exactly what his mother did to him to make him such a fruitcake!
Congrats on the Post of the day mention at Davids…
Sandi
DrugMonkey, Master of Pharmacy
June 30th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
I think “On the Couch with Darth Vader” would be a hell of a name for a porn flick.
I would totally rent “On the Couch with Darth Vader”
I may have to stop by the costume store this weekend…..
holly
June 30th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
i can really just imagine the one-on-one.
“so tell me darth, how do you feel about that?”
“and let’s talk about your potty-training. did that go well?”
but really, he wouldn’t have the time for psychotherapy, what with all those death stars he keeps building. that is NOT easy, you know.. .
CrazyCath
June 30th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
He might have been narcissistic till his face got unprettied. Then I think he headed straight for psychopathic PD. No cutting required. ;0)
Great post. Over from David’s.
Mother Jones RN
June 30th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Drug Monkey…..send me pictures of your weekend.
May the *force* be with you.
MJ
Angry Male Nurse
July 1st, 2008 at 6:16 am
Brilliant!!
tammyswofford
July 1st, 2008 at 11:22 am
Not quite sure where I stand on the diagnosis of Darth Vader. I guess we could also speculate on Batman, Spiderman, Superman, The Lone Ranger or any other masked man who hides his facial identity, such as in The Phantom of the Opera.
Possibly Darth merely suffers from poor self image and under that mask and costume is a 5’4″ midget walking on stilts with pec implants. smile He is certainly not dressed to meet the parents!
Tammy
Anne
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Hear, hear! Folks with BPD have a bad enough rap as it is. He’s definitely cluster B, maybe narcissistic or histrionic…which doesn’t mean this whole speculative exercise isn’t totally inane. Way to go, France!
Cathy
July 5th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Darth Vader had issues but Hayden Christiansen playing a young Annikan Skywalker (“Revenge of the Sith) is somethin’ else!