Apart from his "precious" mania, Smeagol also suffers from Schizoid Personality Disorder (Image found on Google)
Yup. Seriously. I mean, not exaaaaactly schizophrenic, but a bearer of schizoid personality disorder, according to a research by six medical students and a lecturer in old age psychiatrypublished in 2004 in the British Medical Journal.
The article first examines Gollum’s mental state and notes that while “he shows no evidence of clinical depression, although he subjectively feels sad and is anxious to be reunited with his ‘precious’” there are ”features of dissociation”. They also note that he suffers from paranoia, especially when it comes to Sauron and Samwise Gamgee.
The authors consider several possible diagnoses and begin with possible reasons to his physical symptoms. A brain tumor is seen as unlikely due to his longstanding symptoms. They go on to suggest that due to his limited diet he could suffer from B-12 deficiency, which can cause delusions as well as paranoia, and iron deficiency anaemia, causing loss of hair and weight. Wow, where's my B-12 supplement?!
Finally, the authors note that Gollum does not fulfill the criteria for schizophrenia but that “he fulfils seven of the nine criteria for schizoid personality disorder (ICD F60.1), and, if we must label Gollum’s problems, we believe that this is the most likely diagnosis.” Poor Smeagol!
.:. Oh, and a late Happy Tolkien Reading Day for all my precious readers!!! .:.
The article first examines Gollum’s mental state and notes that while “he shows no evidence of clinical depression, although he subjectively feels sad and is anxious to be reunited with his ‘precious’” there are ”features of dissociation”. They also note that he suffers from paranoia, especially when it comes to Sauron and Samwise Gamgee.
The authors consider several possible diagnoses and begin with possible reasons to his physical symptoms. A brain tumor is seen as unlikely due to his longstanding symptoms. They go on to suggest that due to his limited diet he could suffer from B-12 deficiency, which can cause delusions as well as paranoia, and iron deficiency anaemia, causing loss of hair and weight. Wow, where's my B-12 supplement?!
Finally, the authors note that Gollum does not fulfill the criteria for schizophrenia but that “he fulfils seven of the nine criteria for schizoid personality disorder (ICD F60.1), and, if we must label Gollum’s problems, we believe that this is the most likely diagnosis.” Poor Smeagol!
.:. Oh, and a late Happy Tolkien Reading Day for all my precious readers!!! .:.
~Ally
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