(no subject)
Bearing in mind that I don't actually know much about psychology...
Reactive Attachment Disorder:
Reactive Attachment Disorder is characterized by the breakdown of social ability of a child. It is associated with the failure of the child to bond with a caretaker in infancy or early childhood. This can be caused by many factors, ranging from child neglect to the child being hospitalized for severe medical problems. The children may display either indiscriminate social extroversion as they grow older (treating all people as if they were their best friend) or showing mistrust of nearly everyone.
--
Explaining this requires delving into Imoen's background. In canon, her background takes us no further back than her arrival at Candlekeep, which occurred sometime during her childhood--I'm predicting ten years old, though the timeline is very cloudy, especially since we don't actually know how old any of the Bhaalspawn are. Her origins are, however, the same as Abdel's; before Gorion took them to Candlekeep as his wards, both Bhaalspawn had nothing. It is clear that Gorion had been keeping an eye out for Bhaalspawn in particular--if he were just adopting any orphan he found, he likely wouldn't have ended up with one Bhaalspawn, much less TWO. It's demonstrated that it's not uncommon for Bhaalspawn to be orphans, either. Since she was taken in by Gorion at a later age than Abdel, she couldn't exactly have a caretaker to bond with in early childhood. Once she's at Candlekeep, she obviously grew attached to Gorion, Winthrop, and Abdel (though Abdel being another child, this became a sibling relationship, rather than a caretaker)
The result is that Imoen does have rather indiscriminate social extroversion now that she's older--it is notable that of all the NPCs in Baldur's Gate, Imoen has a clearly Good alignment, yet she will accept both an evil party and an evil course of action without protest. The way in which most characters will protest, fight amongst themselves, and even leave the party for things that they disagree with is an aspect of the game that many people held in high regard, but Imoen accepts all these things. Her interactions are mostly indiscriminate as well; she asks people extremely personal things as if it was a normal, casual topic. Everyone gets teased, or she at least tries to tease them--she even tries teasing Sarevok once, and let us bear in mind that Sarevok was evil and had a big hand in making her and Abdel's lives the mess that they are now.
Separation Anxiety Disorder:
Separation Anxiety Disorder is a disorder that affects children who are afraid to be separated from the main caretakers in their lives, even to go to a friend's house or school. When separated, they are constantly afraid that something horrible will happen to either themselves or to their primary caretaker (they or the caretaker will die, for instance). When the subject of separating is brought up, the child begins to present with somatic symptoms ranging from headaches to nausea and vomiting, with anxiety.
The key diagnostic feature is a focused excessive anxiety concerning separation from those individuals to whom the child is attached (usually parents or other family members), that is not merely part of a generalized anxiety about multiple situations. The anxiety may take the form of:
1. an unrealistic, preoccupying worry about possible harm befalling major attachment figures or a fear that they will leave and not return;
2. an unrealistic, preoccupying worry that some untoward event, such as the child being lost, kidnapped, admitted to hospital, or killed, will separate him or her from a major attachment figure;
3. persistent reluctance or refusal to go to school because of fear about separation (rather than for other reasons such as fear about events at school);
4. persistent reluctance or refusal to go to sleep without being near or next to a major attachment figure;
5. persistent inappropriate fear of being alone, or otherwise without the major attachment figure, at home during the day;
6. repeated nightmares about separation;
7. repeated occurrence of physical symptoms (nausea, stomachache, headache, vomiting, etc.) on occasions that involve separation from a major attachment figure, such as leaving home to go to school;
8. excessive, recurrent distress (as shown by anxiety, crying, tantrums, misery, apathy, or social withdrawal) in anticipation of, during, or immediately following separation from a major attachment figure.
--
Symptom 5: "Good, I didn’t want to go by myself. I need you around, Abdel. Don’t want to be here alone."
Symptom 4: "I’ve got to hand it to you, you sure have some kind of courage to sleep in this place. I would have run screaming a dozen times over if you weren’t here."
Symptom 7:
Imoen: Well, that’s gratitude for you. You aren’t going to abandon me here, are you? We have to stay together! I…I feel it!
Abdel (if you choose to keep her in the party after all): I didn’t mean to scare you. Let’s stay together.
Imoen: Good and good. We have to watch each other’s back. It’s weird too, my head hurts more when we split. I…I don’t know why that is.
Symptom 1: "Are you all right? I was so scared…you came all this way to get me and we were almost…I’m sorry, Abdel, I was just so worried."
Symptom 2:
Imoen: Sorry I followed ya, but I never get out of Candlekeep and those monks are such a bore. Never any decent coin in their pockets neither. I…I saw Gorion, and I am SO sorry! Kinda figured something bad might happen to you out here.
Abdel: How could you have known? Gorion did not even tell me.
Imoen: I…accidentally…read a letter on his desk the other day. Can’t remember exactly what it said, but he might still have…it might still be on his…his body. Anyway, I’m not gonna let you wander around out here all alone. Never let a friend down, no sir! Stick with you until you say otherwise, I will!
'Nuff said, I think.
Feel free to comment with thoughts; I like to attempt to pin Imoen's mental problems down so I can play with them correctly, so corrections or anything else is always welcome.
Reactive Attachment Disorder:
Reactive Attachment Disorder is characterized by the breakdown of social ability of a child. It is associated with the failure of the child to bond with a caretaker in infancy or early childhood. This can be caused by many factors, ranging from child neglect to the child being hospitalized for severe medical problems. The children may display either indiscriminate social extroversion as they grow older (treating all people as if they were their best friend) or showing mistrust of nearly everyone.
--
Explaining this requires delving into Imoen's background. In canon, her background takes us no further back than her arrival at Candlekeep, which occurred sometime during her childhood--I'm predicting ten years old, though the timeline is very cloudy, especially since we don't actually know how old any of the Bhaalspawn are. Her origins are, however, the same as Abdel's; before Gorion took them to Candlekeep as his wards, both Bhaalspawn had nothing. It is clear that Gorion had been keeping an eye out for Bhaalspawn in particular--if he were just adopting any orphan he found, he likely wouldn't have ended up with one Bhaalspawn, much less TWO. It's demonstrated that it's not uncommon for Bhaalspawn to be orphans, either. Since she was taken in by Gorion at a later age than Abdel, she couldn't exactly have a caretaker to bond with in early childhood. Once she's at Candlekeep, she obviously grew attached to Gorion, Winthrop, and Abdel (though Abdel being another child, this became a sibling relationship, rather than a caretaker)
The result is that Imoen does have rather indiscriminate social extroversion now that she's older--it is notable that of all the NPCs in Baldur's Gate, Imoen has a clearly Good alignment, yet she will accept both an evil party and an evil course of action without protest. The way in which most characters will protest, fight amongst themselves, and even leave the party for things that they disagree with is an aspect of the game that many people held in high regard, but Imoen accepts all these things. Her interactions are mostly indiscriminate as well; she asks people extremely personal things as if it was a normal, casual topic. Everyone gets teased, or she at least tries to tease them--she even tries teasing Sarevok once, and let us bear in mind that Sarevok was evil and had a big hand in making her and Abdel's lives the mess that they are now.
Separation Anxiety Disorder:
Separation Anxiety Disorder is a disorder that affects children who are afraid to be separated from the main caretakers in their lives, even to go to a friend's house or school. When separated, they are constantly afraid that something horrible will happen to either themselves or to their primary caretaker (they or the caretaker will die, for instance). When the subject of separating is brought up, the child begins to present with somatic symptoms ranging from headaches to nausea and vomiting, with anxiety.
The key diagnostic feature is a focused excessive anxiety concerning separation from those individuals to whom the child is attached (usually parents or other family members), that is not merely part of a generalized anxiety about multiple situations. The anxiety may take the form of:
1. an unrealistic, preoccupying worry about possible harm befalling major attachment figures or a fear that they will leave and not return;
2. an unrealistic, preoccupying worry that some untoward event, such as the child being lost, kidnapped, admitted to hospital, or killed, will separate him or her from a major attachment figure;
3. persistent reluctance or refusal to go to school because of fear about separation (rather than for other reasons such as fear about events at school);
4. persistent reluctance or refusal to go to sleep without being near or next to a major attachment figure;
5. persistent inappropriate fear of being alone, or otherwise without the major attachment figure, at home during the day;
6. repeated nightmares about separation;
7. repeated occurrence of physical symptoms (nausea, stomachache, headache, vomiting, etc.) on occasions that involve separation from a major attachment figure, such as leaving home to go to school;
8. excessive, recurrent distress (as shown by anxiety, crying, tantrums, misery, apathy, or social withdrawal) in anticipation of, during, or immediately following separation from a major attachment figure.
--
Symptom 5: "Good, I didn’t want to go by myself. I need you around, Abdel. Don’t want to be here alone."
Symptom 4: "I’ve got to hand it to you, you sure have some kind of courage to sleep in this place. I would have run screaming a dozen times over if you weren’t here."
Symptom 7:
Imoen: Well, that’s gratitude for you. You aren’t going to abandon me here, are you? We have to stay together! I…I feel it!
Abdel (if you choose to keep her in the party after all): I didn’t mean to scare you. Let’s stay together.
Imoen: Good and good. We have to watch each other’s back. It’s weird too, my head hurts more when we split. I…I don’t know why that is.
Symptom 1: "Are you all right? I was so scared…you came all this way to get me and we were almost…I’m sorry, Abdel, I was just so worried."
Symptom 2:
Imoen: Sorry I followed ya, but I never get out of Candlekeep and those monks are such a bore. Never any decent coin in their pockets neither. I…I saw Gorion, and I am SO sorry! Kinda figured something bad might happen to you out here.
Abdel: How could you have known? Gorion did not even tell me.
Imoen: I…accidentally…read a letter on his desk the other day. Can’t remember exactly what it said, but he might still have…it might still be on his…his body. Anyway, I’m not gonna let you wander around out here all alone. Never let a friend down, no sir! Stick with you until you say otherwise, I will!
'Nuff said, I think.
Feel free to comment with thoughts; I like to attempt to pin Imoen's mental problems down so I can play with them correctly, so corrections or anything else is always welcome.