Diagnosis: Antryg Windrose

[rachelmanija]

This is purely for study purposes (mine) and entertainment (yours and mine). I am using fictional characters in novels as mock case studies, to acquaint myself with the DSM-IV (the American manual of mental illnesses.) I cannot actually diagnose any real person.

The Silent Tower: The Windrose Chronicles (Book One)

Comments

[sovay]

The Silent Tower: The Windrose Chronicles (Book One); The Silicon Mage: The Windrose Chronicles (Book Two)

This is probably not the intended effect of these posts, but now I'm really curious about these books.

[rachelmanija]

I really, really like them! Well-characterized and clever fantasy with a sense of humor; shy 80s computer programmer meets renegade wizard, has adventures. Good martial arts, too.

[sovay]

I really, really like them!

To the library!

[swan_tower]

I don't know this character at all, but I can already tell this is going to be fun. ^_^

[rachelmanija]

Basically, yes, but it can't be that severe. If you're suicidal or can't get out of bed, it's depression no matter what's causing it.

"Adjustment Disorder" is a way for people who are stressed out and need help but not mentally ill to qualify as mentally ill so they can get treated.

[utsusemia]

Ahh! I read these books years ago (like, a decade) and had forgotten all about them! This was very cool.

I don't know if you've ever read Norman Rush's Mating, but how would I adore a diagnosis of Denoon ;)

(Also, not really in the parameters of the project, but I'd be really curious to know if there is some medical term for the extreme over-identifying and projection that goes on among the *fans* of some fandoms--looking at SPN, at the moment.)

[rachelmanija]

Never even heard of Mating; what is it? Would I like it?

extreme over-identifying and projection: Good question, and I don't know the answer. It's probably more addressed by a psychoanalytic perspective than a medical one. (Except for the Snapewives and such, depending on how serious they really are.)

[utsusemia]

Mating is great! I mean, I think so, I have no idea if it's your thing or not. It's this kind of bizarre, intense novel about anthropologists in Botswana in the 80s, with tons of academic politics, regular politics, frank and to-me-illuminating discussions of race and privilege of white anthropologists working in Africa and one of the most ridiculously wonderful/strange/baffling romantic relationships I've ever read. Denoon is a megalomaniacal, charismatic, driven character whose psychological state is rather important to the plot of the book. And the unnamed narrator is one of the best female characters written by a man I've ever read.

So how's that for a rec! But, like I said, it's strange and the subject matter is not exactly uncontroversial, so ymmv.

[oracne]

YAY Antryg!