Conquest of the Horde

Many greetings, one and all. I typically do not use my blog posts as a means of personal announcement to the server, but I do wish to come forward regarding a trend I am seeing in character profiles and casual talk. This post is regarding the usage of psychological terms to describe personalities that are within a norm.

We're talking more than just misdiagnosing characters or confusing one disorder with another. In general, we discourage and even prohibit profiles using explicit terms to describe their character in their profile. The reason is that most people do not truly understand how a disorder works, even if they stuck their nose in a DSM manual. Learning about a disorder takes more than reading, but constant personal exposure to different cases, case studies, perspectives from various theories, and types of treatment. In addition, we have members of the community who have friends and family who are diagnosed or are, themselves, diagnosed with some sort of disorder, ranging from mood disorders such as depression and bipolar to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD.

Now, you may think "Well, I avoid this already!", I still see folks misusing terms. Here are some of the most common ones I see:

1.) Using "anti-social" to describe a shy person.

This one personally drives me up the wall because I'm a shy person. While I can be a social butterfly who enjoys parties, I'm otherwise a very private and introverted person when it comes to real life interaction. Regardless, this is a term mix-up that not only is misunderstood, but leads to implications of really unfortunate stereotyping. Here, let me define what anti-social really means.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/1antisocial.shtml Wrote:Antisocial personality disorder is defined by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual on Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) as “...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.” People with antisocial personality disorder may disregard social norms and laws, repeatedly lie, place others at risk for their own benefit, and demonstrate a profound lack of remorse. It is sometimes referred to as sociopathic personality disorder, or sociopathy.

In other words, an anti-social person means they're against social norms, not against socializing with people. In fact, anti-socials tend to be excellent in imitating norms to appear "normal", which includes--surprise, surprise--interacting and socializing with people.

On that note, please do not equate anti-socials with criminals, especially serial killers. Yes, anti-socials lack remorse, but usually they are smart enough to not commit crimes as being tossed in jail isn't exactly positive to their self-serving needs.

As for describing your extremely shy character, there is a diagnosis for that. However, I still highly recommend you do not actually try rolling a character with Avoidant Personality Disorder.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/1Avoidant.shtml Wrote:Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by extreme social inhibition (shyness), feelings of inadequacy, and acute sensitivity to actual or perceived rejection. While most people have certainly feelings of insecurity, for people with avoidant personality disorder these feelings are extremely intense and lead to an avoidance of social interaction that negatively impacts their day-to-day life.

The reason why I highly do not recommend you roll a genuine Avoidant is... well, why the hell would you RP that kind of character? Roleplay is about interacting with others, and in the case of Avoidants, the feelings of shyness is so strong, they just about hole themselves up and avoid almost any and all contact. Consider the Japanese phenomena of the hikkimori of an idea of what an Avoidant actually behaves like (though not all Avoidants behave like the hikkimori, which is an extreme example). This isn't a character I would recommend anyone RPing, at least here in CotH. As much as the examination of the life of an Avoidant seems interesting, the only ones who tend to see this are the Avoidants themselves.

Just describe your character as shy. Wallflowers and shrinking violet types are fine too (as while they're painfully shy, they are capable of interaction if they become close to a small few).


2.) Using "bipolar" to describe a moody person.

I think this one touches the sensitivity button moreso than the anti-social mix-up. Here is a quick definition of what bipolar disorder really is:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bi...ndex.shtml Wrote:Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

Bipolar disorder often develops in a person's late teens or early adult years. At least half of all cases start before age 25.1 Some people have their first symptoms during childhood, while others may develop symptoms late in life.

Bipolar disorder is not easy to spot when it starts. The symptoms may seem like separate problems, not recognized as parts of a larger problem. Some people suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person's life.

The highs (manic episodes) and lows (depressive episodes) of bipolar disorder are not the same as that of a moody person. Someone who is short-tempered and otherwise nice is not necessarily bipolar. Symptoms look something like this:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publicati...ndex.shtml Wrote:

Symptoms of mania or a manic episode include:	Symptoms of depression or a depressive episode include:
Mood Changes A long period of feeling "high," or an overly happy or outgoing mood Extremely irritable mood, agitation, feeling "jumpy" or "wired."	Mood Changes A long period of feeling worried or empty Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex.
Behavioral Changes Talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another, having racing thoughts Being easily distracted Increasing goal-directed activities, such as taking on new projects Being restless Sleeping little Having an unrealistic belief in one's abilities Behaving impulsively and taking part in a lot of pleasurable, high-risk behaviors, such as spending sprees, impulsive sex, and impulsive business investments.	Behavioral Changes Feeling tired or "slowed down" Having problems concentrating, remembering, and making decisions Being restless or irritable Changing eating, sleeping, or other habits Thinking of death or suicide, or attempting suicide.

And bear in mind there are different types of bipolar disorder.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bi...ndex.shtml Wrote:

• Bipolar I Disorder—defined by manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least 2 weeks.
  
• Bipolar II Disorder—defined by a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic or mixed episodes.
  
• Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS)—diagnosed when symptoms of the illness exist but do not meet diagnostic criteria for either bipolar I or II. However, the symptoms are clearly out of the person's normal range of behavior.
  
• Cyclothymic Disorder, or Cyclothymia—a mild form of bipolar disorder. People with cyclothymia have episodes of hypomania as well as mild depression for at least 2 years. However, the symptoms do not meet the diagnostic requirements for any other type of bipolar disorder.

When your character is flying off the handle, more likely than not, it's not a symptom of bipolar. Moody, temperamental people are not necessarily bipolar. Bipolar is much more serious (and defined) than losing your temper when you're otherwise a happy and sweet person. Just describe your character as moody. Don't use bipolar.

3.) And the others...

These aren't as common, but I see them on occasion and wish to address them before they happen again. Avoid using the following terms and conventions:

• Schizophrenia. There is more to schizophrenia than hearing voices in your head, and like the bipolar example I gave, there are many types and symptoms. Really, relying on schizophrenia to explain why your toon is hearing voices is cheap and tasteless. Warcraft already provides different reasons why your character may be having hallucinations and delusions, such as arcane illusions and shadow magic. The Old Gods are also worth mentioning, though don't try to bend/break lore that the Old Gods are telling you to do something ridiculous like murder your cousins because they smell like cinnamon. Just don't.
  
• Split Personality, Multiple Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, etc. Again, don't. This storytelling method is also rather cheap and tasteless, not to mention cliche. Nevermind that this already happened in lore, we still do not recommend it. Your character is not compelling when he/she has a hidden evil side that emerges while the good side is unconscious. It's annoying, it's predictable, and on my part, an insult to my intelligence.
  
  And I'm not fond of Varian's story anyway.
  

4.) Final Recommendations


But let's say you do want to genuinely explore a disorder. You did your reading, you researched case studies, you spoke with experts, and you personally got to know real life people with that disorder. And now you want to explore that disorder in a fictional story via RP. What can you do?

Here are my recommendations:

• Be vague in describing and playing out the character. Don't be explicit in portraying the symptoms and diagnosis. Describe them, but don't dwell on them. Show the symptoms as they are relevant to the situation, even if the real life symptoms are random in nature. Remember that you're playing this out in a fictional setting where people who may have the disorder or know someone with it may be reading/watching/RPing with you. You can also avoid unfortunate implications by hinting that the person may not have the diagnosis should something happen to them.
  
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• Don't rely on the disorder as a character gimmick. It's one thing to tell a story about how a character deals with a disorder, but it's entirely different when you use it to define the character him/herself. A character with legitimate bipolar disorder should not be Mrs. Bipolar-On-Legs. Anyone who suffers a disorder will straight-up tell you that they don't want to be defined by that disorder. Diagnosed folks have their own lives, personalities, and life goals that are separate from their diagnoses, and they hope to overcome them, even if they don't know how.
  
  And for the love of all that is holy, sacred, and sane...
  
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• Don't play out the disorder for laughs.

But as much as possible, try to avoid having a diagnosed character anyway unless you really, really, really know what you're doing. Avoid using explicit terms and remain vague. Don't use diagnoses as cheap coupons for plot and story, and above all, don't trivialize their conditions as not much more than gimmicks and jokes.


Thanks, folks.

Perhaps making a tidbit about the use of ADD/ADHD diagnostics to "enhance" a character? I've seen this often; people don't truly understand either ADD or ADHD, and play it into their character as simply "a loss of attention span", or "increased energy".

Just think this is important to add. If not, disregard me-- loved the post!

This post...

A great post and an important message, but remember that bipolar (without disorder attached) has an independent meaning and can still be used for other reasons!

Well put, lassy.

As someone who suffers from a large degree of the psychological issues mentioned here, I do get kind of confused when people mention their character having "bipolar" but only using it to enhance their character or whatever, instead of portraying the actual negative effects it has on one's mental state.

A slight addition, as this is relevant to something I've been studying lately, is that I absolutely would recommend looking into various Personality Theories out there for a bit of inspiration in how to contextualize your character in a few directions.

Consider looking into Eysenck, Jung, Allport and such, to name a (relative) few. Likewise, I'd absolutely suggest looking into various scales that have been developed, such as the Internal-External Control Scale (commonly termed the Locus of Control scale) and the Interpersonal Trust Scale, as well as the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire.

It is ultimately important, however, to keep in mind that these theories all have thoughts that could be correct and thoughts that can be very, very wrong. Personality is a flighty subject for science to tackle, so it's something that needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

The important thing to take away from my post is that the psychology behind and the personality of a character go far beyond Disorder.