Top 5 Undiagnosed Mental Illnesses in Film

With the release of Silver Linings Playbook on DVD/BluRay today, I couldn’t help but think of other movies where mental illness has been the focus of the story. Sure, there are obvious choices like Psycho, Fight Club, Black Swan and A Beautiful Mind. But what about the characters in film who never truly diagnosed for their personality issues?

To investigate this and properly diagnose these classic film characters, I have taken an 8 day course at a local community college and received a “Doctorate in Physchology.” No, there’s no misprint there. Best $1400 I’ve ever spent.

Now let’s get down to it. It’s time to sit these characters on the couch and find out what’s really wrong with them.

5 – Yoda

“Improve with age, I do.”

Poor Yoda. Not only was he going through the worst awkward stage in Episode 1, but since the age of 341 he has been struggling with his Dyslexia. I cannot confirm nor deny that I read that in Star Wars fan-fiction. This illness is not all bad though, it can actually enhance a brain’s ability to create and alter perceptions. Ah, it makes sense now. He got dyslexia from his advanced Jedi training. He also suffers from Paranoid Personality Disorder because he has been hiding in the little-traveled Dagobah System for over 20 years for fear of an assassination from the Empire.

4 – Willy Wonka

“You must sign a waiver before entering the boat. And remember kids…don’t tell your parents.”

Willy Wonka would be a typical shut-in if it were not for his fantastic factory and world he’s created inside it. He has so many people trying to steal his secrets that he is suffering from Agoraphobia, which is an anxiety disorder where the person fears wide open spaces, crowds and areas they can’t easily escape. Instead, he invites children to his factory where he controls everything that happens. Sufferers of Agoraphobia typically suffer from panic attacks. I blame that terrifying LSD-induced boat ride. He does leave the factory in his great glass elevator, but you must remember that it’s his “bubble” and he’s safe there.

He also has Bipolar disorder, or Manic-Depressive Disorder, at times he is frenzied and manic, and has a twisted view of the world known as psychosis.

3 – Bella

“What two guys wouldn’t fight over this?”

I’ll never understand the “timeless” love story of Edward and Bella. There are so many issues with pedophilia, necrophilia, beastiality, and more. Beyond those “romantic” ideas, Bella seriously suffers with Borderline Personality Disorder. She looks for unstable and intense personal relationships. People suffering with this deal with idealization and devaluation of themselves and others around them. They also look for ways to harm themselves and have suicidal tendencies. She also had Clinical Depression. When Edward left town in New Moon, she sat in her room for 8 months and would barely eat.

As a side note, Jacob absolutely has Vestiphobia, which is a fear of clothing.

2 – James Bond

“Looks like that tractor needs more…training…”

James Bond always has the situation under control. There is no cooler super spy, but does he really need to wear a formal suit in extremely hazardous circumstances? Apparently he does, because he suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. He is overly preoccupied with personal adequacy, prestige, power and vanity. Watching him over the years, you can clearly see he deals with a Hypersexual Disorder as well. His sexual addiction, is clearly aligned with his self-destructive personality.

1 – Belle

“Belle, you’ve read it 3 times already! Leave or I’m calling the police!”

Belle is one of my favorite Disney princesses. As a perverted young boy, I thought she was the 2nd hottest princess (perhaps I have the mental illness here). But as I watch this movie more, I see just how much baggage this girl actually has. Red flags all over the place. Beyond Stockholm Syndrome, she suffers with Bibliomania. The source of all knowledge, Wikipedia, states that this syndrome is “a symptom of OCD, which involves the collecting or even hoarding of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged.” Then when she meets the Beast, he enables her with his massive library and she falls in love with an animal. So many issues.

Also, she suffers from Schizotypal Personality Disorder. Sufferers of this illness need social isolation. They also have odd behavior and thinking and often unconventional beliefs. They often believe supernatural events are likely to happen to them…like cups and clocks talking and singing to them. She really is “strange but special. A most peculiar mad’moiselle!”