Darth Vader's Psyche: What Went Wrong?

Anakin Skywalker, Who Became Darth Vader, Had Borderline Personality Disorder, Psychiatrists Say

(WebMD)  Anakin Skywalker, the Star Wars character who became Darth Vader, had borderline personality disorder, psychiatrists report.

The news comes not from a galaxy far, far away, but from San Diego, where the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is holding its 160th annual meeting.

Experts from the psychiatric department at France's University Hospital of Toulouse told the APA's annual meeting that Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader could "clearly" be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental illness marked by instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior, according to background information on the Web site of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

The French psychiatrists — who included Laurent Schmitt, M.D. — based their diagnosis on original Star Wars film scripts.

Schmitt's team describes Skywalker's symptoms, including problems with controlling anger and impulsivity, temporary stress-related paranoia, "frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment (when trying to save his wife at all costs), and a pattern of unstable and intense personal relationships," including his relationships with his Jedi masters.

Changing his name and turning into "Darth Vader" is a red flag of Skywalker's disturbed identity, note Schmitt and colleagues.

The researchers aren't suggesting that real people with borderline personality disorder are Darth Vaders-in-the-making. Skywalker's symptoms are an extreme, fictional case.

Borderline personality disorder can be treated through psychotherapy and with medication. But that wasn't part of Skywalker's script.

[extremophil]

Will someone please tell these French "Psychiatrists" that Darth Vader is a fictional character? Or maybe they want to diagnose Shrek as a schizoid personality and Superman as narcissistic?

[rhondam5]

Don't these doctors have "real" patients they can help! Of course Darth Vader had a personality disorder.....he was a villan in a movie, they are written that way!

[scottyusa]

Only the French would think of this. And to bring it up at such an important annual meeting of all things. Thank heavens we saved them in WWII. I hear they will be analyzing cartoon characters for next years meeting. Even on the global level there are comedians.

[gary4books]

An interesting way to show that popular fictions need a foundation in the real world and that therapies can be part of the discussion.

[hypnotoad72]

Why is THIS considered news? About a sci-fi series written by who must have been aged 12 at the time given the simplistic inanity of the storyline...

Just remember, folks - the next time you pay a shrink for a visit, remember how much was spent to determine a fictional character's purported "mental illness".

[barbaraf4]

Unleash your inner-child for a few minutes and enjoy this!

[justfacts2]

I cannot believe research dollars was spent on this kind of c r a p! No wonder honest researchers have to fight to get funding when so called "professionals" pull this c r a p. Who cares? Are they going to spend more money to research and analyze Harry Potter?

[incog-nito]

These psychiatrists are good! I can't wait to call them and have them diagnose the personalities of my imaginary friends. I just can't figure them out!

[thevian]

To justfacts2, hypnotoad72, scottyusa, RhondaM5, Extremophil: You guys are stupid.

Psychiatrists attend these conferences to discuss and propagate research findings on psychiatric topics. Most of their day is spent pouring over research findings and the like. Boring.

Since they're already there and they want to build camaraderie amongst researchers and lessen the boredom, they try to have a little fun aside from all the serious topics. Conferences like these B always /B include some fun topics to spice up the rigamarole.

That's old hat. For example, there's a tradition of song and dance at the after-dinner show of the ASEAN Regional Forum a time for foreign ministers of various Asia-Pacific countries to loosen up after discussing security issues. In 2004, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell dressed up as construction worker and sang a song to the tune of "YMCA".

Of course the media only reports on the interesting stuff happening at conferences, leaving the vast majority of idiots like you to get all puffy about the possible "research dollars" or "time wasted" or "Frenchiness" of one little topic presented at a conference where dozens of more serious topics are also being discussed. The "research" on Anakin Skywalker probably took place somewhere in France after working hours at a cafe over a bottle of wine.

[ares44-2009]

I think that he just needed a big hug.

[glb1969]

I would now like a study showing how Bush's personality disorder and hypermaniacal lying are going to lead him to convert to the next Darth Vader.

[termc2]

I believe that this is an insightful article as those of us who are the "victims" with a family member that has Borline Personality Disorder they show compassion and bring a lighter side to us. I thank you for putting this article on the web. I have a daughter with the disorder and she is getting worse and I ask you not judge until you are put in the shoes of a victim of the Borderline. I am at the barrel of the gun to her wrath. It is real. She will lonve me on minute and hate me and emotionally abuse me the next. Let's thank God Darth Vader was only an actor...

[extremophil]

This just in: Olive Oyl is anorexic, and Betty Boop is histrionic. In addition, French psychiatrists are fictional characters.

[hissteps4u]

Ah the Force is Sttrong with this One. Search your Feeling out-- You know this to be true! LOL

What a waste of Bandwedth.

[blackbug99]

LOL, the french will do anything but fight. Imagine, that a character over six movies written by multiple people has a split personality. Who'd a thunk it?

[questionevil]

I wonder if Bill Frist could give us a more accurate diagnosis? He is an expert in the field of video diagnosis?

[ebrew3]

Must not be enough real people around for the psychiatrists to treat...must go into fantasy-land...must go into fantasy-land...

[andrew_693]

Wow this is as important as the news about a kitten being rescued. On a lighter note, they found the body of one of the missing iraq.

[drew30319-2009]

Wow this is as important as the news about a kitten being rescued. On a lighter note, they found the body of one of the missing iraq.

Posted by andrew_693 at 05:00 PM : May 23, 2007

---------------

Do you believe that only "hard" news should be reported? I found this article interesting and assume that others did as well.

I also read about the tests done on the body found in Iraq. Are you concerned that the person writing about the war in Iraq was taken from their duties to write about Darth Vader?

I don't think that CBS is running low on reporters. I also don't think the Web is running out of space so you might have to get used to stories that don't meet your "importance" criteria.

[shrinkraproy]

Thevian is correct (not so much the 'stupid' part, but the fact that these presentations are done in a tongue-in-cheek, semi-serious way).

The problem here is that this story is reported as "news", when it is actually just psychiatric convention filler. The folks at home can rest assured that we psychiatrists aren't taking ourselves TOO seriously.

-Roy
mythreeshrinks.com