1 link 4 February 2013

[sasha_feather]

wellingtongoose: Bipolar Sherlock

Does Sherlock have a bipolar affective disorder? Is he a manic depressive? If so, how is he treated? How does it affect his life and his relationships?

Comments

Hmm...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I don't think so. I think he
seems like that, but
there is a crucial difference.
Those are innate mental
conditions, and as such, they
tend to do their thing
regardless of external factors.

What Sherlock has is a very low
bullshit tolerance coupled with
a very low boredom tolerance.
The cyclic effect is primarily
because he varies between brief
circumstances which are ideal
for him (on a case) interspersed
with long interludes of toxic
circumstances (not on a case).
Consider how quickly intelligent
apes become self-destructive
or despondent if locked in
non-stimulating environments.
To Sherlock, ordinary life is
the equivalent of a barren cage,
and he reacts accordingly. Let
him out into the light of a
hard case, and he thrives.

He's still a dick, but imagine
if an ordinary person could
only interact with talking dogs
and baboons. No wonder he's
impatient and frustrated and
hostile most of the time. He's
painfully aware that people
around him are constantly
screwing things up in ways he
can't prevent, that can and do
hurt him and people he cares
about. You either learn to
damp down your caring somewhat,
or you really go nuts.