To all you medical and psychology students and practitioners, here’s a quick list of characters from Game of Thrones, along with their proper medical condition or trait: Sandor “The Hound” Clegane – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD is an anxiety disorder linked to serious traumatic events. It develops after a shocking, often harmful, event has happened to a person. The thoughts or recollection of said events causes panic attacks in the person with PTSD. In the case of the Hound, his brother burning half his face when children, made him develop a total paralyzing fear of fire. Tyrion Lannister – Napoleon/Small Man Syndrome A known term to describe the inferiority complex that short men tend to possess. This causes them to overcompensate by putting more effort than men of regular height would. Tyrion says it himself to Jon Snow: “My brother Jaime has his sword, I have my mind. And a mind needs books, just like a sword needs a whetstone” Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane – Sadism A person who enjoys inflicting pain on others. Need we say more? Sansa Stark – Masochism When a person obtains any sort of gain through tolerating mental or physical abuse from someone close to them. Poor Sansa has been a victim throughout the entire series so far. Hopefully, she can diverge from this path in season 6. Joffrey Baratheon / Ramsey Bolton – Anti Social Personality Disorder A mental condition in which a person’s thought patterns and perceptions are completely dysfunctional, maybe even destructive. They tend to treat others harshly, or with complete indifference and zero empathy. Both bastards here encompass these traits, making them hateable characters. Robin Arryn – Oedipus Complex When a child has too much affection towards the parent of the opposite sex, and resentment, even jealousy towards the parent of the same one. Robin Arryn is 9 in the story, and is still breastfed by his over protective mother Lysa. While not his fault technically, this can lead to personality issues with the Lord of the Vale later in his personal life. Theon “Reek” Greyjoy – Catalepcy Catalepcy is a medical condition that’s nervous in nature, and affects a person’s posture with rigidity of its muscles and limbs. After all the torture that Theon has endured at the hands of Ramsey Snow/Bolton, it is not surprising to have him completely inactive, regardless of what outside stimuli comes his way. Samwell Tarly – Obesity A compulsive eating disorder, and lack of physical activity, that lead to serious negative effects on a person’s health. In the case of Samwell Tarly, it even meant being disowned by his own (ruthless) father before being sent to the Wall Aerys “The Mad King” Targaryen – Pyromania The Sickness of enjoying things (and people) burn. The Mad King was very fond of Wildfire, even considering burning the entire capital once the Lannisters sacked the city at the end of Robert Baratheon’s Rebellion. Alliser Thorne / Jaime Lannister – Narcissism When a person has an inflated sense of their own importance and complete disregard towards others, often seeing them as inferior to them. While Jaime Lannister before his capture fits that profile, Ser Alliser Thorne of the Nights Watch is a more subtle case of the condition. His speech to the Nights Watch when announcing the death of Jon Snow confirms it, as he centers most of it around himself. Grand Maester Pycelle – Malingerer A Person that fakes illness, or exaggerate symptoms, for personal gain or to avoid work and duty. To understand how this one works most with Pycelle, one needs to watch the scene in Season 2, Episode 10, where he confronts an injured Tyrion after the Battle of Blackwater Bay. It’s the only time in the show where he doesn’t fake his senile age. Tywin Lannister – Megalomania Ruthless, amoral, highly ambitious with a thirst and lust for power. That’s Tywin Lannister to a T, as shown in these other moments in Game of Thrones. Jorah Mormont – Obsessive Love A state of mind in which a person feels an obsessive desire to possess a person to whom they feel strong attraction, with the inability to accept rejection from that very same person. Jorah has proved it many times that he is obsessed with Daenerys Targaryen, even saving her in the Fighting Pits of Mereen. Lysa Arryn – Delusional Jealousy Or Othello Syndrome as some would call it. The delusional condition when a person has irrational fears about their lover/spouse having an affair. With it come attempts at controlling, manipulating the person, and in some cases, violence Bran Stark – Psychoticism A generic psychiatric term in which a person starts losing contact with reality. Bran is now training to have visions through the Weirwood trees with the Three Eyed Raven. Even he warns him not to stay “under the sea” for too long, for he will drown should he stay too long. Stannis Baratheon – Stubbornness When a person will not bend nor compromise until their own personal agenda is met. The Baratheon’s smith Donal Noye, absent in the show, even says it himself when comparing each Baratheon brother to a metal: “Stannis is pure Iron. Hard and brittle. He’ll break before he bends”. Stannis is so consumed by his duty, it even makes him sacrifice his own daughter to achieve it. Brienne Of Tarth – Masculinity Complex / Tomboyism Or as Sigmund Freud worded it: “Penis Envy”. When a girl dresses and behaves like a boy to find significance in her life. Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish – Mythomania Mythomania (or Pathological Lying) is a trait where a person tends to exaggerate stories, or flat out lie with no second thoughts to it, thinking everyone else is lying to them as well. Littlefinger has his own objectives to fulfill, and he doesn’t shy away at lying in order to obtain what he wants. Having Lysa lie to her sister Cat about the murder of the Hand of the King Jon Arryn, as well as lying to Cat herself about the Catspaw blade belonging to Tyrion Lannister, both occur in the very first season. Oberyn Martell – Sex Addiction Oberyn even says it himself “Make sure to have your fill before you’re old”. A constant craving for the flesh that can distract a person from his tasks and duties. Cersei Lannister – Alcoholism Excessive and compulsive drinking that leads to psychological and physical addiction. The Queen drinks more than ever, even her brother Jaime noticed it multiple times. Arya Stark – Schizophrenia / Multiple Personality Disorder “In order to become someone, a girl needs to become no one”. Arya Stark’s struggle with her own identity versus the one the Faceless Men want her to take creates this personality conflict within her. Schizophrenia Jon Snow – Martyr Complex Also known as “Victim Complex”, when a person exaggerates his own suffering or persecutions, wanting to become a martyr for his own sake. In some cases, attributing their persecution to an exceptional ability of their own. Jon being a skillful, castle trained highborn bastard puts him at odds with the rest of the Nights Watch when he first takes the Black. Source
