You have said before that Simon has IED. Anything else you can think of?
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I can psychoanalyze this guy properly now with my many months worth of notes.
My credentials: I have a degree in literature analysis, doubled up on technical/creative writing, and have a minor in abnormal psychology.
Note: these are evidence-based headcanons to be used as a writing resource, and are otherwise based from implication (e.g. if he went through X, then the probably has Y).
Simon's Mental Health Conditions Masterlist
Intermittent Explosive Disorder <- Simon is textbook. This is my strongest evidence-based note as he checks all the boxes here.
C-PTSD with hyper-arousal and psychotic traits <- This is a given and my second strongest evidence-based note. We don't know if the Shadowman hallucination has been a long-time thing for Simon or not. He was also a victim of cult-organized abuse, war, witnessing the Quiet Rapture (which automatically signs you up for high risk of psychosis) and a scarcity crisis. See the Simon's PTSD Triggers Masterlist.
Childhood Conduct Disorder <- They were letting that little boy run around with a knife in a cult directly after the death of his mother as a child soldier. I'd be acting out, too, if I were him.
Panic attacks, possible panic disorder <- Simon has multiple of these in Iron Lung, and in flashbacks.
At high risk to develop a Substance Use Disorder <- if there was enough to go around, he'd be an alcoholic.
Parasomnia, specifically Nightmare Disorder brought on by C-PTSD.
At high risk for developing something like Brief Reactive Psychosis. If Simon's mental health is left unchecked, especially in the state he's in, he might periodically collapse under the pressure for a few weeks.
High risk for Major Depressive Disorder due to the nature of the environment. Despite this, Simon's doing everything he can to keep his head up, even if it's hard.
Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder <- We see Simon go through multiple out-of-body experiences due to psychological stress. This overlaps with Simon's freeze response.
High risk for Functional Neurological Disorder or other psychosomatic pain disorder <- This is where chronic stress has gotten so bad, so persistent, that it begins to manifest into physical symptoms (e.g. tremors, muscle weakness, chronic fatigue, double vision, confusion, dizziness, otherwise unexplained pain). I can definitely see Simon having unexplained and "strange" somatic pain symptoms after ~21 years of straight trauma. Simon wakes up and the world is on fire. Simon goes to sleep, and the nightmares are on fire. He doesn't get a break.
There is a level of comorbidity among all these disorders, and they line up with his PTSD triggers list pretty accurately. Simon's head is a Venn diagram if you squint.
areudirty
snowghoul
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
discoholicmusic
