What a great idea, I thought. I’d write a blog for Mental Health week and especially for Mental Health blogging day, May 16, 2012.

Then, I considered what I’d blog about. There are so many topics out there to learn more about and to give information.

However, I decided to be a bit whimsical and blog about my favorite character – Winnie-the-Pooh. Once I started doing some research on ol’ Pooh, I found out that many people have drawn a correlation between the Hundred Acre Woods occupants and Mental Disorders.

Who would have thunk it, eh? So, I checked out some sources, did some research and am going to impart a bit of it to you.

If you first don’t have a clue to whom or what I’m talking about, go here: Wikipedia – Winnie-the-Pooh. You’ll learn almost anything any everything you ever wanted to discover about A.A. Milne’s favorite bear.

As for Winnie-the-Pooh, he’s always been my favorite character. I relate to him more now as an adult than I ever did when I was a child. Maybe, because I understand him more; and the psychology behind the creating of the Hundred Acre Woods.

A.A. Milne clearly had a grasp of the mentally ill and mental disorders. An observation found by many others – all coming relatively close to the same conclusion.

Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends in Hundred Acre Woods suffered severe mental illnesses and coped the best way the could be co-existing and relying on each other’s strengths.

Winnie-the-Pooh said it best, “When speaking to a bear of Very Little Brain, remember that long words may Bother him.” (1) Oh how I can relate. My brain has definitely regressed and suffered from all the anti-psychotic and anti-depressants I’ve ingested over the many years since I’ve been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. 

According to Wellsphere, in their Bipolar Disorder community, they’ve given a decent illustration of who in Hundred Acre Wood has what disorder.

In the December 2000 edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the joint teams of Dalhousie University’s Pediatrics Department published a study that diagnosed the characters in Winnie the Pooh with crippling mental problems. (2)

Here are some examples:

Eating Disorder – though you may not think of this as a mental disorder, the cause of it is Pooh’s low self-esteem that is psychological resulting in his excessive need for honey

Narcissistic Personality Disorder – being excessively preoccupied with themselves. Owl believes that he is the cleverest animal in the wood, boasting how he has brains whilst “the others have fluff”

Schizophrenia – this is when there is a malfunction in the perception of reality that is certainly evident in Christopher having hallucinations where he imagines his stuffed toys are alive

ADHD – condition of the brain in which results in hyperactivity and trouble paying attention

Panophobia – a mental condition where you fear everything. Piglet gets overly-nervous several times and this is apparent in the way his ears subtly twitch. 

OCD – an anxiety disorder in which the person suffers from obsessive thoughts and compulsive tendencies. These can be seen in Rabbit having uncontrollable actions such as cleaning and, basically, being a “neat freak” (but to an extreme level)

 

Depression– mental state characterized by a dejected and gloomy feeling surrounding them and a lack of activity

If you’re curious as to which character you most resemble, you can find out by taking one of the following tests: (Of course, they’re all in good fun, so don’t take them seriously.) For what it’s worth, I came up as Pooh each time. Go figure, eh?
 

Winnie-the-Pooh Character Guide: Poohsonality Test

The Deep and Meaningful Winnie-The-Pooh Character Test

100 Acre Personality Quiz

Which Winnie-the-Pooh Character Are You?

 

(1) Source: Pooh’s Little Instruction Book copyright 1995 by Dutton Children’s Books – inspired by A. A. Milne

(2) Source – Read more: 6 Insane (But Convincing) Theories on Children’s Pop Culture | Cracked.comhttp://www.cracked.com/article_19673_6-insane-but-convincing-theories-childrens-pop-culture.html#ixzz1v432xQIz

(3) Source – Mental Disorders Demonstrated by Winnie-the-Pooh Characters

(4) The creator of these gifs is Matthew Wilkinson

(5) Source – Return to Pooh Corner