Threeparts wrote...
AquilaChrysaetos86 wrote...
To be honest, I really got the impression that he was suffering from 'bog standard' depression, for lack of a better term, in Awakenings too.
Not to get too personal, but I constantly surprise people when I tell them that I have suffered on and off with depression for the last 12 years because I am always the one cracking jokes. Nothing is ever serious. Anders has had some pretty crap things happen in his life, and he deflects it with humour. I can completely see how Vengeance could have exacerbated this. Particularly as someone said ages ago (can't remember who) that Anders is probably suffering from near constant cognitive dissonance.
I definitely agree that he uses humour to deflect negativity in his life, but I'm thinking more that he's active, he's taking delight in others' company, he's enjoying their jaunts around the countryside (for the most part), he risks his own life by coming back to help the Warden - things like that would indicate to me that he's going through a manic phase.
He has times when his mood drops when discussing the templars and his past in the Circle, but they seem more like dips in a good mood than the jokes being upticks in a low mood. If that were the case, I would wonder if his subsequent joining with Justice occured during a depressive phase, perhaps incorporating the memories of solitary and the fear of being alone that we've discussed before.
Justice's offer of assistance against the templars and Circle could have been something to cling to while feeling alone and depressed, a spark of hope that encouraged him to do something he may not have considered in a better frame of mind.
Hmm, this could be true. Not disagreeing with you necessarily, but I can only go with my own personal experience. Once I hit rock bottom once, I never went back there again. And since then I've still been able to enjoy life to
some degree, even when in the depths of depression. Although it doesn't really bring you out of your depression per se, being around people who aren't constantly judging you, feeling at least a tiny bit accepted, and also being active can really help in lifing mood.
There is also a shame aspect to depression in that you don't really want people to know how bad you are feeling. You could also interpret Anders' coming back to help the warden as a self-destructive '**** it, the Templars are going to kill me anyway.' moment.
I do definately agree with the bolded though. Particularly the loneliness aspect. At least with Justice he will never be alone again - something I would imagine being in solitary for a year compounded.
Also, as a side note, I can see why he thinks the Ferelden circle is only marginally better than Kirkwall's. A
year in solitary is, to my mind, unimaginably cruel.
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