Villain Therapy: Gollum, Smeagol, and Dissociative Identity Disorder

Contributed by Cinema Therapy
Visit https://www.EstablishedTitles.com/CT10 and use discount code CT10 for an additional 10% off on all purchases! Can you overcome greed and selfishness? Can compassion help someone who's been through and done things like Gollum has? Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright talk about some of the aspects of Gollum's personality and journey that could be seen as mental illness, what aspects are just choices he makes, and what may be caused by circumstances he finds himself in (or supernatural powers like the ring. I mean, the precious.) They talk about the differences between multiple personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder, our potential for greed and selfishness, how understanding leads to compassion and compassion leads to healing, and why the Lord of the Rings is one of their favorite trilogies of all time. They also do some pretty great Gollum impressions (and give serious props to Andy Serkis and the VFX team). Jonathan's note: while the clinical information presented in this episode is accurate, there is more to the story. Since filming I have gained insight from several persons with dissociative identity disorder. In some cases it is not experienced as a core personality with alters to be integrated, but as a system of personalities living harmoniously. In these cases, there is nothing to "cure." There is more to cover on this subject and we look forward to doing so in future videos. Find out more about our membership site: https://thecinematherapy.com Get some popcorn here: https://www.lisaspopcorn.com Use code CTherapy at checkout for $5 off shipping! Cinema Therapy is: Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker and Alan Seawright Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright & Alan Seawright Edited by: David Sant Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen English Transcription by: Anna Preis


View video on YouTube.