Which Winnie the Pooh Disorder are You: An Examination of Mental Health - By Araina

Most of us know Winnie the Pooh as the beloved anthropomorphic teddy bear in the hit children’s show “Winnie the Pooh”. The series follows Pooh and his other animal friends as they navigate wonderful adventures in the forest. Behind the happy trope of silly talking animals, there lies a darker theory surrounding the behavior of our favorite characters. When analyzing the behavior of Pooh’s gang, we notice erratic, unnerving, and—simply put—concerning behavior that parallels numerous mental health disorders.

Pooh (Eating disorder): There lies no surprise behind the fact that Pooh represents compulsive eating disorder. Throughout the whole series, Pooh’s whole gimmick is that he can not stop eating honey. He has no control over actions, and is most likely unaware of his self-destructive behavior.

Piglet (Anxiety disorder): Piglet’s anxiety can be sensed from miles away. The fidgety pig always voices his worries and fears, even when there is nothing to be concerned about.

Eeyore (Depression): Perhaps the most obvious of the disorders in the show is Eeyore's depression. With his ears and tail down dragging across the floor, the donkey’s mood is always down. Eeyore seems to be stuck in a never ending cycle of sadness despite being surrounded by friends which is common for those who suffer from depression.

Rabbit (OCD): Rabbit always seems overly focused on the status of his garden. He places strong emphasis on making things neat and orderly.

Owl (Dyslexia): Ironic, isn’t it, that the wisest animal of them all suffers from dyslexia. As humorous as it may seem, it is actually rather devastating that owl struggles so much with his spelling and intellectualism. He most likely can not participate in the stock market.

Tigger (ADHD): Bouncing, jumping, and springing all over the place: Tigger just can not stay put. Like most who struggle with ADHD, Tigger struggles to stay in place and pay attention as he is constantly moving around.

Christopher Robin (Schizophrenia): The one human friend in the show is Christopher Robin. He is a manifestation of the show’s creator’s actual child. It is believed that all the characters are just a representation of Christopher’s many moods.

Many dispute this theory, citing that these disorders were just beginning to be studied at the start of the show's creation; they could not have been intentionally included in the plot. While this is possible, it could also be the case that the show’s creator’s son was just a lunatic since the plot was based on his actions. He is crazy and needs to be locked up and studied.

Nevertheless, if it brings us solace to relate our mental health disorders to our favorite childhood characters, then so be it!

 

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