Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Aspergers?

[I am not Spock]

I was just watching 'Hollow Pursuits' (I know, I know, an episode often maligned by fans). Brocolli strikes me as having many of the symptoms of these conditions (not picking, I have Aspergers myself). I wonder if he was written with this in mind, or not.

He kind of reminds me of an anti-Mary Sue character. Like he represents some of us, the viewers, the antisocial geeky, socially awkward types.

 

[Kevman7987]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

That is probably true. I'm not sure if they ever gave Reg a specific social disorder though, or if they just used him as a "blank slate" to have whichever one fits his role in the episode.

 

[Mojochi]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

social anxiety, self esteem issues, phobias, sure. I wouldn't feel comfortable saying he has a clinical condition though

 

[Salinga]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

I think, the character of Barcley is based on some symptoms of the Schizoid personality disorder:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizoid_personality_disorder

 

[I am not Spock]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

I found him a breath of fresh air. It showed that everyone in the 24th century is not a perfect Mary Sue, and a bundle of charisma and confidence. Although he is very gifted in his field, obviously.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

I was just watching 'Hollow Pursuits' (I know, I know, an episode often maligned by fans).

The irony!

Seriously, it's maligned more than the average episode is maligned? I hadn't noticed. It's not in my top ten or anything, but it's certainly a pretty good episode. And, I got some huge laughs out of it.

Brocolli strikes me as having many of the symptoms of these conditions (not picking, I have Aspergers myself). I wonder if he was written with this in mind, or not.

I doubt it. It would have been mentioned, if he'd had an untreatable condition. Ergo, if he had any such condition, it was treated, and he's now asymptomatic on the shows, to the best ability of 24th century medicine, if not completely cured.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Or perhaps he is like many of us today. Who just lean towards being shy and don't do well in social situations. Yet don't have any disorders.

 

[sonak]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Or perhaps he is like many of us today. Who just lean towards being shy and don't do well in social situations. Yet don't have any disorders.

what he had seemed to go beyond typical shyness, though. He was openly anxious and uncomfortable in social situations, not merely quiet or withdrawn. I'd say he had SAD. Great character, by the way.

 

[I am not Spock]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Or perhaps he is like many of us today. Who just lean towards being shy and don't do well in social situations. Yet don't have any disorders.

what he had seemed to go beyond typical shyness, though. He was openly anxious and uncomfortable in social situations, not merely quiet or withdrawn. I'd say he had SAD. Great character, by the way.

Yeah. There's more to him than just being shy. I can relate quite a bit to him, and I have Asperger syndrome, except I am not an engineering genius by any means. I don't think he was explicitly written with any particular condition in mind, but he's definitely neurotic, and socially withdrawn.

It was refreshing to see a person in the 24th C, who is not perfect, and suffers from some very real social phobias. I like his character, too

 

[Dick Whitman]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

He was one of my favorite characters too. Seeing Hallow Pursuits again recently I was shocked how badly the other characters treat him. In fact it is the few times we the crew have their own flaws. There treatment of him is unfortunately all too human.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Social anxiety disorder, yes. Aspergers, absolutely not.

It's possible in 24th century personality disorders are now just accepted as 'Who the person is' and not categorized disorders.

If humanity has progressed so much, it's probably progressed beyond pathologizing every personality trait which isn't adaptive to the norm, and started just accepting people for who they are.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

I can certainly empathise with the Character of Barclay, Yes I lean towards being shy, don't do great in social situations etc...

 

[sonak]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Social anxiety disorder, yes. Aspergers, absolutely not.

It's possible in 24th century personality disorders are now just accepted as 'Who the person is' and not categorized disorders.

If humanity has progressed so much, it's probably progressed beyond pathologizing every personality trait which isn't adaptive to the norm, and started just accepting people for who they are.

social anxiety disorder isn't characterized as a disorder because it's different from the norm, it's characterized as such because it significantly disrupts a person's social interactions, and has a negative impact on their life as far as dating, friends, employment, etc.

Introvert is a personality type, but "socially anxious" is not, because the person with SAD often doesn't WANT the anxiety associated with typical social interactions.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

True most people who are socially anxious don't want to be, but it can be a bit of a vicious cricle. When they try to do something about and it doesn't go right it just fuels their anxeity. But no doubt manypeople who have social anxeity are introverts.

I've heard/read it said we live in an extrovert world, perhaps part of the issue doesn't lie with those who have social anxeity or are introverts, but with the extroverts or the ones that don't suffer from social anxeity who think everyone should do well in social situations.

 

[JRoss]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Also an Aspie. Don't see him as autistic but SAD for sure.

 

[Gaith]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Reg is charismatic and charming as well as shy and introverted, which generally makes for an interesting performance. That said, the depths of his neuroses just aren't credible for someone living in a utopia like Trek's. For one thing, it's hard to imagine any kind of military officer being that awkward and bumbling, but I'll even put that aside. I'm an introvert and a quiet guy myself, but Reg needs professional help so obviously that I simply don't buy he wouldn't have gotten it long before his TNG days.

I enjoy and like the character, but he always takes me out of the given ep to a degree. Harry Kim was a more believable wimp for the setting - somewhat awkward and not particularly popular, but not a social catastrophe with legs.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Wasn't he realtively new to the Enterprise in his first apperance? If his character traits weren't impacting on his ability to do his job what's the problem. It's only when they impacted on his ability to perform his duties that they became a problem which need addressing.

 

[throwback]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Though the crew treated badly, I do find it assuring that Captain Picard chose to keep Lt. Barclay on his ship rather than transfer him to another ship, which carried with it the implication that Captain Gleason had done just that thing. I would think this might have an influence on how the lieutenant views himself knowing that one crew has rejected him.

And, I like it that Geordi LaForge and Deanna Troi kept in touch with him after he had left the Enterprise. I feel Voyager did right with Barclay.

I don't think it's possible to diagnose Barclay's condition. From what I have seen, in movies and tv shows, the people who write scripts are for the most part ignorant of mental disabilities and mental illnesses. When they do reveal knowledge of these two, it comes off as superficial and flawed.

 

[Gaith]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

Wasn't he realtively new to the Enterprise in his first apperance? If his character traits weren't impacting on his ability to do his job what's the problem. It's only when they impacted on his ability to perform his duties that they became a problem which need addressing.

What about family? Childhood friends? Academy classmates? Fellow officers? Professional mentors? All of these should have been able to point him in the direction of counseling long before he got to the Enterprise.

 

[throwback]

Re: Does Reginald Barclay have social anxiety disorder and/or Asperger

There was a brief mention in "Hollow Pursuits" that Barclay's "seclusive tendencies" were noted more than once by people at the Academy.