Milk as a psych major jow would you do therapy on Will?

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Although I am not a psychiatrist, I do have a major in psychology and biomedicine which gives me enough knowledge to understand his mind at a clinical level. Soon I’ll have a PhD in pharma so let’s play around cause I could also add a few prescriptions too, just for fun lol.

If we’re going by the book then the first thing that would stand out to me is the possibility of OCD, so I’d get some assessments like a scrupulosity subtype, so Y-BOCS modified for moral themes. Maybe autism spectrum, so RAADS-R or ADOS-2 for differential diagnosis. I’d like to use SIPS (Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes) too, for the hallucinations that remained even after he was treated from encephalitis. And definitely a CAPS-5 for complex trauma.

So I’d prescribe a SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) for OCD, a low-dose Atypical Antipsychotic for hallucinations and a non-addictive antihistamine with anxiolytic effect for insomnia. And 100% a mood stabilizer (makes me very upset that Alana never even suggested to Hannibal considering how persistent she was about Will being unstable).

But…to be completely honest, in terms of therapy I don’t think the traditional frameworks would be good for him. I’d try schizoanalysis. Symptom is production, not dysfunction

Will’s hallucinations, empathy disorder, and moral OCD are seen as desiring-machines creating new connections.

Instead of asking “why do you feel guilty?” schizoanalysis might explore:

“Where does the guilt want to go? What does it connect to? Does it create loops or blockages?”

For example, his guilt about understanding killers connects to authority (Jack), law (cop identity), and intimacy (Hannibal). These assemblages aren’t to be judged, they’re to be mapped and re-engineered.

Hannibal is not seen as a father figure or shadow self, he is a machine Will is connected to.

I’d ask: “What does the Lecter-machine do to the Graham-machine? Does it open you up? Does it decode your world? Does it overcode you? Does it plug you into death?”

This language bypasses ego and goes straight to flows: of power, desire, representation, violence.

In this system, Will is not to be healed, but rewired, made more aware of the mechanisms he’s part of and how they trap or liberate him. He might not feel better (as he wouldn’t in any other type probably) but he may gain agency over how he assembles himself, which ultimately what he needs. I’d really want to help him and for a mind like his, that is so intelligent and intuitive…Traditional therapy won’t work or it would make everything worse (specifically CBT for example).