#david leatherhoff

I think David might have schizotypal personality disorder; while many aspects could be mistaken for the effects of phencyclidine-induced "schizophrenia," his delusions of persecution*³, of connections*², and so on are personally linked to him, if he didn't have a personality disorder, the whole game would be just a mess of psychotic symptoms. He can't have schizophrenia because his psychosis then will continued after detox, and in our case, David wakes up without psychosis.

(If anything, I'll focus more on the most logical ending)

So, reasons:

1. David is quiet —

Andreas described him as a mysterious and quiet man, which is exactly what he is in the game;

2*. Idea of connections (I don't know the correct translation) —

As I said, everything is connected to David in one way or another, unlike the case if he weren't schizotypal;

Detailed description:

In David's mind we are shown that the cottage in the woods is supposedly connected in some way to his Addiction;

I’m not sure if this counts, but he has very strange mental associations regarding levers and doors and the way things shift as he moves back and forth throughout the game (it’s hard to describe precisely). I might interpret this as "if I touch something here, something will happen over there" (That’s a vague example). To put it more precisely: a conviction that his thoughts or actions (which aren't the cause) can somehow influence events around him;

* He perceives a threat in absolutely everyone. Of course, this is a bit of a stretch since we don't know all the details, but viewing passersby as enemies could imply that he believes they know something about him or hate him (a combination of paranoia and ideas of connection);

* He also likely dislikes being watched (judging by the drawings of eyes everywhere) because he feels his thoughts are being read (another instance where paranoia and the concept of interconnectedness intertwine, though colored by magical thinking).

3. Paranoia —

He clearly thinks he is being followed (the sign in the disabled toilet at the very beginning, the sign behind the box on the stairs down);

He believes that doctors and passers-by want to hurt him (see q. 2.3*↑)

See q. 2.4*↑

4. Dissociations —

He dissociates from the fact that he is a drug addict, you can read more specifically here;

5. (doubtful) Magical thinking —

Unfortunately, many people do not realize that not everything the media shows us is logical. The endings will not follow the correct numbering, so I will briefly describe them.

1. The ending where David hanged himself

Reason:

In prison, all personal items a prisoner is wearing are confiscated. They also generally swap out the clothing — after all, David could easily hang himself using a hoodie, for instance with the drawstrings (though the noose on the character model is actually much wider than a drawstring). The theory that he hanged himself using a piece of a pillowcase is illogical, as there are no beds in a prison like the one he is in;

2. The ending where he's surrounded by the police.

Reason:

That white light at the end of the tunnel is literally a near-death state you can only snap out of with medical help and even then, doing so within the last 3-5 minutes of life is extremely difficult. By the way, I also don't get how the police found him. Or rather, how they knew it was that specific home? Although, in this ending, he might have killed only two people (presumably his parents, who managed to call the police) rather than twenty-seven. Basically, this ending is just as crappy as the interrogation one, because we’re barely given any answers and are left with lingering questions;

3. The ending where he's interrogated by the police.

Reason:

That white light at the end of the tunnel is literally a near-death state from which one can only emerge with medical intervention and even then, doing so within the final 3-5 minutes before death is extremely difficult. Furthermore, we aren't actually told how he ended up being interrogated.

Yes, these endings might be interconnected, but certain facts contradict this:

1. Different paths to endings;

2. There's no scene or hint of a forensic examination, which is mandatory;

3. Different timelines for "emerging from a near-death state";

4. Quote from the Gemotest website:

The individual who committed the mass killing while in a state of acute psychosis faces a mandatory, comprehensive forensic psychiatric evaluation. If medical professionals and the court deem him legally insane (he did not comprehend the danger of his actions due to a severe mental disorder) — he will be exempted from criminal liability and committed to compulsory treatment in a secure psychiatric hospital.

They couldn't put him in prison because he was insane. Of course, the game itself doesn't explicitly state that he was mentally ill, but:

1. The pills are in a bottle resembling an antidepressant container, and the action takes place in a hospital;

2. David’s delirium wasn’t chaotic, even though the situation was straightforward, but was nonetheless rooted in his memories. Even though we don’t see overt psychotic symptoms after the detox, we see David is impulsive about that he remembers nothing; this could essentially indicate that the PCP triggered a latent condition on the schizophrenia spectrum.

looking at my old art like awwww awwwwwwwww awww i cant believe i ever hated it with a passion

like this one image defines my 2023/4 its so nostalgic