Roose Bolton's self control and leeching

[Dorian Martell's son]

On 12/8/2017 at 1:51 PM, Lady Dacey said:

I'd like to trigger allert here about self injury 

 

What's up with Roose and he's leeches? Really? People have several theories about his habit of his, but none have convinced me so far. Some say he's obssessed with purging (he's all about prunes keeping one regulated too) but why?? 

While rereading ADWD something rung a bell for me. It's not really a theory as much as a thought, something I see fitting his personality... He tells Reek:

"I know." Lord Bolton sighed. "His blood is bad. He needs to be leeched. The leechessuck away the bad blood, all the rage and pain. No man can think so full of anger. Ramsay, though … his tainted blood would poison even leeches, I fear."

It hit me immediately! As a person with former problems with self injury I just felt it. The leeching actually makes him think more clearly. It helps his self control, it's a way of not giving in to the same crazy behavior his son engages in. The same way people cut themselves to make pain or stress or sadness go away, to blunt emotions with the physical sensation of being hurt. It makes sense he's being leeched while having an important conversation with his fellow lords in Harrenhal for exemple. Same way people will pick on scars and fresh cuts when stressed... it's a coping mechanism. He rationalizes the 'bad blood' stuff, he might even believe it... but it's a coping mechanism all the same. When he does it, the sensation of leeches on his skin, maybe the physical disconfort, or even the idea that they are sucking away the 'bad' in him, actually work to make his 'rage and  pain' go away, so he remains in control of himself. It helps him think better. That seems very close to the behavior of people who engage in self injury and self mutilation to me... talking about myself and many people I've met in support groups.

Does that make any sense or am I tripping? 

Leeching is not something that self harming folks would do. There is no pain and relatively little blood loss

[Springwatch]

The message I get from all this is that Roose is treating himself for the same symptoms he sees in Ramsay: rages, violent excesses, and impulsiveness.

Roose controls his symptoms well, but I don't doubt he's suppressing a lot of anger against the out-of-control Ramsay, who could be heading for a very bad end at the hands of his own father.