#and i mean the only character with bpd what i know is dennis reynolds from iasip

[fridgrave2-0]

just watched npmd and there was one thought what was spinning in my head the whole time

does max have borderline personality disorder???

he has anger issues but when the nerds tried to prank him he LIKED IT. A LOT. dude said it's the nicest thing anyone ever done to him and immediately trusted the nerds he hates like its normal even when they actually scared him. he really thought they made him a gift in a form of a spooky party i cant hes so silly--

also the will to fight a real ghost is reckless af if you think about it and max barely hesitated

the whole "who will pray for me" shows how much he was actually reflecting on his life before dying. he knew there would be nothing for him when the school ends (but at the same time he calls himself a god, his self-image is fucked up). max gets everything and everyone under his control to escape the feeling of inevitable emotional abandonment. being the "literal monster" gives him the false sense of control over this feeling, so max can think he's alone not because hes not okay and his dad is a jerk who convinsed him what he's a nobody and no one will ever want to do anything with him - but because max chose to be alone and hated and feared by everyone

[popculturepsychology-blog]

What disorder did Lindsay Bluth have?

(NOTE: Fictional Diagnosis delves into the minds of fictional characters. The diagnoses given are a way to learn more about psychological disorders and give an individual viewpoint of made-up people. The intention of these blogs is in no way to belittle or mock the severity and real consequences of these disorders, but to simply provide a unique way of learning about diagnostics and the DSM-5. People cannot truly be diagnosed unless they are working directly with a clinician. What follows is merely the opinion of a bored masters of psychology student who watches too much TV)

As self-centered as she is insecure, Lindsay Bluth Funke made us laugh along with the rest of her clueless family on Arrested Development. Her dramatic and selfish nature seems almost normal compared to the rest of the Bluth’s and can easily be played off as simple eccentricity seen among the rich. But as many of us in the mental health field know, “eccentric” is a term reserved for the wealthy frequently to cover up some genuine mental health concerns. As with everyone else I’ve discussed so far, Lindsay is a fictional character, but that doesn’t mean she does not fit some pretty clear criteria for a mental health disorder.

When diagnosing an individual we must always look at several factors. The first is to consider her symptoms. She is grandiose, dramatic, self-centered, easily annoyed, and rarely finishes projects, and seems to have low self-esteem despite her societal position (she is considered classically beautiful, but is wary flirting with men and has even said she “can’t even sell this” referring to herself) Once symptoms are discovered, they need to be evaluated. A good way to remember to do this is the abbreviation FIDO: Frequency (do you always have these symptoms, usually, or rarely?), Intensity (is it severe, mild or moderate?), Duration (do the symptoms last hours, days, or consistently?), and Onset (when did the symptoms start?).

These symptoms for Lindsay seem to be consistent. They are not episodic as she seems to always be this way. Though Lindsay does have moments of clarity, shame, and guilt, these feelings rarely last long and never lead to any monumental change. Her symptoms are fairly intense, with her self-centeredness going so far she frequently forgets the existence of her own daughter. The duration, going along with frequency, are consistent. And the onset is difficult to say, but we do know that she has acted this way throughout her adult life.

With this in mind it is likely Lindsay is experiencing a personality disorder. With personality disorders, episodes do not exist, the symptoms are ingrained in the person (though that does not mean they are untreatable or unworkable!). With the intensity of symptoms, their emotional nature, and the lack of psychopathic/aggressive tendencies, three potential disorders stick out: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), and Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD). BPD can be ruled out when you consider that this disorder is characterized by intense reactions to interpersonal relationships. Lindsay’s interest in other people is more strongly related to her need to be appreciated, not due to any real perceived connections, nor genuine fear of losing any. And though she can get emotional, she rarely really gets explosive during arguments or over insults (except for when it’s coming from Lucille).

The next disorder we can rule out here is NPD, the features of which are below, and five symptoms must be met:

Has a grandiose sense of self-importance.

Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.

Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with other special or high-status people (or institutions).

Requires excessive admiration.

Has a sense of entitlement.

Is interpersonally exploitative.

Lacks empathy.

Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her.

Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.

Though Lindsay clearly has enough symptoms to reach the criteria (except perhaps being interpersonally exploitative). However, much like with my previous example with Dennis Reynolds, there is a disorder that just fits better, and that is histrionic personality disorder. The criteria for these disorders are very similar, and like NPD at least five requirements must be met:

Is uncomfortable in situations where they are not the center of attention

Interaction with others often involves inappropriately sexual or provocative behavior

Displays rapidly shifting and shallow emotions

Uses physical appearance to draw attention to themselves

Has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacks detail

Shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion

Is suggestable (easily influenced, gullible)

Considers relationships to be more than they are

It is easy to see how Lindsay falls into all of these. She loves to be the center of attention. Her visit to see her father in prison demonstrated that well, not to mention her inappropriately sexual behavior and using her physical appearance to draw attention to herself. With her constant change of “causes” she cares for we can see her being easily suggestable (pro-fur, anti-fur, pro-gun, anti-gun, etc.) When she discusses her passion for these causes she is excessively impressionistic and lacks detail. Lindsay frequently has rapidly changing emotions to situations, and neatly fits into the self-dramatization box. As for the final criterion, “considers relationships to be more than they are,” we need look no further than ICE the bounty hunter and their adventurous non-relationship.

With this all in mind, I feel comfortable in stating that Lindsay likely has histrionic personality disorder (301.50). As a final thought for those who may still think NPD fits well enough to be the true answer or even co-occurring, I wish to point out a key difference in these two disorders cited in the DSM. A characteristic found in NPD is a need to feel superior at all times, whereas those with HPD are comfortable appearing weak or damaged in order to maintain the attention upon them. Lindsay never attempts to show she is the greatest or most capable Bluth, her goal is to simply be seen and doted on at every opportunity regardless of the circumstance.

[densreynolds]

i’m still really shocked that it’s always sunny in philadelphia, an fx comedy with a reputation of being stagnant with no obvious character development - which in my opinion isn’t really the case at all, had one of their characters actually diagnosed in canon with a mental illness. and not just a mental illness but a personality disorder. personality disorders are one of the most maligned and misunderstood psychological disorders by society at large. they are rarely, if ever, explored in media. like dennis i have borderline personality disorder. it took me a very long time to come to terms with it since i didn’t know anyone with the disorder, had only heard of it being linked with “manipulation” and the only example of bpd i saw on screen was a very badly written antagonist in one episode of a crime show. and honestly? dennis’ arc from the start of the show to where he is currently has explored what its like to have borderline personality disorder and it’s very accurate. whether this was intended or not is somewhat irrelevant. the writers chose to have dennis be diagnosed in canon and it is something that means a lot to a lot of people. through dennis i was able to come to terms with having bpd and what that meant for me going forward. dennis isn’t the most moral person in fiction and he’s not a “good” person. he’s pretty fucking terrible sometimes and he’s done some questionable things and continues to do them but that means more to me than having a two dimensional good character with bpd in front of me. i can relate to the darker parts of who he is. i’m not good all of the time. i make mistakes. dennis makes mistakes. dennis reynolds, for me, represents what it’s really like as a person who has bpd and basically what this post is trying to say is that i’m so grateful to rcg for giving me a well written character to relate to because having bpd can be lonely. you push people away whether you’re intending to or not. it’s hard to have stable moods. you isolate yourself. you feel overwhelmingly empty or numb or angry or sad sometimes all at the same time. but having a fictional character who you can relate to in some small way means more than i could ever really say. so thank you rcg. thank you for giving me a character and a story that made me feel less lonely and ostracised. it means more than i could ever really say.