Does Alyssa from TEOTFW have BPD? (+7 Signs of issues)
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This detailed blogpost will be answering if Alyssa from TEOTFW has BPD. We will also be checking out the different signs of mental health issues that Alyssa from TEOTFW portrays along with the other mental health disorders which are covered in the show.
Does Alyssa from TEOTFW have BPD?
No, Alyssa from TEOTFW does not have BPD. ‘The End of the F***ing world’ show in which Alyssa appears as one of the main characters, does not confirm as to what mental health disorder she is suffering from.
The show, which covers the lives of two teenagers who run away from their dysfunctional homes, does not depict Alyssa to be portraying all of the signs and symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder.
At the same time, it is pretty clear that the character actually has numerous mental health issues. Fans that watched the show closely and have studied the character have come up with a number of arm-chair diagnosis for Alyssa, such as,
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Both the characters from the show ‘The End of the F***ing World’ are definitely victims of trauma and abuse from the past. Alyssa grows up in a broken home without a proper father-figure.
She therefore does not have a stable home while growing up. She further is regularly abused by her step-father mentally and emotionally. All this could have led to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Alyssa.
This is common in not only Alyssa but even James, as he too comes from a dysfunctional home. James has witnessed his mother committing suicide, and the trauma stays with him permanently. Both Alyssa and James’ PTSD are portrayed by their anxiety and their clear unstable moods.
- Depression: Another alternate diagnosis for Alyssa from ‘The End of the F***ing World’ show is depression. While this is not exactly clear in the first season of the series, it is pretty visible in the second season.
This fact was confirmed by the actress who portrays Alyssa in the show, Jessica Barden. In the second season of the show, Alyssa lives with the memory that James is permanently gone and may even be dead.
She definitely tries to move on with her life. However, her actions and behaviors depict that she actually might be suffering from depression but she has no idea or awareness that she has such a mental health disorder.
Alyssa from TEOTFW’s mental health issues
While her actual diagnosis is not confirmed, it is pretty clear that Alyssa is going through a number of mental health issues. She also portrays a lot of disturbing behavior in the show which can point to her fractured mental status. Some signs of Alyssa’s mental health issues are:
She has unstable social relationships
Throughout ‘The End of the F***ing World’ series, it is clear that Alyssa definitely struggles with her social relationships, even before she meets James. Unstable social relationships are actually a characteristic sign of Borderline Personality Disorder.
She takes part in risky behaviors
Alyssa, together with James, takes part in many risky behaviors. Even before she meets James, Alyssa shows a high tendency to do something erratic and odd. The impulsive need to take part in risky and dangerous behaviors can also signify the presence of BPD.
She is frequently bored
The character is also seen to be frequently bored. In fact, the main reason Alyssa targets James for a romantic relationship is because she feels bored and she wants to take part in something new and exciting.
Feeling bored all the time is often seen as a sign of an underlying mental illness, or a personality disorder like Antisocial Personality Disorder. This boredom of Alyssa leads her to seek excitement in dangerous situations.
She shows violent outbursts
Alyssa is also prone to violent outbursts in public. When she goes out with James for the first time to a diner, she can be seen lashing out and cursing at the waiter. Violent and uncontrollable outbursts like these are signs of an underlying mental illness like bipolar disorder.
She steals the car easily
In one of their first activities together, Alyssa and James steal his father’s car. She shows no qualms about stealing someone’s car. She even attempts to have sex with James in this car, which eventually leads to the car crashing into a tree.
She also does not hesitate to break into someone’s house and drink their wine, as seen later in the series. This further shows how impulsive and reckless she can be. These actions also point to the presence of some mental health disorder in Alyssa.
She cannot judge people properly
While she is pretty confident in her abilities and seems to be able to take care of herself wherever she goes, Alyssa does not show so much promise in being able to judge a person for their true nature and character.
After she causes the car crash by trying to have sex with James in it, the two hitchhike with an odd character. Alyssa tells James that she does not like the person since he is into dog fighting which actually leads to an argument between them.
While this goes to show that she actually can judge people well, she is still willing to drive with the man. This perhaps shows that Alyssa knows when a person is dangerous, but is willing to go through the danger, perhaps for an exciting adventure.
Her moods often change
Alyssa also changes her moods frequently. One such instance where her mood changes in the flash of a moment is when she attempts to have sex with Topher, but once it begins, she immediately changes her mind.
Frequent changes in moods and mindsets are often a symptom of bipolar disorder, which is basically a mood disorder. This is further a characteristic sign of Borderline Personality Disorder which many people suspect Alyssa to have.
TEOTFW mental illnesses and issues
TEOTFW or ‘The End of the F***ing World’ is a wonderful show which tells the story of two adolescents who run away together. The show covers numerous mental health issues and disorders, a few of which have been described below.
- James’ PTSD: Alyssa is often touted to have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to her dysfunctional home. However, James shows many more signs of PTSD which drives many of his actions and behaviors in the show.
The main trauma that James encounters is seeing his mother kill herself by driving her car into a lake. He was helpless and could not talk about how he felt. Only towards the end of the first season, James is able to express this when he files a police complaint.
- Clinical depression: Clinical depression is another mental health disorder which has been portrayed in TEOTFW. James definitely shows many signs of the illness, while Alyssa struggles with this in the second season.
- Sociopathy: Sociopathic tendencies are also covered in TEOTFW, particularly in James. James feels the need to kill and has expressed killing animals before. In fact, he actually targets Alyssa but changes his mind when he sees her crying.
He also empathizes with and supports the driver with whom he and Alyssa hitchhike. When Alyssa calls the man out for buying dogs to fight other dogs, James does not like this since it directly pricks him.
Conclusion
This detailed blogpost has answered if Alyssa from TEOTFW has BPD. We have also checked out the different signs of mental health issues that Alyssa from TEOTFW portrays along with the other mental health disorders which are covered in the show.
If you like this blogpost, please leave your comments and questions in the space below.
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