Does Amy Dunne have BPD? (+9 Signs of BPD)
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The following article will be discussing in detail if Amy Dunne has BPD. We will also be describing how Amy fits the different signs of BPD in Gone Girl, along with her various other mental health issues.
Does Amy Dunne have BPD?
Yes, Amy Dunne has BPD. In the story Gone Girl, Amy Dunne depicts most of the signs and symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder, even though this has not been confirmed by the writer, Gillian Flynn.
The story Gone Girl covers the lives of Amy Dunne and her husband Nick. The story mainly shows the many psychopathic tendencies of Amy Dunne, many of which have been unfairly blamed on Borderline Personality Disorder.
BPD may cause a person to act violent and overly-attached in relationships, but the motives are not certainly psychopathic or anti-social. Apart from BPD, Amy Dunne may also suffer from the following mental health disorders:
- Antisocial Personality Disorder: Most people who have read or watched Gone Girl, including mental health experts, feel that Amy Dunne easily fits all the diagnostic criteria of Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Amy Dunne is definitely irritable and feels that others are sub-par when compared to her. She has also broken the law on many occasions while harming others, without showing any guilt or remorse.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Narcissistic Personality Disorder is another alternate diagnosis that has been thrown up when it comes to Amy Dunne. This personality disorder easily stems from her parents, who are also clearly narcissists.
Amy Dunne is all the while concerned only about her own well-being and safety and does not care for how others are treated. She only shows sadness and disappointment when she and her reputation are under threat.
- Munchausen Syndrome: Another mental health diagnosis for Amy Dunne is Munchausen Syndrome, where the person basically creates or exaggerates the symptoms of any medical condition.
While Amy Dunne was not actually diagnosed with any medical condition, she still exaggerates her psychological distress to show that she has been under some trauma. This even makes her harm herself with a wine bottle to depict that she has been assaulted by an ex-lover.
Signs of Amy Dunne’s BPD
Amy Dunne is not everyone’s favorite character, mainly due to her many antisocial tendencies and behaviors towards her own husband and others. Her actions and behaviors have often been blamed on an undiagnosed Borderline Personality Disorder.
Throughout Gone Girl, Amy Dunne portrays a number of the signs and symptoms associated with BPD. In the following points, we have discussed a few of these to improve your understanding of Amy Dunne’s mental status.
She has intensive relationships
In all her relationships mentioned in Gone Girl, Amy Dunne can be seen to be highly intense. This is beautifully depicted in her love-story with Nick, with whom she can be seen heavily romancing at many beginnings of their relationship.
The Borderline Personality Disorder relationship cycle starts out highly intensive and then goes on to abandoning and re-attachment. While these phases may not have been clear, it can be understood upon closer look at Amy Dunne’s actions and words.
She goes through many mood swings
Mood swings and shifts are also pretty characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder. These can also be seen in Amy Dunne. She seems excited and elated at one point, but then becomes depressed very soon.
At the same time, intensive mood swings are also pretty common in mood disorders like bipolar disorder. However, what Amy Dunne has is certainly a cluster-B personality disorder like BPD or even Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
She is afraid of abandonment
Amy Dunne is definitely afraid of abandonment. Fear of abandonment is another characteristic sign of Borderline Personality Disorder. Since she fears that Nick will abandon her as well after finding out about his affair, she devises this evil scheme to get him back in her ‘perfect’ family.
Evil schemes like what Amy Dunne practices in Gone Girl, are however, not characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder. This scheming may actually show a side of her Antisocial Personality Disorder, where the person has no regard for the feelings of others.
She changes her perceptions of others often
Another important sign of Borderline Personality Disorder that Amy Dunne portrays in Gone Girl is her tendency to change her perception of others quite often. She loves her husband to bits but then plans out the worst possible revenge for him.
This does not go to show that what Nick Dunne did was acceptable. He had an affair with someone, knowing that Amy loved him so much. But, if her love was true, she could have easily communicated with him and taken things from there, instead of torturing him in many ways.
She struggles with her self-image
Right from the start of the story, it is easy to notice that Amy Dunne actually struggles with her self-image and at many times lives a distorted version of it. This can be basically blamed on ‘Amazing Amy’, a character that Amy’s parents created for a series of books.
‘Amazing Amy’ was perfect in everything and had a perfect life, and the real Amy found it very hard to live up to this. She even concocted this dangerous scheme of revenge so that she is one with Nick and gets to be ‘Amazing Amy’ again.
Borderline Personality Disorder can lead to a lot of distortion of self-image. The person may gloat over their accomplishment at one instant, and may feel worthless and empty at the very next second.
She is extremely narcissistic
Amy Dunne is also definitely narcissistic. Narcissism is not a characteristic sign of BPD, but can be a product of the other mental health issues that Amy Dunne suffers from. Throughout the story, Amy only cares about herself and her image.
She is very manipulative
Amy Dunne is a highly manipulative person and easily coaxes other people into doing her wish and will. She even gets an ex-lover of hers, Desi Collings, to accept her back into his home and heart, purely as a part of her revenge plan.
Emotional manipulation may not be characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder but may be a well-rehearsed skillset already, especially if the person has antisocial tendencies, as in the case of Amy Dunne.
She harms herself
In Gone Girl, Amy Dunne does not hesitate in harming herself. Self-harm is definitely part of the many signs and symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. In some cases, it may even lead up to suicide attempts.
However, in Amy Dunne’s story, this self-harming behavior is quite different. She does not do it since she is displeased with herself, but basically does this to portray herself as a victim of abuse. Some people have felt that this is a sign of Munchausen Syndrome in Amy Dunne.
She is quite reckless
Amy Dunne is definitely very reckless and quite impulsive. In the story Gone Girl, Amy Dunne takes part in numerous illegal and life-endangering activities, just to get herself ahead in her plan of revenge.
She is even not hesitant to kill others, just to get her way. These are also not exactly signs of Borderline Personality Disorder, but can be characterized under Antisocial Personality Disorder which also fits the personality of Amy Dunne.
Conclusion
The following article has discussed in detail if Amy Dunne has BPD. We have also described how Amy fits the different signs of BPD in Gone Girl, along with her various other mental health issues.
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