Does Andrew DeLuca M.D. from Grey’s Anatomy have bipolar? (+7 Signs of bipolar)
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In this post, we will be answering if Andrew has bipolar. We will also be discussing the various signs and symptoms of his bipolar disorder as depicted in Grey’s Anatomy. Furthermore, we will be checking out some reasons which may have contributed to this mental condition.
Does Andrew DeLuca M.D. from Grey’s Anatomy have bipolar?
Yes, Andrew has bipolar. Andrew DeLuca M.D. from Grey’s Anatomy has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. More specifically, the doctor from Station 19 was seen to be suffering from Bipolar Disorder Type 1.
The doctor’s struggle with Bipolar Disorder was openly shown in season 16 of the show. In this season, Andrew is shown to be going through the initial stages of Bipolar. And over three seasons, his diagnosis with the mental illness was pretty obvious to viewers.
The show was actually praised for its accurate portrayal of Bipolar disorder. It was quite different from other shows where the illness appears out of nowhere. On the other hand, in Grey’s Anatomy, DeLuca is shown to slowly go through all the stages of Bipolar.
Signs and symptoms of Andrew’s bipolar
Andrew’s struggle with bipolar was not shown all of a sudden and instead was described through small and subtle signs. The different signs and symptoms of Andrew’s bipolar disorder have been discussed in the following section.
He shows many mood swings
Andrew goes through many mood swings in the show. He is depicted to be gentle and caring at a certain point and can immediately fly into a rage. As the series progresses forward, the mood swings come in more frequently.
Mood swings are a common sign of Bipolar disorder and this can strain personal lives and even social relationships with others. In terms of DeLuca, his mood swings eventually become obvious and those around him beg him to seek help.
He walks for miles in the snow
Another main sign of Andrew’s bipolar is when he walks for miles and miles in the snow to get an organ for an organ transplant. Andrew did this even after his hands were completely frostbitten and his lips were blue.
This can be seen to be the manic phase of Andrew’s bipolar. During the manic phase of bipolar disorder, a person may take on serious physical activities without worrying about their health and even their physical safety.
He had his doubts about his mental health
Throughout the episodes, Andrew can also be seen doubting his mental health numerous times and worrying if he might indeed be suffering from some mental illness. This is especially true when his father, who has actually been diagnosed with bipolar, is introduced in the series.
After his co-workers pushed him to do so, DeLuca sees a counselor. During the interview with the counselor, DeLuca banishes any idea or doubt that he is going through a manic episode. However, here viewers can see that DeLuca seriously doubts his mental status.
He takes impulsive decisions
Andrew DeLuca is also shown to be taking many impulsive decisions throughout the series. This is especially when he is going through a manic phase. One main example is when he walks in freezing temperatures to get an organ, despite having frostbitten hands.
He also shows a lot of impulsivity when it comes to saving his patients. For instance, in the episode ‘A Diagnosis’, Andrew is still trying to figure out the diagnosis of a patient called Suzanne.
However, due to the many mental health symptoms that he portrays, the case is handed over to Meredith. At the same time, DeLuca cannot get over it and instead barges in at the last minute into the Operating Room and injects the patient with a steroid injection.
While this action was definitely life-saving in nature, Andrew can be seen to show a lot of impulsivity here which is very common in bipolar disorder. He also does not ask the supervising doctor, Meredith about it, nor does he show any remorse for his actions.
He hits on Jo
In another example of showing signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder, Andrew DeLuca can be seen hitting on Jo after Alex left. This was seen as very unlikely as there has been no heat between the two people in previous episodes.
This is again portrayed as one of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. In bipolar disorder, the person may experience an increase in sex drive. This symptom of bipolar was depicted clearly in this scene.
He shows a lot of hyper-fixation
Andrew DeLuca also shows a lot of hyper-fixation on certain incidents and problems in the series, especially when he is in the manic phase of his bipolar disorder. This is the reason he walks for miles in the snow for an organ.
Another example of hyper-fixation that DeLuca shows is about a patient called Suzanne. He can be seen to be trying to find a solution for the patient without food or sleep. During manic phases, those who have bipolar often become hyper-fixated on a particular issue just like this.
One more example of hyper-fixation was when Andrew DeLuca was shown to be obsessed with proving that a patient was the victim of sex-trafficking. Luckily, DeLuca was right about the patient. However, this showcased more of his bipolar symptoms to his coworkers.
He goes into a depressed spiral
After his experience in the manic phase, DeLuca is shown going into a depressed spiral. After successfully saving the patient Suzanne, DeLuca can be seen to be down in a puddle, completely broken and depressed. This is again a proper portrayal of the depressive phase of bipolar.
Causes of Andrew’s bipolar
Grey Anatomy’s spin-off ‘Station 19’ which portrayed the mental issues of Andrew DeLuca was praised for its very accurate depiction of the symptoms of bipolar. It also showed the main causes of DeLuca’s bipolar. The following points have discussed the causes in more detail.
- Family history: The main causal factor behind Andrew DeLuca’s bipolar is his family history. In one of the episodes, Andrew’s father is introduced who has already been suffering from bipolar for many years.
What surprises viewers is that Andrew immediately starts doubting his own mental state and wondering if the bipolar will affect him as well. In fact, the resident doctor already shows many signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder by this time, although they are pretty subtle.
- Childhood trauma: While Andrew’s father indeed had bipolar disorder, he also was not a good person. His father, Vincenzo DeLuca was a corrupt surgeon who was practicing in Italy. Four of his patients were killed on the operating table after Vincenzo operates on them while manic.
While he was able to escape persecution by pumping money into officials, Vincenzo was forced to send his wife and Andrew away to Wisconsin for safety. This childhood trauma stayed with Andrew and could have even prompted or worsened his Bipolar.
- Competitive job: Another factor which would have definitely affected the mental health of Andrew DeLuca is the fact that he was actually stuck in a highly competitive job. Throughout the episodes, Andrew can be seen trying hard to fit in with his coworkers.
He also tries very hard to make it as a great doctor. However, this causes him to unhealthily fixate on certain health problems of his patients which actually lead him to take very rash and impulsive decisions.
Conclusion
In this post, we have answered if Andrew has bipolar. We have also discussed the various signs and symptoms of his bipolar disorder as depicted in Grey’s Anatomy. Furthermore, we have checked out some reasons which may have contributed to this mental condition.
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Citations
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