Does Catra from ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ have BPD?(+7 Signs of BPD)
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In this detailed post, we will be explaining if Catra has BPD, and discussing the various signs of Borderline Personality Disorder that she shows in the ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power series. Additionally, we will be explaining the other mental health issues that Catra has.
Does Catra from ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ have BPD?
Yes, Catra has BPD. In the animated series ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’, Catra shows almost all the major signs of Borderline Personality Disorder. However, the series has never actually confirmed that Catra has BPD.
Fans of the She-Ra series who have closely studied the character and some mental health experts who have analyzed Catra’s behavior have confirmed the presence of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Throughout the series, Catra has very accurately portrayed the different characteristic signs of Borderline Personality Disorder. Some of the main signs of BPD that Catra can be seen to be portraying have been discussed in the following section.
She definitely has a fear of abandonment
Catra definitely has a high fear of abandonment, which she mainly shows towards Adora in the series. This fear of abandonment is clearly seen in her reaction to the news that Adora is leaving the Horde.
Even though Adora clearly tells Catra that she is leaving to work with the princesses, Catra takes this very personally and thinks that Adora is in fact leaving her. She can also be seen quite possessive of Adora’s attention.
A fear of abandonment is one of the most characteristic signs of Borderline Personality Disorder which makes people cling to their partners or their friends in a relationship. This can many times be off-putting and may even drive the partner away.
After Adora leaves the Horde, Catra becomes even more fearful of abandonment, and she reacts to this by pushing away or insulting other people so that they will stay away from her. For example, when Catra becomes close to Scorpia, she can be seen putting her down often.
She goes through many mood swings
Catra is definitely a moody character and often goes through emotional shifts and a lot of moodiness in the series. These mood swings also easily get in the way of Catra’s work and her relationships with her other subordinates and partners.
She does not have stable relationships
Another important sign of Borderline Personality Disorder which Catra shows in the She-Ra series is that she does not have many stable relationships. This actually starts with her relationship with Shadow Weaver.
She clearly does not share a great relationship with Shadow-Weaver, and it is also obvious that the latter is not too fond of her and instead favors Adora. This unstable relationship has affected Catra and may even have led to her personality disorder.
Her self-image is clearly distorted
A distortion of self-image and sudden changes in self-esteem are also pretty common in Borderline Personality Disorder. This sign can also be seen in Catra, especially in the part where is in Beast Island.
She can be seen going from a very confident person to a very depressed character in a short span of time. In her times of empowerment, she calls herself the ‘strongest of the Crimson Waste’. As predicted, in the next few instances she wallows in self-pity.
She takes part in reckless behaviors
Catra taking part in many reckless behaviors is also accurately portrayed in the She-Ra series. These behaviors are not only physical, but many times verbal in nature. In many situations, Catra can be seen regretting saying something to someone immediately after she says it.
She is also known to be physically aggressive and abusive towards others, right from a very early age. This has many times soured her relationship with the other cadets, and even has gotten her a bad reputation from Shadow-Weaver.
She constantly feels empty
Catra also goes through chronic feelings of emptiness, which yet again signifies the presence of Borderline Personality Disorder. These feelings of emptiness can be seen in one such episode where Catra declares that no one truly cares about her.
She firmly believes that her existence in this world is a complete waste, and this is what everyone else believes it too. This painful belief is pretty commonly present in those who have Borderline Personality Disorder.
She is paranoid and suspicious of others
Catra can also be seen showing a lot of suspicion and paranoia when it comes to others and their behaviors. She is hardly trusting of anyone, even Adora, whom she truly loves. This is also not her fault, since all her life she only knows people to abuse her, use her and abandon her.
Catra’s mental health disorders
It is quite commonly assumed in ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ series that Catra has Borderline Personality Disorder. In addition to this, Catra is also theorized to have other mental health disorders and can be seen struggling with a variety of emotional issues, such as,
- Depression: In studying her character and her behaviors throughout the series, it can be easily ascertained that Catra is a nihilist and a pessimist. She is often wallowing in self-pity and self-deprecation.
Even though she is aware that the cult that she has been brought up in takes part in evil activities, she does not have the volition to move out like Adora does. Instead, she becomes angry at Adora’s departure and chooses to stay in her comfort zone.
As a result of her gloomy character, many people have felt that Catra may have depression and not any other mental health disorder. However, depression can easily present itself along with other conditions like BPD and also, Catra does not portray all of depression’s signs & symptoms.
- Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Another theory for Catra is that the character may have Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. At many times during the series, Catra can be seen taking part in impulsive and reckless activities.
At the same time, she has shown the ability to concentrate on a particular task for a long time and also easily juggle multiple activities at once. Therefore, this theory is also not well-accepted by fans of the show.
- Autism: Catra can be seen struggling in making positive connections throughout the series, which has led many people to assume that she may have Autism. Her only strong relationship is with Adora and Catra is seen struggling to accept her departure.
But, Autism often presents itself with certain characteristic signs, such as difficulty in maintaining eye-contact and certain stereotypical behaviors, all of which are lacking in Catra. Therefore, this theory is also not supported by evidence in the series.
- C-PTSD: This assumption is quite likely in terms of Catra since she actually undergoes a lot of abuse in her early age. Her mentor and guide, Shadow-Weaver also clearly favors Adora above her and does not provide the support and guidance that Catra yearns for.
This is unfortunate since Shadow-Weaver essentially plays the role of a mother-figure for Catra and many other cadets. Since this relationship is toxic and abusive in nature, it is no wonder that Catra finds human relationships with others hard to maintain.
This struggle of hers is easily noted in the manner in which she approaches Adora. Adora is the only person whom Catra is close to, and when she leaves the Horde, Catra feels that she is indeed abandoning her. This further traumatizes her and it can be seen in the way she acts much later on.
Conclusion
In this detailed post, we have explained if Catra has BPD, and discussed the various signs of Borderline Personality Disorder that she shows in the ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power series. Additionally, we have explained the other mental health issues that Catra has.
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