Does Dennis Reynolds from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia have BPD? (+3 More diagnoses)
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This detailed blogpost will be discussing if Dennis Reynolds has BPD and showing the various signs of this personality disorder that he shows in the series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Additionally, we will be checking out the other mental health issues that Dennis might have.
Does Dennis Reynolds from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia have BPD?
Yes, Dennis Reynolds has BPD. In the sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, it is confirmed that Dennis truly has Borderline Personality Disorder, in combination with a number of other mental health issues.
The sitcom accurately shows Dennis’ struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder and how his condition worsens over the course of his story arc. Some of the signs of Dennis’ Borderline Personality Disorder as shown in the sitcom are discussed in the points below.
He abuses substances often
Dennis Reynolds clearly shows a struggle with addiction throughout the series, especially after his diagnosis with Borderline Personality Disorder. He can be seen abusing substances alcohol, crack and even tobacco at many instances in the sitcom.
Substance abuse may not be mandatorily present in Borderline Personality Disorder, but can be clubbed under the impulsive and reckless activities criterion. This can also be seen as self-harming behavior.
He has unstable relationships with others
He also has unstable relationships with others which further are proof that he has Borderline Personality Disorder. The friendships and relationships that Dennis shares with others are most selfish in nature and not actually altruistic.
Dennis easily manipulates others for his own selfish gains, mainly since he does not want to be left alone. While he is definitely clingy, Dennis also changes his perceptions of others, going from idealization to devaluation in a matter of minutes.
He exhibits intense emotions
The sitcom portrays Dennis Reynolds worsening in his symptoms of BPD as episodes fly by. As the story progresses, Dennis can be seen going through emotional swings which are very intense in nature.
In many scenes, Dennis can even be seen crying in public uncontrollably. In line with his crying episodes, Dennis also exhibits lots of anger outbursts very openly, even at the risk of destroying his relationships with others.
He experiences chronic feelings of emptiness
Dennis can also be seen experiencing chronic feelings of emptiness, which get worse throughout the episodes. He tends to fill this void through substance abuse, meaningless sex and even his obsession with himself.
Chronic feelings of emptiness are also pretty characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder, as seen in Dennis Reynolds. It can also be experienced in depression and certain anxiety disorders in people.
He fears abandonment by others
Fear of abandonment is another characteristic sign of Borderline Personality Disorder. This fear is also clearly experienced by Dennis Reynolds. As the series goes on and his symptoms worsen, Dennis exhibits this fear more and more.
Dennis mostly fears abandonment by his tight-knit group of friends. He acts very clingy to them and in case he feels that they are moving away from him, he tends to get highly stressed and even puts on attention-seeking displays.
He depicts a number of impulsive activities
Throughout the series, Dennis Reynolds also exhibits a number of impulsive activities which endanger not only himself, but even others. For example, he urinates in Art Sloan’s bar and sets his yard on fire in one instance of impulsivity.
He can also be seen taking part in many illegal activities, many of which are noted to be antisocial and psychopathic in nature. One example is when Dennis acts like a painter and stalks a waitress to pin a murder on Mac.
Dennis Reynolds’ mental health disorders
Dennis Reynolds from the sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is just another amoral character in the bunch. He is also diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorders along with other mental health issues.
The other mental health disorders and issues that Dennis Reynolds may have are discussed in detail below.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Apart from Borderline Personality Disorder, Dennis Reynolds also exhibits a lot of narcissistic traits. The presence of these traits and their recurrence has led people to assume that he may have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Dennis is truly very narcissistic in nature and even calls himself ‘Golden God’ and at times even ‘God’. He also says that he is god-like and that his appearance was created by the gods themselves.
Furthermore, he shows a high tendency to manipulate others, especially women into having sex with him. He goes on from woman to woman, mainly trying to up his number on the bed post and prove his virility.
Another sign that Dennis has Narcissistic Personality Disorder is his lack of empathy and remorse about the feelings of others. Throughout the series, he uses his friends and manipulates them, but does not feel bad about it at all.
- Antisocial Personality Disorder: In his diagnosis, Dennis is also said to have antisocial tendencies. Antisocial Personality Disorder is another diagnosis that is befitting for Dennis, especially considering all his immoral activities.
His antisocial activities are not only intended towards strangers and his female conquests, but even his closest friends. Even his friends think that Dennis is odd and even displays psychopathic tendencies, with all the zip ties, duct tape and the rubber gloves from his car.
In one incident, Dennis thinks it is alright to have sex with a sleeping woman, denying that it in fact is rape. In yet another dangerous incident, Dennis locks everyone inside his apartment when it is on fire, showing even more antisocial tendencies.
The main reason why Dennis manipulates and even emotionally abuses a number of women to sleep with him can be actually attributed to his own abuse as a child. At the age of fourteen, Dennis was raped by his school librarian.
This leads him to learn maladaptive thinking patterns especially in the context of consent. This is a highly possible reason why Dennis does not think seriously about his partner’s consent, which explains a lot of his actions.
- Eating Disorder: Dennis Reynolds also seems to struggle with an Eating Disorder. He definitely struggles from Body Dysmorphia and feels that a lot of his identity comes from his good looks, which he calls ‘god-like.’
In one episode, Dennis can be seen fasting for three whole days after he comes to the conclusion that his face is too fat. In order to maintain his weight and avoid putting on unwanted weight, Dennis also develops some ‘allergies’.
He avoids sugar, gluten and dairy, explaining that he is ‘allergic’ to them, when in fact it is just a ruse in order to avoid the consumption of these products so that he won’t put on any more weight.
In many other episodes, Dennis can be seen over-eating, often triggered by some stressful incident. For example, before his performance as ‘Crazy Paddy’, Dennis states that he consumed cheese, which is on his to-avoid list.
Another proof that Dennis surely struggles with some Eating Disorder, which is restrictive in nature, is that his blood-reports show that he is severely malnourished, and has anemia along wth many vitamin deficiencies.
Conclusion
This detailed blogpost has discussed if Dennis Reynolds has BPD and has shown the various signs of this personality disorder that he shows in the series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Additionally, we have checked out the other mental health issues that Dennis might have.
If you like this blogpost, please leave your comments and questions in the space below.
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