Does Diane from Bojack have BPD? (+7 Signs of problems)
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The following article will describe if Diane from Bojack has BPD. We will also be checking out the various signs of mental health issues that Diane portrays in the comedy-drama series ‘Bojack Horseman’.
Does Diane from Bojack have BPD?
No, Diane from Bojack does not have BPD. Diana Nguyen who appears as Bojack’s friend and ghostwriter in the comedy-drama series is not confirmed to have Borderline Personality Disorder.
Diane Nguyen actually suffers from depression and for the majority of the series she takes antidepressants to combat this. Diane’s struggles with depression which were portrayed in ‘Bojack Horseman’ were appreciated by fans and viewers for the show’s attempt to improve awareness.
Apart from depression, Diane also suffers from social anxiety and can be seen avoiding large gatherings and groups. At the same time, this anxiety does not stop Diane from raising her voice when witnesses violence and discrimination.
Other than Diane’s struggles with depression and anxiety, the show mainly focuses on her growth and her ability to embrace her identity. It also covers her relationship problems, as she and Mr. Peanutbutter eventually go from a loving couple to a divorced pair.
Diane also blames others for her depression, including her ex-husband and even Bojack for this. At one point, she even stops taking her antidepressants as she feels that these do not work for her.
When she does stop taking her medication, Diane can be seen unwilling to clean up her house and does not take care of her self-hygiene. After she takes her antidepressants, she is able to easily take control of her life again.
Signs of Diane from Bojack’s mental health issues
The comedy-drama series ‘Bojack Horseman’ covers mental health and mental illnesses very well and therefore received a lot of praise for this. Bojack, the main character, suffers from depression, but even Diane has this mental health disorder.
The beauty of the series is how differently Bojack and Diane are seen to suffer from the same mental health disorder, which shows how mental health can appear differently in different people.
Diane Nguyen’s struggles with depression are clearly shown in the series. Apart from her depression, she is also shown to be struggling with anxiety. Some of the signs of depression and mental health issues that Diane portrays in ‘Bojack Horseman’ are discussed as follows.
Diane feels that her life has no purpose
Throughout the series, this is Diane’s biggest complaint and often comes up in her conversations. This can be seen especially towards the earlier seasons of ‘Bojack Horseman’. She voices this to Mr. Peanutbutter and even her friends.
Only later in the series does Diane find the purpose of writing a memoir to help others cope with childhood bullying and trauma as she did. This first attempt fails, and then she goes on to write a book to help teenagers cruise through life.
She is desperately looking for happiness
Diane can also be seen saying several times that she is not happy and is looking for happiness desperately. She confesses this to Bojack a number of times. Diane does not find happiness in anything she does, even in her career as a writer.
This aggressive need for Diane to feel ‘happy’ is what leads to the demise of her marriage with Mr. Peanutbutter. Unfortunately, Diane is actively searching for happiness, but does not know what it feels like.
Chronic feelings of sadness or unhappiness are characteristic of depression. And Diane’s actions and dialogues throughout the series actually paint an accurate picture of what someone with depression feels about happiness.
She calls herself ‘nerd’
Another sign of mental health issues that plague Diane throughout the series of ‘Bojack Horseman’ is her struggles with her self-identity. She is often mocked as a ‘nerd’ by even Bojack at many instances, and this hurts her.
In her history, it is understood that Diane actually was bullied a lot as a child throughout her school years, mainly due to her nerdy nature. These traumas stick strongly with her as she constantly refers to herself as nerd.
While she seems to have come to terms with this word representing her, it still bothers her when other people refer to her as a nerd. Using the word ‘nerd’ to describe herself is not exactly a problem, but goes to show the strong effects of the bullying which Diane has gone through.
She is not ready to take her medications
At one point in the series, Diane goes to therapy for her depression. However, she does not find these sessions so useful and stops after a while. She again goes back to questioning her happiness after this.
She is also prescribed anti-depressants but Diane does not show much faith in these. Therefore, she does not take them. Her disbelief in her medications is not just because she feels that they will not work.
She does not take them as she feels that the meds will make her calm and boring, based on her past experiences. The medications also made her gain weight and seemed to interfere with her creativity, which further discouraged her from taking them.
She stops taking care of herself
In one major depressive spiral, Diane stops taking care of herself, and clearly shows that she is struggling with her mental health. This happens when she is dating Guy. Diane stays in the same PJs for days together and smokes at least three packs a day in this phase.
Diane also feels that her personality and identity are different during this phase. She feels that her head is much smaller than the demons that she is facing in her mind. Fortunately, Guy points this out.
After some prodding from Guy, Diane decides to take her medications again and give them another chance to work. Once she starts her medication, Diane heals. This further goes to show that Diane’s mind is really in need of help, in the form of medications.
She has intense anger outbursts
Diane is often portrayed to be a calm and collected person. When she is with Bojack, she is usually the voice of reason. But, in many instances, Diane can be seen displaying violent and sudden anger outbursts.
These anger outbursts further point to the emotional conflicts and mental struggles that Diane is facing on a constant basis. Sudden anger outbursts are often a sign of mental health disorders like bipolar disorder, depression and even Intermittent Explosive Disorder.
She goes through writer’s block
At one point in the series, Diane openly suffers from writer’s block. Her depression gets the better of her and reduces her creativity levels. Instead of putting her best on the paper, Diane starts putting out nonsense.
She however is able to recover from this writer’s block when she changes her topic and writes something she is even more passionate about. At the same time, this goes to show the effects that depression can have on a person’s creativity and how it severely reduces their productivity.
Writer’s block is not exactly a diagnosable mental health condition, but can be called more of a phenomenon where the writer feels that their writing process is stuck and is not going anywhere. It can also be enhanced by pre-existing mental health issues like depression or anxiety.
Conclusion
The following article has described if Diane from Bojack has BPD. We have also checked out the various signs of mental health issues that Diane portrays in the comedy-drama series ‘Bojack Horseman’.
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