Does Eren from ‘Attack on Titan’ have BPD? (+7 Signs of BPD)
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This detailed article will be answering if Eren has BPD. We will also be discussing the various other mental health disorders and issues that Eren might be struggling with as shown in the series ‘Attack on Titan.’
Does Eren from ‘Attack on Titan’ have BPD?
Yes, Eren has BPD. In the animated series, ‘Attack on Titan’, Eren can be seen depicting a number of signs and symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. However, this has never been confirmed in the series or by the creators of ‘Attack on Titan’.
Eren Yeager is the main protagonist of the series who is bent on killing every last Titan from Earth, after he saw his mother being eaten by one. While he is certainly quite an interesting and powerful character, he does have his share of mental health issues.
Eren definitely shows many of the characteristic signs of Borderline Personality Disorder in his appearances in ‘Attack on Titan.’ Some of the important signs of BPD that Eren Yeager demonstrates are listed in the following points.
He has a high fear of abandonment
The main reason why many fans of ‘Attack on Titan’ who have closely studied Eren, have felt that he struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder, is because of the fear of abandonment that he depicts.
Fear of abandonment is pretty common and even characteristic of BPD, and is mainly when the person is highly fearful that their favorite person or someone they care for will leave them at any moment.
As a result of this fear of abandonment, those who have BPD might start acting clingy for no reason at all, and might even put up big gestures of feelings. In contrast, they might also abandon them completely to avoid being abandoned themselves.
These traits can be clearly seen in Eren, especially in his relationship with Armin. He is quite fearful of Armin leaving him. This fear of abandonment is not only seen in regards to Armin, but even many other people in the series.
He has chronic feelings of emptiness
Eren Yeager is also said to have chronic feelings of emptiness. This may have not been clearly depicted in the series, but is mentioned in the ‘Attack on Titan’ guidebook for passionate fans to know.
Chronic feelings of emptiness are truly characteristic and pretty much even unique to Borderline Personality Disorder. These feelings of emptiness lead those with BPD to fill the void with intense feelings for their loved ones.
He depicts mood swings
Another sign of Borderline Personality Disorder that Eren depicts in ‘Attack on Titan’ is his intense mood swings. Eren’s moods and emotions are quite intense. While this intensity actually gets him ahead and saves his life at many times, it also creates havoc for him mentally.
He is dependent on Armin
As mentioned before, Eren’s favorite person is Armin. Their relationship is quite close, but it can be seen that Eren is very emotionally dependent on Armin. This type of dependency is toxic and unhealthy and can be seen in those who have Borderline Personality Disorder.
This high level of dependency on Armin is known by everyone else around Eren. Some say that Eren only feels complete and whole when he is with Armin, which again denotes the unhealthy imbalance in the relationship between the two.
He shows many self-harming behaviors
Eren also demonstrates many self-harming behaviors and tendencies throughout the ‘Attack on Titan’ series. Most of Eren’s self-harming tendencies and actions are mostly in the form of suicide missions and risky gestures.
He can definitely be impulsive and reckless in nature
Eren can be pretty impulsive and reckless in his actions and behaviors. He shows an unhealthy obsession with killing Titans, mainly since he witnessed one eating his mother while he was left helpless.
At the same time, this unhealthy obsession leads him to take on many dangerous missions. He even shows a lot of impulsivity in his penchant to wipe off Titans from the face of the Earth.
He shows signs of dissociation
While Eren is a protagonist by definition, his actual character and personality are very fluid. His standings on his policies and intentions often change drastically and surprisingly. In many cases, when Eren is supposed to allow someone to die, he saves them and vice-versa.
In these moments when he acts completely out of character, Eren can be seen dissociating. He basically becomes a paradox for others around him. Once he attempts something like this, Eren can be seen distancing himself from others.
Eren Yeager’s mental health disorders
The Japanese animated series ‘Attack on Titan’ is quite an interesting story, filled with many interesting characters. Eren Yeager, who is the main protagonist of the series, has been studied by many and even mental health experts since he shows numerous emotional struggles.
Most people assume that Eren actually struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder, especially due to his clingy nature and his fear of abandonment. However, he may also have some other mental health issues or even alternate diagnoses that fit his nature better, such as,
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: One of the most common assumptions when it comes to Eren is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is understandable since he actually witnessed his mother being eaten by a Titan when he was younger.
This led Eren to develop an intense hatred of Titans with a permanent vendetta to erase them off the face of the Earth. At the same time, Eren was never able to get over the scene of his mother being eaten by a Titan.
At many instances in the series, Eren goes through flashbacks of the same disastrous scene, which refers to his PTSD. Unfortunately for Eren, he is never able to get the help he needs in the series.
- Depression: Eren may also be struggling with depression, which has led to many of his negative behaviors and traits as seen in ‘Attack on Titan.’ Eren also exhibits many dark tendencies and behaviors which further fuel this theory.
- Bipolar Disorder: Some fans of the series also feel that Eren might actually have Bipolar Disorder. This is mainly because of his intense mood swings between elation and depression in the series.
At the same time, these mood swings do not exactly last for days together, as seen in the diagnostic criteria of the mood disorder. Therefore, not every fan of the series agrees with this theory.
- Schizophrenia: Another alternate theory when it comes to Eren is Schizophrenia. Eren constantly has hallucinations of Titans and being eaten by them. Furthermore, he also exhibits many delusions which are characteristic of Schizophrenia.
In a few instances, Eren exhibits a loss of sense of reality and almost lives in a separate world. However, Eren still does not show many of the main signs of Schizophrenia at the right frequency for a diagnosis.
- Antisocial Personality Disorder: One more common theory when it comes to Eren is Antisocial Personality Disorder. This is quite commonly agreed with among fans, mainly since Eren exhibits many psychopathic traits.
Eren does not care much about the feelings and needs of others, as long as his main aim of destroying every Titan out there comes to fulfillment. He also does not show many qualms about killing others, and is really comfortable with bloodshed.
Conclusion
This detailed article has answered if Eren has BPD. We have also discussed the various other mental health disorders and issues that Eren might be struggling with as shown in the series ‘Attack on Titan.’
If you like this article, please post your comments and questions in the space below.
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