Does Jade West from ‘Victorious’ have BPD? (+9 Signs of issues)
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In this interesting article, we will be explaining if Jade West has BPD. We will also be discussing some of the signs of mental health issues and emotional immaturity that Jade West shows on ‘Victorious’, along with some of the factors which could have caused these.
Does Jade West from ‘Victorious’ have BPD?
No, Jade West does not have BPD. Jade West is one of the main characters in the TV show ‘Victorious’ Many fans and critics of the show often believe that Jade West might be suffering from some undiagnosed mental health disorder because of the way she acts.
The creators of ‘Victorious’ have never confirmed that Jade West actually has Borderline Personality Disorder, and neither does she get any such clinical diagnosis in the show itself. Still, the dark and snarky character Jade West has made her a favorite icon for many.
Jade West can be a mean character since she often bullies those around here and tries her best to assert herself. As a result, she is often called ‘freaky’ in nature. She also seems to know this and accepts these qualities of hers without trying to make changes in her personality.
Signs of Jade West’s mental health issues
Jade West is often portrayed to be a ‘mean girl’ character in the TV show ‘Victorious.’ Regardless of her mean personality, she is still very popular among fans and critics of the show, and even some mental health experts who claim that Jade struggles with some mental disorder.
Jade West cannot be diagnosed with any particular mental health disorder mainly because she is too young. Also, her actions do not fit the diagnostic criteria of any one mental health disorder. A few signs of the mental health issues that Jade West depicts in the show are discussed below.
She dresses dark and gothic
This is not exactly a sign of mental health issues in Jade West but can be used as a mirror to her actual personality. Jade mostly dresses in dark and gothic clothing, and even paints her nails black to reflect her dark and mysterious nature.
Jade can be sadistic
Jade West actually enjoys it when other people get hurt. This sadistic side of Jade West may actually depict the presence of a personality disorder. In one episode, she even enjoys it when her boyfriend gets slapped during a certain scene.
She is rude to everyone
The highlighted aspect of Jade West’s personality is that she is undoubtedly rude to everyone around her. She is even bossy and mean to her close friends. The only person whom she seems to love openly and is kind toward is her boyfriend, Beck.
She is definitely a bully and needs to be the boss in every situation. Being mean and arrogant to everyone, especially in adolescence, is often a coping mechanism to avoid being hurt due to past emotional traumas and painful experiences.
She is extremely rebellious
She is also seen to be very rebellious in nature. When Jade West is told not to do something, she does it immediately just to defy the persona and their rules. In one episode, Jade’s mother tells her not to get piercings, and as predicted she goes and gets them almost immediately.
Rebellion is often assumed to be a sign of assertiveness. But in fact, constant rebellion without any particular cause can denote maladaptive traits and tendencies in a person. It is also quite common in adolescence, where self-esteem and confidence are usually low.
She does not do well under authority
One important reason why many critics of the show try to pin a personality disorder on Jade West is due to her troubles with authority. She definitely does not like rules being enforced on her and constantly tries to set her own rules and regulations.
She only seems to go along with rules when they match her needs and desires. In one instance, it is revealed that Jade quit her job when the management wanted her to wear a pink outfit. She not only quits the job, but even burns the outfit.
She shows paranoia towards Beck
For the majority of the show, Jade West and Beck seem to have a stable relationship. Among all the others in the group, Jade only seems to emotionally respond to Beck and actually listens to him and follows his advice.
This does not mean that their relationship is devoid of any rough patches. Jade is definitely very possessive of Beck and at many times she doubts his actions and suspects him. She often fees that Beck is cheating on her, even when there is no proof of such an event.
In one particular episode, Jade suspects that Beck is cheating on her with his neighbor and barges into his trailer. She finds that the neighbor is nine years old and does not give him any chance to explain due to her high levels of paranoia.
Paranoia can be found as a symptom in several psychotic mental health disorders like schizophrenia. It can also be found in personality disorders like Borderline Personality Disorder and Paranoid Personality Disorder.
She struggles in showing her emotions
Another thing to note when it comes to Jade West’s mental health issues and personality is that she struggles to show her emotions. It is not actually struggling to show her emotions, but more of not wanting to show her emotions.
Even when Jade West is too happy or too sad, she does not want to show her emotions. She maintains this throughout the show as she feels that showing feelings will make her look pretty uncool.
In one episode, Jade West breaks up with Beck. She immediately attempts to get back together with him, but he does not accept her. Jade feels very sad and disappointed with this since Beck was not only her boyfriend but even her friend. Even in this situation, she fights her tears.
She seems to be entitled
In many instances in the show, Jade West is understood to be very opinionated and even entitled. She expects to be the boss of any situation, even if the subject is not exactly her forte. In many shows, she expects to be the lead, even if someone far more favorable was present.
Jade is certainly a spoiled brat and wants things to go her way all the time, and always wants to emerge cool and successful at the end of all her projects. She has a serious fear of missing out, and forces herself into many projects, even if she is not invited in the first place.
She doesn’t like to be touched
Another sign of mental health issues as depicted by Jade West in ‘Victorious’ is her hatred of being touched by others, even if it is her best friend, Cat. Detesting being touched is important to note since it is often present in Autism and even Sensory Processing Disorder.
It may also be a sign that the person has been abused in the past, or has gone through some traumatic experiences. In terms of Jade, she hates it when others touch her, but does not mind it if she is the one who initiated the touching.
Cause of Jade West’s mental health issues
Jade West definitely has numerous mental health issues and emotional conflicts. The root cause of her mental health issues and ‘mean girl’ personality is her family. Jade does not have a positive relationship with her family.
Her father has even called the cops on her and seems embarrassed by her creative abilities. She also does not respect her mother, even calling her ‘stupid’ more than once. She is not even on good terms with her grandmother. The only person who seems to like her is her brother.
Unhealthy family ties and relationships like this can lead to a maladaptive household. Children who grow up in families like this often need to grow up quickly, leading them to develop a mean streak and bold character, just like Jade West.
Conclusion
In this interesting article, we have explained if Jade West has BPD. We have also discussed some of the signs of mental health issues and emotional immaturity that Jade West shows on ‘Victorious’, along with some of the factors which could have caused these.
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