Does Jan from ‘The Office’ have BPD? (+9 Signs of instability)
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This info-rich post will be explaining if Jan from ‘The Office’ has BPD. We will also be checking out some of the signs of mental instability that the character Jan Levinson shows in this American sitcom.
Does Jan from ‘The Office’ have BPD?
No, Jan from ‘The Office’ does not have BPD. In ‘The Office’ sitcom, Jan Levinson is not confirmed to have Borderline Personality Disorder. At the same time, she definitely shows a number of signs that she is indeed struggling with her mental stability.
Jan Levinson’s actual mental health diagnosis has never been properly confirmed by fans and critics, mainly due to lack of information and her being a fictional character. Some people assume that she might have some sort of neurosis due to her intense and erratic behaviors.
Signs of Jan’s mental instability from ‘The Office’
Jan Levinson started out as a very strong and powerful female character in the popular sitcom ‘The Office’. But soon, she became a meme-topic with her erratic and self-destructive tendencies and behaviors.
Jan’s mental health diagnosis was never properly confirmed in the sitcom, but she certainly struggles with her mental health considering the fact that she reveals that she consults a psychiatrist.
She is certainly mentally and emotionally unstable, as shown in many instances in the sitcom. Some signs of Jan’s mental instability as shown in ‘The Office’ have been discussed in detail as follows.
She mentions that she has self-destructive tendencies
In one of the episodes in ‘The Office’, Jan clearly tells Michael Scott that she has self-destructive tendencies as mentioned by her own psychiatrist. She also tells Michael that her psychiatrist has told her to express and live some of these self-destructive tendencies.
In many instances of the series, Jan’s speech and behaviors also seem like she is looking forward to self-destruction. She takes part in numerous behaviors which can easily disrupt her career, and in fact, these led to her getting dismissed permanently from Dunder Mifflin.
When asked about her reaction to getting together with Michael, Jan responds that she may actually self-destruct like a star dying. Despite knowing that many of her actions can ruin her, Jan voluntarily takes part in them as a form of masochism.
Jan’s relationship with Michael
The biggest montage of signs of Jan’s mental health issues can be seen in her relationship with Michael Scott. When she is first introduced in the sitcom, Jan is portrayed to be highly professional and a completely career-oriented woman.
But, deep inside she definitely shows many signs that she already likes Michael Scott from the Scranton branch, especially considering the numerous trips that she takes to Scranton to discuss things which could be easily spoken over the phone.
Michael is overtly attracted to Jan, and she seems to encourage this behavior many times. She also seeks a relationship with him. This can be seen in the episode where they have the Casino Party in the warehouse.
When invited to the party, Jan is pretty ecstatic and even brings an overnight bag in hopes of sleeping with Michael. But, she is immediately turned off by the sight of Carol, Michael’s girlfriend.
She however, gets into a relationship with Michael after he invites her to Sandals, Jamaica. Their relationship is not exactly stable and has a lot of drama involved. The extent of their conflicts can be seen in ‘The Dinner Party’ episode.
Her breast-augmentation surgery
Michael Scott from ‘The Office’ is not fully aware of Jan and her tendencies. But one thing is clear, and that is Jan knows Michael inside-out to understand what strings she needs to pull and what buttons she needs to push.
After they are broken up, Jan is eager to get Michael back. She does this by going to his office and showing off her brand new breast augmentation. This ultimately rekindles their relationship once more.
While getting breast augmentation surgery is not exactly a sign of mental health issues, getting with the sole aim of attracting an ex-boyfriend back into a relationship can show as to how far Jan is ready to go for the sake of her self-destruction.
Her impulsive reactions
Jan also shows many impulsive reactions and behaviors throughout the show. From the first time she kisses Michael, to her agreeing to go to Sandals, Jamaica with him all depict her impulsive and albeit reckless behavior.
However, in many other cases, she seems to have a more calculated approach. For instance, her professional career seems to be well-planned out for quite some time. Later on, her impulsivity leads to several speed-bumps in her career as well.
Her complete take-over of Michael’s condo
The ‘Dinner Party’ episode in ‘The Office’ is one of the best episodes in the sitcom, and perhaps one of the best in sitcom history even. The essence of Jan and Michael’s toxic relationship can be really felt and seen in this episode.
The biggest red flag when it comes to Jan’s mental instability and her insecurity can be seen in the fact that she completely takes over his condo. There is very little of Michael left in their shared space.
Jan is a very dominant person, but her need for dominance in her relationship with Michael is a major sign of her struggling with mental instability. It also points to the main reason why Jan chose to date Michael in the first place – because he is submissive and compromising in nature.
Her lack of friends
Jan also does not seem to have many friends and family as portrayed in the sitcom. She even mentions that she has been counseled to stay away from interacting with her family members. Later, she goes on to create her own baby, Astrid, via artificial insemination.
Her anger outbursts
Jan also seems to have a major temper. She certainly does not portray in her job and her profession. But most of her anger can be seen in her relationship with Michael. In the ‘Dinner Party’ episode, even throws one of Michael’s Dundies and breaks his plasma TV.
Her sexual dominance
Jan’s relationship with Michael is certainly one-sided, both emotionally and even sexually. Jan seems to dominate Michael in the bedroom and this is not entirely liked by him. This is revealed by Michael in ‘Women’s Appreciation.’
Michael asks the ladies of the office what they feel about role-play. Most of them approve, but Michael seems to be uncomfortable since he is the one who has to put on a costume. He even says that Jan does not respect their safe-word, which is a complete no-no.
Jan seems to turn to aggressive sex and make-out sessions to compensate for her lack of feelings or anhedonia. This can also be seen in the episode where Jan and Michael attend a party at David Wallace’s house.
Her relationship with Hunter
One of the most problematic avenues explored in Jan’s personality is her relationship with Hunter, her young secretary. This may even be called ‘grooming’ since Jan is Hunter’s superior who is clearly a much younger man.
Hunter even goes on to write a song for Jan, implying that he may have lost his virginity to her. Jan plays the CD during the ‘Dinner Party’ episode. This is another sign that Jan seeks attention from the wrong places, to make up for the void and instability in her life.
Conclusion
This info-rich post has explained if Jan from ‘The Office’ has BPD. We have also checked out some of the signs of mental instability that the character Jan Levinson shows in this American sitcom.
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