Does Jenny Schecter from ‘The L Word’ have BPD? (+3 Alternate diagnoses)
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This detailed blogpost will be explaining if Jenny Schecter has BPD by discussing the different signs and symptoms of the PD that she depicts in the series ‘The L Word.’ In addition to this, we will look at the different other mental health issues that Jenny Schecter may have had.
Does Jenny Schecter from ‘‘The L Word’ have BPD?
Yes, Jenny Schecter has BPD. In the drama series ‘The L Word’ where Jenny Schecter appears as one of the main characters, she is not confirmed to have Borderline Personality Disorder, but certainly shows a number of signs of the disorder.
In the series, Jenny Schecter plays the role of the main antagonist and calls herself a ‘dysfunctional liar.’ She also is a writer, mainly driven by her emotional trauma and her past experiences.
Jenny Schecter is almost always depicted with a brooding face and is often called ‘weird.’ Some signs and symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder which Jenny Schecter shows in the drama series have been discussed in the following section.
Her identity seems to be distorted
Jenny Schecter definitely struggles with her self-identity and self-image which is a very characteristic sign of Borderline Personality Disorder. For instance, she is confident as a creative writer, but thrives and lives on her reviews.
She takes part in numerous impulsive actions
Jenny also takes part in a number of impulsive actions. For example, she has spent a lot of money unnecessarily on herself and even others. She has even gotten into bed with those from her professional network without thinking about the consequences.
At one point, Jenny Schecter also gets naked in front of men on a stage. These types of impulsive and reckless actions are actually an important sign of Borderline Personality Disorder, but can also be present in other disorders like Impulse Control Disorder and ADHD.
She has several unstable relationships
Jenny Schecter even has a number of unstable relationships in the series. Her relationships often take the pattern of the BPD relationship cycle of too much attachment, detachment and eventually a breakup.
She even shows a splitting behavior in her relationships. At one point Jenny seems to be totally over the moon for her partner. But in the very next second, she seems to change her perceptions of the person and hates them.
She is definitely moody
Jenny is often shown to be brooding and is almost always in a bad mood. She also goes through many emotional swings, which are frequently seen in her romantic relationships. She further seems to mirror the emotions of those around her and is very impressionable.
She has chronic feelings of emptiness
Chronic feelings of emptiness are also quite characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder. In Jenny Schecter, she seems to struggle with her self-worth. She tries her best to put her pain and trauma into her profession as a creative writer.
But this does not do it for her in the long run. She starts seeking relationships with others, and her feelings for them as a way to feel alive. She also tries her best to fill the void in her life with her impulsivity and recklessness in order to pump up her adrenaline and her excitement levels.
She fears abandonment
Jenny definitely fears abandonment. Though at many times she pushes people away from her, even when they are in a relationship with her, she all the more wants them back since she fears being alone.
When she was in a relationship with Tim, Jenny clearly tells him that she will die if he leaves her. This fear of abandonment in Borderline Personality Disorder causes immense issues in relationships, as seen in Jenny Schecter.
She takes part in self-harming
Jenny also shows self-harming behaviors. This can be seen in the end of season two, when Jenny cuts herself with the use of razor blades. This is particularly during a depressive phase. Fortunately, she gets the help that she needs in a clinic in her hometown.
She can be seen dissociating at times
In the series, Jenny also seems to dissociate a number of times. She frequently has flashbacks of her gang-rape as a child. She particularly keeps seeing clowns and carnival scenes from one of her rapist’s t-shirts.
She also can be seen acting very paranoid and unhinged when she was in a relationship with Shane. She constantly doubted his fidelity and suspected that he was indeed cheating on her. These types of dissociations are again, quite common in Borderline Personality Disorder.
She is seen with anger outbursts
Jenny Schecter is also known for her temper. Although her temper is not always quick, her outbursts have been quite large. One time when she gets angry, she even threw a wine bottle at Marina’s house.
Jenny Schecter’s mental health issues
Jenny Schecter from ‘The L Word’ has been branded as a weird and problematic girl, mainly due to her brooding and sensitive nature. Jenny has often been touted by fans and critics of the series to be suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.
While the diagnosis certainly explains a lot of Jenny’s behavior, many fans have come up with alternate theories regarding her mental health. A few alternate diagnoses for Jenny Scheter have been listed as follows,
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: One plausible explanation for many of Jenny’s behaviors in the series is the presence of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. She definitely thinks that the whole world revolves around her and acts entitled.
She is quite proud of her work as a writer and feels that her book needs to be the first in line for publication. She also needs constant admiration and validation from others and when she does not get this, she becomes depressed and dull.
This self-entitlement that Jenny shows is not only limited to her, but even leaks on to her social and romantic relationships. In one instance, she condemns it when her boyfriend cheats on her, but justifies her own cheating citing it as special reasons.
- Depression: Depression is another theory that has been thrown at Jenny Schecter. The character is definitely a sensitive person and is almost never smiling in the series. However, her actions and drive do not match her mood and affect.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Another possible theory when it comes to Jenny Schecter’s mental health is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is revealed that Jenny had a very traumatic experience happen to her when she was a child.
She was gang-raped by three teenage boys and she is never able to fully heal from this trauma. While she tries to repress her memories as her coping mechanism, the trauma is still very active in her subconscious as she often sees the clown from her rapist’s t-shirts.
The biggest issue for Jenny is that her parents did not comfort her or support her after they learned of the rape. While they were certainly shocked at the incident, they did not help Jenny get through this trauma. Instead, they chose to ignore it.
This hurt Jenny even more. This behavior from her parents actually strained the relationship between Jenny and them. She feels that because her trauma was not addressed or spoken about when she was a child, it developed into a sickness which made her a ‘dysfunctional liar.’
Conclusion
This detailed blogpost has explained if Jenny Schecter has BPD by discussing the different signs and symptoms of the PD that she depicts in the series ‘The L Word.’ In addition to this, we have looked at the different other mental health issues that Jenny Schecter may have had.
If you like this blogpost, please leave your comments and questions in the space below.
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