Does Jesse Pinkman have BPD? (+3 Psychological issues)

This blogpost will be answering if Jesse Pinkman has BPD. Additionally, we will also be checking out some of the psychological issues that Jesse Pinkman portrays in the ‘Breaking Bad’ series.

Does Jesse Pinkman have BPD?

No, Jesse Pinkman does not have BPD. In the series ‘Breaking Bad’, it is not confirmed that Jesse Pinkman suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, although he definitely struggles with several mental health issues.

In the series, Jesse Pinkman is the former student of Walter White, who eventually becomes his business partner in cooking and selling meth. Jesse aims to make a lot of money, and often gets into trouble as a result of this ambition and his drug addiction issues.

Many fans and critics of the series have tried their best to pin a mental health diagnosis on Jesse Pinkman. Some of the theories as to Jesse Pinkman’s mental health diagnosis have been listed as follows,

• Substance abuse disorder: It is quite obvious right from the start that Jesse Pinkman has a drug addiction problem. In fact, it is this problem of his that leads to a strained relationship between him and his parents.

Not only is Jesse used to abusing drugs, he also has a romantic relationship with Jane, who is a recovering drug addict but falls off the wagon later. Furthermore, Jesse starts dealing in drugs as his profession and only source of income.

Jesse’s substance abuse disorder is as problematic as it is. What even adds more to the mix is his keen interest in cooking and selling drugs along with Walter White. Jesse never really puts much effort into treating his substance abuse issues.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Another diagnosis which also fits Jesse Pinkman’s mental health status is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Jesse shows many emotional issues after shooting Gale, who actually did nothing wrong.

Jesse puts on a strong face after Gale’s death and eventually takes drastic measures to avoid becoming unhinged. For instance, he never goes anywhere alone and makes sure that there are several people around him all the time.

He also shows signs of PTSD after he manages to escape from Jack Welker after being tortured. In this instance, he experiences flashbacks of his water torture in the cell when he was held by the gang.

Signs of Jesse Pinkman’s psychological issues

Throughout the ‘Breaking Bad’ series, Jesse Pinkman shows a number of signs that he is indeed struggling in his mental health and needs help. While many of these mental health issues do not fit any particular diagnosis, they still are genuine and can be treated individually.

Some signs of Jesse Pinkman’s mental health issues as depicted in the ‘Breaking Bad’ series have been discussed in the following section.

His drug use

The biggest sign of psychological issues in Jesse Pinkman is definitely his drug use. This drug abuse in Jesse Pinkman also interferes with his familial relationships, especially with his parents, but definitely does not deter him.

His drug-dealing

Jesse Pinkman starts out as a lowly drug-dealer who is yet to play in the big leagues. With Walter by his side, Jesse Pinkman eventually becomes a major player in the drug-game. This partaking of illegal activities actually point to the presence of antisocial tendencies in Jesse.

Jesse does not seem to be proud of his rise as a drug-lord’s right hand, and he even tells Watler this directly. Still, it does not stop him. Only when an innocent teenager is killed in their drug wars, Jesse leaves the business and moves away to Alaska.

His murderous tendencies

Jesse Pinkman also does not hesitate to kill others who are trying to get in the way of his drug-dealing business with Walter. He definitely has rules though, i.e. no women or children should be hurt.

He does not show any remorse in killing others. But, when he kills Gale to protect his business with Walter, he shoots him in the face. This is his first murder and Jesse shows a lot of remorse and guilt, even showing clear emotional distress for days.

Conclusion

This blogpost has answered if Jesse Pinkman has BPD. Additionally, we have also checked out some of the psychological issues that Jesse Pinkman portrays in the ‘Breaking Bad’ series.

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