Does Junko have bipolar? (+7 Signs of issues)
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
The current blogpost will be answering if Junko has bipolar. We will also be checking out the different signs and symptoms of mental health issues that Junko portrays in the Danganronpa series.
Does Junko have bipolar?
No, Junko does not have bipolar. In the Danganronpa series, Junko Enoshima is definitely portrayed to be a hectic and enigmatic character. But, she most clearly is not specified to have bipolar disorder.
At the same time, it is not mentioned which mental illness which Junko Enoshima seems to be suffering from. There are many alternate theories as to which mental illness this character seems to be suffering from. A few theories have been listed as follows.
- Sociopathy: This is a pretty easy theory to assume since Junko definitely fits all the criteria to be a classified sociopath. She can easily manipulate the feelings and emotions of others for her own gains, even if the other person is hurt in the process.
- Conduct disorder: Many fans who have followed Danganronpa closely have also felt that Junko Enoshima could be living with conduct disorder. This is seen from her childhood where Junko is unable to follow orders from authorities.
Junko lives her life with a complete disregard for others and their feelings. She also gets into trouble often, and can actually be seen seeking out trouble in an active manner. She further flouts societal norms and conventions which may confirm this theory.
- Antisocial Personality Disorder: Another theory as to what mental illness Junko Enoshima may be suffering from is Antisocial Personality Disorder. While Junko understands the feelings of others, she does not act appropriately.
At many times, Junko can be seen relishing the turmoil and emotional trauma that other people are experiencing around her. Another sign of this personality disorder is Junko Enoshima’s constant boredom.
- Depression: In simple terms, Junko Enoshima is depressed. While this may not be evident from her violent actions and her active aggression, it is no doubt that the character is doing all this to cope with her depression.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: One more theory which has been put forward by fans of Danganronpa is that Junko Enoshima might be suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Her constant obsession with herself proves this.
Junko definitely finds no issue in manipulating others and using them for her own gains and also gives her too much importance. She constantly expects others to do her bidding all the time in the series. All of these may point to Junko’s Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
- Borderline Personality Disorder: Another alternate diagnosis which can be thrown at Junko Enoshima is Borderline Personality Disorder. This can especially be seen in the romantic relationships that Junko pursues.
She can be seen jumping very deeply into relationships and calling partners ‘lovers’ very early on. At the same time, she can also be seen jumping out of relationships and changing her perceptions about her partners almost immediately.
She also goes through intense mood swings and also portrays a number of self-destructive behaviors throughout the Danganronpa series. Therefore, many fans feel that Junko Enoshima is definitely suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.
- Split Personality Disorder: A rare theory is that Junko Enoshima actually suffers from Split Personality Disorder. The character can be seen manifesting a number of personalities depending on her aims and desires.
For example, she assumes a wild personality at times, and a childish one at others. She can be clearly seen donning on and off multiple personalities with vivid defining factors. However, this is not a well-accepted theory when it comes to Junko Enoshima.
Signs of Junko’s mental health issues
Junko’s actual diagnosis of mental illness is not specifically mentioned in the Danganronpa series. However, she shows many signs and symptoms of suffering from some underlying mental health issues. Some of these signs and symptoms are:
She is constantly bored
The most important sign when it comes to Junko Enoshima is that she is constantly bored at all times. In fact, it is this high level of boredom that leads her to pursue such aggressive methods and behaviors.
A constant feeling of boredom can also be a major sign of some mental illness, and can even point to psychopathic and antisocial traits in a person. In Danganronpa, Junko is seen to be bored at all times and in the mood to cause some damage.
She seeks despair and suffering
Junko Enoshima also continuously seeks despair and suffering in others. She actively seeks to do this to others without giving a thought about their feelings and their suffering. She is in fact addicted to the despair that other people feel.
She is not hesitant to kill people
She is also a murderous character and does not hesitate to kill others. She even does not stop her killing pattern when it comes to loved ones. In one sad example, Junko even kills her boyfriend Yasuke Matsuda just to savor the despair and sadness.
In this case, it can be seen that Junko demonstrates both sadism and masochism. She is sadistic because she loves hurting and killing others. She is masochistic because she wants to feel the pain and sadness of losing people close to her. All these point to psychopathic traits.
Her killing instinct is not only limited to a single person or a certain group of people, but actually involves the entire world. In her dreams, Junko expects to conquer the entire world which goes to show how psychopathic she actually is.
She can be very manipulative
Like a true psychopath, Junko is also seen to be a very manipulative person. She is very ready to twist the minds and wills of other people for her own means. Emotional manipulation can also point to several antisocial traits in a person’s psyche.
She depicts multiple personalities
Junko can also be seen to constantly change her personality. In Junko’s case, these are not alter-personalities but more of mindsets. At the same time, each mindset or personality has a clear-cut set of characteristic traits.
These personalities in Junko crop up based on the situation that she is currently in, and the different strengths that she would need. For example, when she needs someone to pay attention to her, she would assume a cute and childish personality.
She has an inflated ego
Junko can also be seen to have a huge ego in the Danganronpa series. She thinks there is no one who is better than her and expects others to help her and be there for her at all times without caring about their needs and expectations.
Having a very high sense of self can actually point to a number of mental illnesses. In the manic phase of bipolar disorder, a person might experience an inflated ego. It can also be seen in Borderline Personality Disorder.
She is very intense in relationships
In all her romantic relationships, Junko Enoshima seems to jump head-first. Her relationships might be short-lived in duration, but she is definitely very intense and passionate about it. She immediately refers to her partners as ‘lovers’.
Simultaneously, Junko can also be seen to jump out of relationships as soon as she jumps in. Her short attention span in relationships can also denote an underlying mental illness. Borderline Personality Disorder can lead to feelings like these.
Conclusion
The current blogpost has answered if Junko has bipolar. We have also checked out the different signs and symptoms of mental health issues that Junko portrays in the Danganronpa series.
If you like this blogpost, please leave your comments and questions in the space below.
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