Does Lady Bird have BPD? (+5 Mental health issues)

This brief article will be answering if Lady Bird has BPD. We will also look at some of the psychological issues which have been covered in the 2017 comedy-drama film ‘Lady Bird’, about the character of the same name.

Does Lady Bird have BPD?

No, Lady Bird does not have BPD. In the film ‘Lady Bird’, Christine McPherson/Lady Bird, does not have Borderline Personality Disorder. She definitely does not portray many signs and symptoms of this personality disorder, but seems to struggle with emotional distress.

Also, Lady Bird is considered too young for an official diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder or any other major mental illness. At most, Lady Bird depicts all the signs of a teenager trying her best to come to terms with her true self and accepting her mother’s love.

Mental health issues in Lady Bird

The film Lady Bird won many awards and accolades, due to its very accurate portrayal of adolescent rebellion and identity issues which are present in this age group. It also painted a not-so-pretty picture of chaotic relationships between mother and daughter.

The film has been studied by mental health experts and even mental health advocates since it covers many important topics and issues related to the field. Some important mental health issues covered in Lady Bird are discussed in the following section.

The relationship between mother and daughter

The essence of the film ‘Lady Bird’ is the relationship between a mother and a daughter. This may seem like a common trope in coming-of-age films such as this. But, it actually elevates this commonly used theme to another extraordinary level.

Lady Bird’s mother, Marion does not trust her daughter to make the right choices and actually underestimates her. She does so mainly because she herself was not raised by a mentally and emotionally healthy person; her mother being an alcoholic.

Christine McPherson, also called Lady Bird, is trying her best to leave the nest that her mother has created for her, often wanting things on a level that is unknown to her mother. This is the main source of conflict between the daughter and the mother.

Self-identity in teenagers

The self-identity and self-image of Lady Bird is also well-researched and well-discussed in this film. There is a mental tussle between the identities of Christine McPherson and Lady Bird, although they both are the one and same person.

Early in the film, Christine throws away her original name, something that was given to her without a choice, and wants people to call her Lady Bird, a name that she chose for herself. Throughout the film, Lady Bird is dying to show her true colors.

However, towards the end of the film, Lady Bird buries this nickname and chooses to go by her original name, Christine. Christine develops her self-identity and grows into the actual meaning of her name, something that her loving mother chose for her.

Danny’s homosexuality

Homosexuality is another important topic that is covered in Lady Bird, although it does not take the spotlight. Christine’s first boyfriend is Danny, a wealthy kid, who is a closeted homosexual, unknowing to Lady Bird.

Lady Bird breaks up with him when she catches him kissing another boy. Later on, they both reconcile and become friends. But, this is not before Danny cries to her about his fear of coming out of the closet for fear of society.

Guilt and regret

One more essential theme in the film Lady Bird is guilt and regret. Both the main female characters carry a lot of guilt and regret, which is not openly expressed in the film. These themes are mainly covered in the latter part of the film.

Misunderstandings between parents and children

Lady Bird is not understood by her mother, and neither is her mother understood by Lady Bird. This causes a lot of chaos between the two. Marion does not expect much from her daughter, as she does not make an attempt to get to know her as a person.

On the other hand, Lady Bird does not understand the fears and insecurities that her mother has. She only finds out much later through the letters that her father gives her. These misunderstandings could have been sorted out better with effective communication.

Conclusion

This brief article has answered if Lady Bird has BPD. We have also looked at some of the psychological issues which have been covered in the 2017 comedy-drama film ‘Lady Bird’, about the character of the same name.

If you like this article, please post your comments and questions in the space below.

Citations