Does Michael Scott have bipolar? (+5 Signs of issues)
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The current blogpost will be explaining if Michael Scott has bipolar. We will also be checking out the various signs and symptoms of Michael Scott’s mental health issues and also be looking at some of the factors which could have contributed to this.
Does Michael Scott have bipolar?
No. Michael Scott does not have bipolar. The popular sitcom ‘The Office’ does not portray Michael Scott as having bipolar disorder and does not mention this diagnosis openly. At the same time, many of Michael’s behaviors and antics are signs of some underlying illness.
Michael Scott is a manager of the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. He has been the manager for years together and sincerely loves his job. However, he is not exactly a great manager and many successes come to him out of pure luck or the smartness of his workers.
Michael Scott is a very childish and self-obsessed person and has been the subject of study of many a psychologist. Some mental health experts and fans who have deeply studied the show and the character have come up with various theories as to what he is suffering from, like,
- Histrionic Personality Disorder: Many mental health experts and even fans who have deeply studied the show and the personality of Michael Scott feel that he has Histrionic Personality Disorder.
Histrionic Personality Disorder can cause a person to crave attention all the time and may even lead them to behave in an inappropriate manner as a result. Those who have HPD often have a distorted self-image and may think of themselves as someone really great.
Michael Scott easily ticks off almost all the boxes when it comes to the diagnostic criteria of Histrionic Personality Disorder. His self-obsession actually leads to a lot of problems in his own personal life and even the life of others around him.
Furthermore, even his mannerisms and his way of talking is all very attention-seeking in nature. He can also be seen to easily deep-dive into relationships and interpret them as something much bigger than what they are in a very short span of time.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Narcissistic Personality Disorder is another alternate diagnosis which has been thrown at Michael Scott. This is mainly due to the character’s extreme obsession with himself and his own desires above that of others.
In almost every situation, Michael tries his best to make it about himself. During Jim and Pam’s wedding and even Phyllis’ and Bob’s wedding, Michael wants everyone to pay attention to him and is clearly disappointed when this does not happen.
However, the narcissism of Michael Scott cannot be classified into a disorder as such. It can be seen to be more of emotional immaturity and his inability to grow up to be a responsible adult and manager.
- Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Some fans of the sitcom ‘The Office’ have also felt that Michael Scott actually has Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or at least Attention Deficit Disorder.
Throughout the seasons of the show, Michael Scott can be seen to be constantly distracted from his main roles and responsibilities. His attention span is that of a child and he cannot be seen to complete any task to its fullest extent.
His co-workers, especially Pam, have learnt to talk to Michael as if he were a child and give him details in brief points rather than have a proper conversation with him. Despite him having an office of his own, Michael is often running around in the office and disturbing others.
Michael Scott also clearly has a very different thought process from others, which is very much present in ADHD and ADD. At the same time, he does not fit all the criteria of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or even Attention Deficit Disorder.
Signs of Michael Scott’s mental health issues
Michael Scott is an almost universally loved character who appears in the sitcom ‘The Office’. Full of antics and mischief, this unorthodox manager of a paper-company branch has been the subject of many articles and posts when it comes to his psyche and his mental health issues.
A few signs and symptoms of Michael Scott’s mental health issues and emotional struggles which have been portrayed in the ‘The Office’ have been discussed and described in the following section.
He has a high sense of self
The one sign of mental health issues in Michael Scott is that he has a very high sense of self. When compared to his co-workers and basically anyone else, Michael thinks that he is much better than them in all ways.
A high sense of self is often seen in mental illnesses like Histrionic Personality Disorder and even the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Interestingly, the one person whom Michael Scott feels is better than him is Ryan, which goes to show how manipulative Ryan can actually be.
He needs to be liked
Michael Scott has a toxic need to be liked and loved by everyone which is the reason he comes up with many antics and tactics. Even if it is just a group of strangers he is sure not to meet again, Michael Scott still feels that they should all fall in love with him instantly.
This can be seen in Bob and Phyllis’ wedding where he tries to take the spotlight over and over again, trying desperately to get the crowd to notice him and like him. It is this toxic behavior that irritates and frustrates others, especially his co-workers.
He definitely thinks outside of the box
Michael Scott is most certainly not your typical manager. His thought process is very different and very few people actually understand this wholly. For instance, he decides to choose his replacement through a bunch of games and exercises on the beach.
He jumps into relationships
Michael Scott’s mental health issues and emotional struggles can also be seen in his approach to relationships. He often jumps head-first into relationships and has intense emotions, both of which point to the presence of some underlying conflicts in his subconscious.
He can be easily influenced by others
Michael Scott clearly has no identity of his own and has diluted principles and morals. This can be seen in the very easy manner that he is influenced by the sayings and actions of others. This also affects his job as a manager.
As a manager of an office, he is responsible for taking very tough decisions. However, due to his need to be liked by everyone, Michael does not logically weigh the pros and cons and instead waits for someone else to make the decision for him.
While being easily influenced by others is not exactly a mental illness of its own, it can point to a very low self-esteem which can further be caused due to the presence of some mental health issues or a personality disorder.
Causes of Michael Scott’s mental health issues
Michael Scott from the sitcom ‘The Office’ is more of a comical character than a serious manager of a paper-company branch in Scranton. His mental health issues and atypical behavior can be blamed mainly on his lonely childhood.
In the show ‘Fundle Bundle’ where he appeared as a guest as a child, he mentions that he wants to get married and have 100 kids so that he can have 100 friends. This speaks volumes of his lonely childhood.
The only place where he gains an identity of his own is Dunder-Mifflin and as a result, he becomes too comfortable to go anywhere else. All of his unorthodox practices are to get people to admire and like him, so that he can make up for his friendless-childhood.
Conclusion
The current blogpost has explained if Michael Scott has bipolar. We have also checked out the various signs and symptoms of Michael Scott’s mental health issues and also looked at some of the factors which could have contributed to this.
If you like this blogpost, please leave your comments and questions in the space below.
Citations
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