Does Misato from Evangelion have BPD? (+7 Signs of BPD)
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In this interesting post, we will be explaining if Misato has BPD, by going through some of the signs and symptoms that she depicts in ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion.’ Finally, we will be looking at some of the factors which could have caused these issues in Misato.
Does Misato from Evangelion have BPD?
Yes, Misato has BPD. In ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’, Misato Katsuragi definitely shows a number of signs of struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder. This has not exactly been confirmed by the creators of the franchise, but is more of a fan-theory.
Despite it just being a theory discussed in fan forums, Misato having Borderline Personality Disorder is quite commonly associated with the character. At the same time, some fans and critics who have studied the character closely have felt that she might have other issues, like,
- Histrionic Personality Disorder: An alternate theory regarding the mental health of Misato Katsuragi is Histrionic Personality Disorder. Throughout the story, Misato tries many attention-seeking tactics and strategies.
She has also been known to be sexually promiscuous in nature, often using her femininity and her good looks to get the attention of others. She also yearns to be in the spotlight, especially when it comes to Kaji, further fueling this theory.
- Bipolar Disorder: Another theory regarding Misato’s mental health status is Bipolar Disorder. Her moods and emotions often change quite unpredictably. Bipolar Disorder is also often commonly found along with BPD, which can explain this further.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: One more theory is that Misato Katsuragi might actually have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This not only goes for Misato, but even many other characters in the franchise, including Shinji and even Asuka.
- Attachment Disorder: This is definitely another one of the most common theories regarding Misato’s mental health. She often finds it hard to create and maintain close and intimate relationships with others.
This emotional detachment in Misato is actually caused by her father neglecting her when she was a child. She often fears this repeating in her relationships with others, thus reaffirming the presence of an Attachment Disorder.
Despite these many other alternate theories, the most commonly assumed one regarding Misato Katsuragi is Borderline Personality Disorder. She certainly shows a number of signs of struggling with BPD throughout her story arc, such as the ones listed as follows.
She has a favorite person in Kaji
Misato’s favorite person in ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ is definitely Kaji, whom she is romantically interested in. She is also quite afraid of losing Kaji, and at the same time is desperate to maintain a certain distance from him.
Often, those who have Borderline Personality Disorder have a favorite person, commonly in the form of a romantic partner. In the case of Misato, her favorite person is Kaji and she constantly obsesses over the thought that he might leave her at any time.
She has a fear of abandonment
Misato also demonstrates a high fear of abandonment in the franchise, especially toward Kaji. Even when Kaji does not exactly show proper proof that he might leave her or wants to leave her, Misato still obsesses over this thought.
Borderline Personality Disorder often leads a person to have a high fear of abandonment, and they might act in an attention-seeking manner. In the case of Misato, She often tries her best to attract him and also tries to keep him close to her in not so subtle ways.
She shows a number of impulsive behaviors
Misato also shows a number of impulsive behaviors throughout her story arc. However, when compared to the usual diagnostic criteria of Borderline Personality Disorder, Misato does not exactly portray a large number of impulsive behaviors and recklessness.
She can be quite promiscuous in nature
Sexual promiscuity is another main character trait associated with Misato. This is not one of the criteria in Borderline Personality Disorder. At the same time, it can also point to the fear of abandonment traits in Misato.
She shows addictive behaviors
In ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’, Misato further demonstrates a number of addictive behaviors. For example, she drinks a lot of beer. She even needs to drink beer as soon as she wakes up if she wants to function properly.
This is definitely a problematic behavior for Misato since it is a main sign of being addicted to a certain substance. Fortunately for Misato, she actually starts consuming canned coffee as a replacement for her addiction to beer.
She can also be seen smoking whenever she is particularly stressed or depressed. All these incidents show Misato’s proneness to addiction and addictive behaviors, in the case of the beer and the canned coffee. She seems to depend on some beverage or the other to function.
She depicts emotional detachment
Misato, while showing high levels of attachment at certain incidences, also shows a high level of emotional detachment at others. This is especially depicted to those other than Kaji. While she seemingly craves their attention, she forever keeps them at an arm’s-length.
She has constant nightmares
It is true that Misato had a very traumatic past, with some of the experiences never actually leaving her. Misato goes through constant nightmares regarding her past and therefore seems to have a lot of trouble sleeping.
However, she is not exactly aware of it. This was in fact, pointed out to Misato by Kaji, who says that she sleeps uncomfortably as a result of her nightmares. Nightmares are actually a very rarely known and understood sign of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Those who have Borderline Personality Disorder are known to have nightmares more than other people. The nightmares in this personality disorder might actually be very realistic and thus can be a highly stressful and traumatizing event for the person.
The fact that Misato constantly experiences nightmares, which lead to bodily reactions so much so that the person next to her is woken-up is definitely a sign of her Borderline Personality Disorder. Alternatively, it can also point to her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Cause of Misato’s BPD
Misato Katsuragi from ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ is known to be eccentric and very fun to be around. The character has an excellent story arc and goes through a beautiful metamorphosis in the series.
At the same time, it is also quite commonly known that Misato might actually have a number of psychological issues and seems to struggle from some undiagnosed mental health disorder. It is often assumed that Misato may actually have Borderline Personality Disorder.
Borderline Personality Disorder is often caused by some traumatic incident. In the case of Misato, it all points to her father’s treatment of her. Misato’s father was killed and she interpreted this as abandonment.
Misato was never able to fully get over her father’s death and it is clear that she feels too attached to him and wants to hang on to every last morsel of his memory. She even wears the cross pendant that he gave to her, purely as an homage to him.
It is only later that she realizes that her father actually saves her life. However, it is also known that even before his death, Misato’s father does not exactly treat her and often neglects her. This fear of abandonment in Misato is immediately interpreted on Kaji, her romantic interest.
She feels that Kaji reminds her a lot of her father, in both good ways and bad ways. As a result of this, she acts highly attached to him and often fears that he might abandon her, just like how her father did.
Conclusion
In this interesting post, we have explained if Misato has BPD, by going through some of the signs and symptoms that she depicts in ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion.’ Finally, we have looked at some of the factors which could have caused these issues in Misato.
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