Does Monica from Friends have BPD? (+7 Signs of issues)
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OptimistMinds
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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.
This interesting article will be answering if Monica has BPD. In addition to this, we will be checking out some of the signs of psychological issues that Monica Geller depicts in the TV series ‘Friends.’
Does Monica from Friends have BPD?
No, Monica does not have BPD. Monica Geller who appears as one of the main characters in the TV series ‘Friends’ does not show any major signs or symptoms of struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder.
In the TV series, Monica Geller is a chef living in New York City. She often hangs out with her friend-circle and her brother Ross, in the coffee shop Central Perk, and even gets married to one of them later on.
Monica Geller is known to have many quirks and strange behaviors which are often a topic for jokes among her friends. As a result of her distinct personality, many fans and critics have tried their best to pin a diagnosis on Monica Geller.
Monica Geller has been studied very closely by not only fans, but even mental health experts, as to what mental health issue she might be actually struggling with. Some theories regarding Monica Geller’s mental health diagnosis have been shared in the following points.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: Many people simply assume that Monica Geller might actually have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. However, more specifically, Monica Geller seems to have Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.
Monica is quite obsessed with cleaning and needs to keep everything in order. She even has a room dedicated to storing things that do not match the others in her house, almost like a hoarding behavior.
She even fusses when something goes out of place, and cannot take it when someone else rearranges things in her house, or even cleans for her. In fact, Monica turns to cleaning as a form of soothing behavior whenever she is stressed.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Another possible diagnosis in regards to Monic Geller is Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Apart from being obsessed with cleaning and organization, Monica is known for her feisty competitiveness.
Monica is quite self-obsessed and this even causes friction between her and her friends many times. Her competitiveness is very well known in her friend-circle, and she has the toxic need to prove herself in every case and situation.
Signs of Monica Geller’s psychological issues
The TV series ‘Friends’ definitely took the world by storm. It showed the difficulties of young adults living away from family and how they take on different challenges in their workplaces, their social lives and even their romantic lives.
One of the main characters, Monica Geller, is mainly known for being a neat-freak and comes with a lot of emotional baggage. However, no solid diagnosis can be pinned on Monica as she does not fit all the criteria for any particular disorder.
At the same time, Monica depicts a number of dysfunctional attitudes and traits which can be termed simply as psychological issues. Some signs of psychological issues in Monica Geller have been discussed in the section below.
She finds disorder distressful
There is no doubt that Monica Geller is truly a neat-freak. She needs everything to be clean and organized. This is not exactly a bad thing. However, the way Monica approaches this is unhealthy and even slightly obsessive in nature.
Her need to keep everything in a particular order becomes a hassle for anyone living with her. This is the primary reason why Phoebe moves out of Monica’s apartment and re-experiences it when she moves in after her apartment catches fire.
She is highly competitive with her brother
Another dysfunctional trope that is covered in ‘Friends’ is Monica and Ross’ relationship. Although they do share a close relationship as brother and sister, Monica is also quite competitive with Ross.
However, this competitiveness cannot be blamed entirely on Monica. It is quite literally the fault of her parents since they clearly favored Ross above her and constantly displayed this. Monica is certainly not over this and tries to one-up her brother at any opportunity she gets.
For instance, in one of the Thanksgivings, Monica and Ross find themselves in a game of Touch Football. Both of them are not willing to let the other win, and as a result they both miss the dinner and can be seen clutching the ball. This is a typical example of prolonged sibling rivalry.
She is competitive with Rachel
Monica is not only competitive with Ross, but can also be seen being quite competitive with Rachel. As teenagers in high school, Monica was the ignored fat kid, while Rachel was a highly popular cheerleader, which led to a strenuous dynamic between the two.
This stuck with Monica, and Rachel never bothered about it since it never affected her. Even after growing up, Monica seems to be still holding on to the traumatic experiences that she went through as an obese girl, all the while seeing her best friend living it up.
Monica even goes out with one of Rachel’s ex-boyfriends, Chip, just to feel like a popular high-schooler. Rachel also seems to know about this competitive trait of Monica, since she hid her pregnancy news from her to prevent Monica from feeling that she is ‘stealing her thunder.’
She finds the need to be best at everything
Monica is basically going through her entire life as a competitor against the entire world. She has the toxic need to be the best at each and everything. She breaks down when she finds out that her massages are actually terrible.
She is only consoled when Chandler tells her that she gives the ‘Best Worst Massages.’ She even tries her best to make people cry when she gives the toast at her parents’ anniversary party, just to one-up Ross.
Her relationships are terrible choices
Throughout the series, Monica dates a large variety of guys, most of whom are terrible choices for her. The prime example is Richard, who was actually her father’s friend and is much older than her. Right from the start, she knew this relationship was doomed, but still went with it.
As if this was not enough, she even goes on to date Richard’s son, but soon changes her mind after she finds that he reminds her too much of his father. It is not until she meets Chandler that Monica is able to settle down into a cozy and loving relationship.
She has the toxic need to control everything
Monica has the need to control everything and also everyone around her. Perhaps, this is the reason why Monica and Chandler were able to get along with each other so well; she loves to control, and Chandler needs/wants to be controlled.
This need to control everything and everyone around her also makes Monica a terrible boss and her staff often hates her for this. The things that she cannot control, she does not dispose of and instead hides them away, as seen in her messy closet.
She is a perfectionist
Monica is a true perfectionist and needs everything to be perfect all the time. Her perfectionism is another sign of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. Monica’s perfectionism mainly stems from her desperate need to be liked by everyone around her.
She seems to have this maladaptive thought pattern that as long as everything is perfect, she will get the attention of others. This type of thinking can also be blamed on her parents’ treatment of Monica, clearly and openly favoring her brother over her.
Conclusion
This interesting article has answered if Monica has BPD. In addition to this, we have also checked out some of the signs of psychological issues that Monica Geller depicts in the TV series ‘Friends.’
If you like this article, please post your comments and questions in the space below.
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