Does Rafe have bipolar? (+3 Causal factors)
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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.
The current blogpost will be answering if Rafe has bipolar. We will also be checking out the signs and symptoms of mental health issues that are portrayed by Rafe Cameron, in the series, Outer Banks. Finally, we will also discuss some of the causal factors behind these issues.
Does Rafe have bipolar?
No, Rafe does not have bipolar. In the drama series, Outer Banks, Rafe Cameron is not portrayed to demonstrate all the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder. However, he definitely suffers from some undiagnosed mental illness in the show.
In the series, Outer Banks, Rafe Cameron is one of the main antagonists. He is shown to have numerous psychopathic tendencies and hatred towards his own family. Some mental health experts and fans have come up with alternate theories for Rafe Cameron, such as,
- Anxiety: Rafe Cameron definitely seems to be suffering from some anxiety disorder. In many of his appearances, Rafe can be seen to be breathless and going through palpitations, especially when he is highly stressed.
- Sociopathy: Another theory as to the mental illness that Rafe Cameron is suffering from is Sociopathy. Rafe can be very erratic in his decisions and does not hesitate to harm others, even if those members are from his own family.
- Substance abuse disorder: Substance abuse disorder is another issue that Rafe suffers from. The character definitely and frequently abuses cocaine. He is certainly addicted to cocaine and uses the drug as an unhealthy coping mechanism
- Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is another alternate diagnosis when it comes to his mental illness. He even has an imaginary friend, Leo, and even admits hearing voices in his head. He also suffers from psychotic episodes in the series.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Rafe Cameron is also shown to be highly obsessed with him and also has grandiose delusions. As a result of his self-absorption, he also tends to show his hatred towards others.
- Borderline Personality Disorder: Borderline Personality Disorder is another alternate diagnosis when it comes to Rafe Cameron. This is mainly due to his impulsive tendencies and his high levels of recklessness.
Signs of Rafe’s mental health issues
Rafe Cameron from Outer Banks definitely suffers from mental health issues, but his actual mental illness has not been openly confirmed in the series. A few signs of Rafe’s mental health issues which are portrayed in the show have been listed below.
He shows manipulative behavior
Rafe Cameron is definitely a manipulative person and won’t hesitate in making use of others for his own gains. Throughout the series, Rafe can be seen manipulating his friend Topper and even others for his selfish needs.
He can be paranoid at times
Another sign of the mental health issues that Rafe Cameron is suffering from is that he can definitely be paranoid of others. He tends to be suspicious of others without any solid reason or logic behind it.
He goes through anxiety attacks
He also experiences many full-blown anxiety attacks in the series. These anxiety attacks are shown through his experiencing breathlessness and even agitation when he is in the face of some stress factor.
In many scenes of the episodes from Outer Banks, Rafe can be seen in a daze and unable to make sense of his surroundings. He usually copes with these anxiety attacks by using cocaine, which points to another unhealthy behavior.
He is addicted to cocaine
As mentioned in the point above, Rafe is certainly very addicted to cocaine and can be seen abusing the substance many times in the series. While it is not shown as to where Rafe picks up these habits, he never seems to quit nor does he try to quit.
He does not have healthy relationships
Another sign of mental health issues in Rafe is that he actually does not have any healthy relationships. His only friend seems to be Topper and even this is a manipulative and one-sided friendship that Rafe clearly uses for his own selfish means.
He shows frequent mood swings
The reason why many people assume that Rafe has bipolar disorder is because he goes through frequent mood swings. At the same time, there are no characteristic highs and lows portrayed in Rafe, which might point to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
However, the presence of these frequent mood swings is evident of a mood disorder or some other mental health issue. Rafe’s mood swings are also triggered by very small factors, which is another sign that he is dealing with mental health issues.
He has killed people
Rafe Cameron has also killed people. He has killed Peterkin, but pins the murder on someone else. This goes to show his psychopathic tendencies. At the same time, he also shows a lot of guilt and remorse which further adds to his stress and anxiety.
Causes of Rafe’s mental health issues
In the drama series, Outer Banks, Rafe Cameron can be seen to be dealing with a number of mental health issues. However, they have not been diagnosed in the series. At the same time, it is clear that this character is dealing with numerous mental and emotional issues.
Some of the causal factors which might have affected Rafe’s mental health, and contributed to his emotional issues have been shared in the following points.
- The sudden change of his lifestyle: Rafe was born into a wealthy family. However, the series also shows that in a very short span of time, Rafe was coerced to move out of his home and seek a life elsewhere.
He also owes a lot of money to none other than a drug dealer who is out to get him. In a very short span of time, almost two weeks, Rafe’s life turned out to be very different than he originally intended it to be.
This sudden change of plans and this new lifestyle could have also contributed to the mental health issues of Rafe Cameron. Being thrown to a pack of dogs from a warm hearth can be traumatizing for basically anyone.
- His abusive father: Rafe was not exactly brought up in a loving family. The entire family is money-minded and couldn’t care less about the mental and emotional health of its members. This also includes the father-figure, Ward Cameron.
Ward Cameron constantly abuses him emotionally and feels that Rafe is a waste of a human. At the same time, Rafe tries his best to get his father’s approval and attention, even if this takes him down many bad lanes.
Having a strained and toxic relationship with one’s father can certainly lead to deep and dark emotional scars. In Rafe’s case, this was further extended by his negative relationship with his stepmother, Rose.
- His substance abuse: Another causal factor which could have definitely added salt to Rafe’s emotional wounds is his substance abuse. Rafe is clearly addicted to cocaine, and his consumption only increases throughout the series.
Abusing substances like cocaine are not only caused by mental illness and a sign of issues, but can even loop back to cause more emotional health struggles. For Rafe, doing cocaine is a daily activity and not exactly a party drug.
Conclusion
The current blogpost has answered if Rafe has bipolar. We have also checked out the signs and symptoms of mental health issues that are portrayed by Rafe Cameron, in the series, Outer Banks. Finally, we have also discussed some of the causal factors behind these issues.
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