Ponies and Personality Disorders

[Pegasistersincethe80s 126]

For extra credit in my Psychology class, we do a project/paper..

 

 

I have decided to do mine on the Mane 6 and Personality Disorders:

 

 

 

Borderline personality disorder- Pinkie Pie

• Impulsive and risky behavior
• Volatile relationships
• Unstable mood
• Suicidal behavior
• Fear of being alone

Histrionic personality disorder- Rarity

• Constantly seeking attention
• Excessively emotional
• Extreme sensitivity to others' approval
• Unstable mood
• Excessive concern with physical appearance

Narcissistic personality disorder- Rainbow Dash
Believing that you're better than others

• Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
• Exaggerating your achievements or talents
• Expecting constant praise and admiration
• Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings

 

 

Avoidant personality disorder- Fluttershy

• Hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection
• Feeling inadequate
• Social isolation
• Extreme shyness in social situations
• Timidity

 

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder- Twilight Sparkle

• Preoccupation with orderliness and rules
• Extreme perfectionism
• Desire to be in control of situations
• Inability to discard broken or worthless objects
• Inflexibility

 

 

 

Applejack doesn't really fit into one as well as the others.

[Gone for good 1,593]

 

Borderline personality disorder- Pinkie Pie

• Impulsive and risky behavior
• Volatile relationships
• Unstable mood
• Suicidal behavior
• Fear of being alone

I actually did something similar for my psychology class, and while I didn't actually really look too far into it until after I turned in the paper but Pinkie Pie doesn't have BPD.

 

I wrote up this massive little forum post I did out of boredom about the subject and you could find it here, but to just copy and paste here's what I wrote regarding her and borderline personality disorder:

 

While it's true that there is something different about Pinkie Pie, she doesn't suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder. At first glance, it may seem that Pinkie Pie has BPD, as yes she did have a breakdown when she found out that her friends were avoiding her in The Party of One and she doesn’t seem to take any criticism well at all but when one compares case studies of those who have had BPD and our beloved Pinkie Pie, things are wildly different. Most people who suffer from BPD have traumatic childhood experiences, that usually include sexual abuse; manipulative behavior is actually very common in people with BPD; self-destructive behavior, which includes sex, alcoholism, threats of suicide and self-mutilation, is evident in most patients. In one case study of a BPD patient named Rachel, she would often have severe mood swings, have aggressive outbursts that were actually very hard to identify the cause of, would make several irrational comments, and told the psychologists about her alleged sexual abuse. (Samuel Arnold, 4)

 

... In order for someone to be diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, he or she must fit under at least five categories of nine listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000); Pinkie Pie really only fits under one of them. (710) For Pinkie Pie to even qualify for a personality disorder, she must also fit under the criteria for a personality disorder which she doesn't fit even one of the descriptions listed. (688)

 

By the way don't take this seriously, I'm just nitpicking like a complete and total dork (and besides, season 3 broke my whole theory) I will however give you some points because this is a fun little idea. I did something similar, although instead of the mane 6 my cartoon characters were Bugs Bunny, Pinkie Pie, Spongebob, and Sonic the Hedgehog.

 

I'm not sure what your professor is looking for in this scenario, but from my experience cracking open the DSM and getting as much sources and case studies as I could for reference really scored some big points. You would be surprised at what crazy things you could find to prove that Pinkie Pie has autism or that Sonic the Hedgehog is actually a delusional psychopath who if looked at with Freudian psychology suffers from sexual repression (holy crap I had so much fun with that one). As dorky as this sounds, it's kind of fun to over analyze things to this point.

 

Aaaanyhoo, good luck on this one!

Edited January 17, 2013 by Lord Bababa

[Pegasistersincethe80s 126]

Take away suicidal behavior and put in randomness (Which is a symptom of a personality disorder, I forget which one) and I think it fits well.  I mean if I had to put her in on, it would be that one.

 

This is going to be a fun paper to write.

[An Old Head 4,816]

I actually don't want to view these innocent little pastel-coloured ponies as having mental disorders. That sort of ruins the charming playfulness of the show. But for the sake of argument...

 

Absolutely agree with Lord Bababa. BPD is extremely different - the main characteristic of BPD patients is quick changes in personality - Pinkie has quick changes in actions and thought processes, but her personality never jumps from one state to another unless it's for a reason that anyone else would, and certainly not a result of BPD. BPD patients are also typically depressed most of their lives - the only time Pinkie's ever been depressed is in just one episode, and even then it was for about 15 minutes. She's amazingly happy and full of soul at any other time - BPD patients aren't very soulful.

 

Also, NPD patients typically seek constant attention from others, and although Rainbow Dash is the element of loyalty, she is very independent. NPD patients also take criticism very seriously, but RD will more often than not shrug it off and remain confident - it was evident when she remained vigilant against Spitfire's grilling. I can see where you might be coming from in that they're very ambitious and set unrealistic goals, but her goals are actually realistic - she doesn't exaggerate her own flying skills, because there's no need to. She did win Best Young Flyer's Competition, after all.

I do agree about Twilight having OCD. It's unreal! She's a bit like me, I have a thing for certain routines and the like. I would also imagine Twilight to have AS (Asperger's) - if you imagine magic to be similar to brainpower, it makes sense, as almost all people with AS are ridiculously smart. (Like Bill Gates.) Other characteristics of AS include fascination with maths and science (a MASSIVE given, she loves her astronomy and is shown to have dominated a maths class in Crystal Empire Part 1), formal way of speaking (you could tell right away - words like "precipice" and "imperative") and she was also initially disheartened by having to make friends - a prominent feature of AS is a preference for personal space.

 

Another feature of AS is strange facial expressions...

Edited January 17, 2013 by Flipturn

[Sks_Burns 730]

ive discussed this subject before, and it all came from a collection of papers written on someones tumblr page. I liked reading their thoughts on the Mane 6, and it helped add depth to the characters since they suddenly seemed more human to me. 

 

Heres a link if anyone else is interested in reading their work. 

 

http://kyronea.tumblr.com/tagged/analysis

[Jessper 735]

I'm not sure.

Suddenly, noone has personality or personality traits today. Everything a bit unique is disorder. And everyone has them. Funny how what is a disorder gets dictated by society, rather than actual medicine. Oh, and everyone has depressions too, noone is just feeling bad. Similar with phobias. Something makes you uncomfortable and you fear it - phobia, naturally.

 

Just something to think about.

[Scootalove 10,689]

Well for ponies with personality disorders. your pretty spot on with the disorders.

 

But, when it comes to people with personality disorders could be possible.