Which disorder do “You” have?
Spoiler Alert!
The Netflix original “You” has stirred up people of all ages. For starters, I wasn’t very keen on watching the show. When everyone around me was watching and highly recommended it, I started watching it too. Though I think well of the show, after watching 2 seasons, it is extremely baffling to infer what kind of disorders the protagonist Joe Goldberg suffers.
Focusing on Joe’s character
It is evident through real-life incidents as well as in fictional movies or shows that love can be very menacing. For Joe, it became difficult to lead life as a normal person when he fell in love with someone. Since he had been through some harrowing experiences when he was a young boy, that had a colossal impact during adulthood. Joe’s abusive childhood experiences and flashbacks played a crucial role whenever he hurt or crossed swords with someone he loved. He hurt his loved ones and others whom he suspected. Joe undertook therapy sessions, out of which a very significant method used by Sigmund Freud is exhibited in the show. Dr. Nicky applies psychoanalysis in one of the episodes when Joe finds it difficult to go about his relationship. It didn’t help him because he was using these sessions to figure out whether Beck was cheating on him or not. It is contradictory to say whether Joe was a psychopath, a sociopath, a codependent person, or whether he had attachment disorder.
From my perspective, his character depicts a part of the above-mentioned disorders. Joe does not feel guilty for his actions, he goes against the law, lacks empathy, is deceitful, impulsive, and aggressive. These traits can be noticed in both psychopaths and sociopaths. There are a few other attributes that can be seen in the protagonist. According to Freud, the Id, ego, and superego are three parts of the human personality. The protagonist suffers in balancing these three. The Id and superego dominate the ego. This is where Joe has problems dealing with usual situations. The Id works on pleasure principles, the superego works on morality principles, and the ego works on reality principles. The key concern is also that Joe portrays a charismatic personality and that becomes toilsome to discern his real persona.
Note to society
Unfortunately, I fell for Joe’s charm just like everyone else did in the beginning. However, I comprehended the real side of his personality and developed dislike.
As a student of psychology, I also realized how abstruse it must be for those individuals who are truly like “Joe”. Most people in society will not be empathetic and view these individuals as harmful and violent. It is natural to do so; although it is important to understand that they probably require assistance and empathy. Recognizing these individuals for who they are and accepting them as they are will be easy to acquire aid for them.
