17 Jun 2022

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A Psychological Analysis of Fictional Character

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Academic level: College

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Patrick Bateman is twenty-seven years old male who is a wealthy New York investment banking executive who hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he sinks deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies. This paper illustrates the various problems in making a diagnosis on the character Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film American Psycho (2000). The film offers an overview of the personality traits of an individual who may be suffering from various potential mental disorders. These are discussed further in this paper regarding the diagnostic categories. A vast majority of Bateman's traits are consistent the DSM-4 diagnostic criteria requirements which indicate someone with an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) provisionally. Bateman also shows signs of narcissism and borderline personality disorders all consistent with the criteria requirements in DSM-4. 

Axis I : Seasonal Affective Mood Disorder 

Patrick Bateman displays signs of having a mood disorder as he is unable to stabilize his emotional state and thus his mood is frequently distorted. The evidence to prove this is because Bateman is continuously losing his behavior of avoiding social situations, impulsive behavior, and the lack of ability to control anger. Victims of a mood disorder such as Bateman have a consistency behavior of having outbursts and have problems maintaining social relationships with other people around them because of their frequent outbursts. However, it is seen that Mr. Bateman is not angry during the entire day. Instead, the disorder manifests seasonally for a few hours of the day (Schaffer, 2016). The evidence suggests that Mr. Bateman has Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is known to result in seasonal outbursts, extensive anger phases, and loss of the self. American Psychiatric Association (2000 ), states that somebody with an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) will have an example of dismissal and reliably damage the privileges of others, similarly as Bateman had shown alongside being tricky and controlling others for his fulfillment. Besides, they treat other individuals brutally, falsehood, or cheat and are bound to take to satisfy him. Notwithstanding having no regret for what they have done Patrick Bateman has met every one of the criteria necessities demonstrating he has a Seasonal Affective Disorder 

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Axis II: Multiple Personality Disorder 

On the surface, Bateman gives off an impression of being an ordinary, upstanding citizen he is by all accounts extrovert, alluring and enchanting continually concurring with others needing desperately to fit in (Leichsenring, & Leibing, 2015). In any case, without his companions and partners through his inner monologue, Bateman indicates unhinged endeavors to maintain a strategic distance from deserting through lying, conning, controlling others, while demonstrating no regret. He is forceful, violent, egocentric, arrogant, experiences unsteadiness and extreme power seeing someone. Mr. Bateman’s characters include a temperamental feeling of self, reckless conduct, demonstrating outrageous anger-control issues, distrustful reasoning activated by pressure unfit to decide the truth from his violent, disdainful dreams show that Bateman has Paranoid Personality Disorder (Patrick, Curtin, & Tellegen, 2018). Patrick Bateman seems to have different indications of Paranoid Personality Disorder according to an analysis of his generally mental condition in deciding a progressively exact determination ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ). It is necessary to assemble additional data by utilizing informal interviews of different people who have likewise observed Bateman in American Psycho, and how they see his by and sizeable psychological condition, and this would discount affirmation predisposition by utilizing others different suppositions of how they see his personality concerning his mental state all through the film. 

Axis III: Medical Conditions 

Every personality disorder has its one of a kind symptoms or qualities that relates it to a historical or current medical condition as the causation of the mental disorders. As per the fourth release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (2000), every personality disorder has its particular criteria of symptoms. Which incorporate, having a beginning in youth or early adulthood prompting pain or debilitation for the individual after some time. Multiple Personality Disorder and Seasonal Affective Mood Disorder are natural conditions in measurable settings that present high rates of savagery ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ). To seek after a Historical medical condition assessment, we would need to know whether Bateman's disorders were genuine or fanaticized and the film never uncovered this reality so further evaluation and research would be expected to investigate this alternative further. 

According to the analysis of Mr. Bateman, it is possible to assume that he suffered from frequent migraines which are the only medical condition he admits on several occasions. American Psychiatric Association (2000 ), states that somebody with a multiple personality disorder (ASPD) will have an example of a chronic medical condition and it will stress him to a position he continuously damages the privileges of others, similarly as Bateman had exhibited alongside being tricky and controlling others for his fulfillment (Salters-Pedneault, 2017) . Moreover, he treats other individuals brutally, cheats and is bound to distract him from his chronic migraines. Notwithstanding having no regret for what they have done Patrick Bateman has met every one of the criteria necessities are showing he has a multiple personality disorder. 

Criteria for that diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) incorporate indiscreet conduct, interminable sentiments of a void, and relentless emotions of surrender which Bateman exhibited in the manner he was so desperate to fit in (Schaffer, 2016). Among these, it is clear that if Mr. Bateman goes untreated, he is more likely to develop Borderline Personality Disorder which also has symptoms of varying moods and problems with self-image. Problems with self-image may arise for Mr. Bateman because he sees himself as an outcast for having chronic migraines which forces him to use pain killers continually (Bateman ,   Gunderson ,   Mulder, 2015). Alongside exceptional scenes of anger, reckless conduct, and May likewise show self-destructive practices ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ). Bateman show's more than three of these symptoms, while he hints at no apparent self-destructive conduct. 

DSM-4 criteria prerequisite for somebody with a Multiple Personality Disorder trusts they are better than others and in Patrick Bateman's case this was exactly what he thought (Leichsenring, & Leibing, 2015). Symptoms incorporate having amazingly antagonistic responses to analysis, raised a feeling of self-significance, distraction with vainglorious musings of over the top achievement his requirement for deference and a solid affection of privilege. Additionally, somebody with this disorder regularly demonstrates an absence of compassion and may misuse personal connections to hoist their self-picture ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ) showing Bateman has a Seasonal Affective Mood Disorders and a narcissistic personality disorder notwithstanding different symptoms he has for a developing Borderline Personality Disorder. 

Axis IV: Problems related to the social environment 

The tests for measuring the invariance revealed that 10% of items appeared to contain bias with the social life that Mr. Bateman displayed during the film ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ) . The character bias is that Mr. Bateman is financially struggling and has relationship issues with his wife who they had two daughters. Mr. Bateman is striving to provide for his family and is having a hard time to make ends meet. Due to his situation, Mr. Bateman seems to be uncomfortable in the socio-economic level as he is unable to live a comfortable life (Salters-Pedneault, 2017) . The character bias only affected the scale interpretation of achievement, with Patrick Bateman who all the more promptly demonstrated the levels of popularity he put on himself had not changed his overall execution (Schaffer, 2016) . Be that as it may, this formal trial of equality provided solid proof, and further assistance bolsters new fundamental realities to decide a definitive conclusion of Bateman's psychological state. Witness appraisals are the point at which you can ask somebody who realizes an individual well to portray his or her personality characteristics" (Schaffer, 2016) . Utilizing this methodology would be logical for the way that Bateman is a fictional character. Using an unexpected approach to deal with talking a few different people who know the nature of Patrick Bateman will keep affirmation predisposition as I would not be exclusively putting together his psychological state concerning my sentiment alone. Michelle Rowe of Corona, Ca says "I trust he experiences three personality disorders, Multiple personality disorder (MSPD), narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), and borderline personality disorder (BPD)." Schaffer (2016), states "Bateman effectively detests minorities, gay guys, and poor people or destitute, and loathing ladies, however, he might be especially fierce toward the individuals who possess a place of intensity too (Schaffer, 2016) ." According to a recent report directed by the Board and Frito at the University of Surrey, this would likewise affirm the various characteristics of Bateman's personality per those in abnormal state official's situations as Bateman's character. 

Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Rating 

According to the Axis V Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Mr. Bateman has a rating of 70 because although his symptoms are mild, they are caused by some difficulty in his human occupation ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Burton, 2016) . In any case, there are challenges in making a finding in such investigations as this for the way that Patrick Bateman gives off an impression of being experiencing two or more personality disorders (Cirino, 2017) . Demonstrating he has a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and withdrawn personality disorder (ASPD) with different side effects from every one of the three disorders covering the other (Salters-Pedneault, 2017) . Making a sole determination with regards to the exact personality disorder is impractical right now as it would require further testing, treatment, and maybe even referrals to other restorative masters in deciding on explicit personality disorder or also the likelihood of sensitive system science issues.

Recommendations 

The evidence base for the viable treatment right now for personality disorders is uncertain. For the more significant part of the present evidence on personality disorders are going for the treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD) (Schaffer, 2016) . In any case, even the treatment for BPD is exceptionally constrained with short pursue us in numerous clinical preliminaries because with the full scope of center results that have been estimated by different investigations most demonstrate a weak control of coinciding psychopathology (Bateman, Gunderson, & Mulder,2015). Nonetheless, there is evidence that both psychodynamic therapy and psychological conduct therapy are viable treatments of personality disorders. However, further examinations are essential to look at specific types of psychotherapy for particular kinds of personality disorders.

Conclusion 

Concluding that the quantity of research about the irregular, necessary, psychological or biological procedures prompting the indication of personality disorders is limitlessly expanding, could prompt progressively viable diagnosis of Mr. Bateman later on. The synergistic or hostile cooperation of psychotherapies and medications for treating personality disorder ought to likewise be examined further related to their instruments of progress all through the improvement of every treatment. But currently, it is clear that Bateman has a multiple personality disorder (MSPD) and a Seasonal Affective Mood Disorder (SAMD) in addition to various other symptoms which overlap all two disorders. 

References  

American Psychiatric Association (2000).  Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders  (4th ed., Text Revision). Washington, DC: Author. 

Bateman A.W. ,   Gunderson J. ,   Mulder R. (2015). Treatment of personality disorders.    The Lancet , 385 (9969), pp. 35-73. 

Burton, N. (2016). American Psycho: Can Narcissism Be Good for You? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201608/american-psycho-can-narcissism-be-good-you 

Cirino, E. (2017). Bipolar and Borderline Personality Disorder Dual Diagnosis. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-and-borderline-personality-disorder-dual-diagnosis 

Leichsenring, F. & Leibing, E. ( 2015).The Effectiveness of Psychodynamic Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy in the Treatment of Personality Disorders: A Meta-Analysis. Psychiatry Online. Volume 3 Issue 3, July 2015, pp. 17-28. 

Patrick, C. J., Curtin, J. J., & Tellegen, A. (2018). Development and validation of a brief form of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire. Psychological Assessment, 14 , 10–33. 

Salters-Pedneault, PhD (2017). An Overview of the Four Cluster B Personality Disorders of the DSM-4. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-cluster-b-personality-disorders-425429 

Schaffer, C. (2016). Examining the Personality of Patrick Bateman of American Psycho. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/349102/Examining the Personality of Patrick Bateman of American Psycho 

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