When we think of Batman, the words “hope”, “justice”, and “incorruptibility” come to mind. He is The Dark Knight, a bat vigilante who fights to keep the fictional streets of Gotham safe. He is arguably one of the greatest superheroes ever created. He fights crime and faces some of the most insane villains in comic book history. What makes him stand out from the rest is that, as Wikipedia states, “unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers; rather, he relies on his genius intellect, physical prowess, martial arts abilities, detective skills, science and technology, vast wealth, intimidation, and indomitable will.” As you can see, sometimes it can be easy to forget that this Caped Crusader is just like you can me, human.
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Three of the common symptoms of PTSD, is; isolation, flashbacks, and guilt. For example, after the traumatic event, Bruce Wayne leaves the country and heads to China. He leaves behind his loving butler and life to train with his mentor Ra’s al Ghul for over 10 years. His escape from Gotham is also an escape from the daily reminders of his family’s passing. Although he heads to China to mentally and physically become stronger, the haunting flashbacks continually haunt and cloud his mind. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, mostly known as the DSM-5, “the traumatic event can be re-experienced in various ways. Commonly, the individual has recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive recollections of the event.” As we can see in numerous films and comics, Batman constantly goes back to that night and blames himself for not taking action. His uncontrollable flashbacks and nightmares take a toll on his well-being. He lives life believing he has failed his family. In the show Batman: The Animated Series, we see Batman fighting off one of his well-known villains, Scarecrow, who is known for evoking fear in his victims with fear inducing toxins. In the episode “Nothing to Fear”, as Scarecrow exposed Batman to these toxins he asks what all of Gotham wonders “What hidden terror keeps the Batman awake at night?” …show more content…
His disorders seem to overlap, but what stands out the most about this particular one is the simple fact that he lives as Bruce Wayne, taking on the role of a billionaire, philanthropic, playboy by day. At night, he switches his identity and become the crime fighting Batman whom Gotham is dependent on. DID is explained as a disorder characterized by the “presence of two or more distinct personality states” that is “associated with overwhelming experiences, traumatic events, and/or abuse occurring in childhood” (DSM-5). People who suffer from DID may also experience impulsivity, self-destructive behavior, or inflict self-harm upon themselves. Clinical psychologist, Jared DeFife from Emory University says that, “in his consciousness by becoming Batman he is really withdrawn from his identity and he’s taken on sort of a new identity and with that identity he’s become obsessed. You could almost say with vengeance.” He becomes dependent on his alter-ego. Although he lives a successful life, outside of the suit he can’t seem to do without his dark half. “Bruce Wayne doesn’t like being Bruce Wayne. He spends more of his time being Batman and it’s only in that sort of split off identity where he really tends to find himself in what he wants but then there are ways in which he obsesses over it and it comes at a great cost,” Dr. DeFife continues. His double identity
Three of the common symptoms of PTSD, is; isolation, flashbacks, and guilt. For example, after the traumatic event, Bruce Wayne leaves the country and heads to China. He leaves behind his loving butler and life to train with his mentor Ra’s al Ghul for over 10 years. His escape from Gotham is also an escape from the daily reminders of his family’s passing. Although he heads to China to mentally and physically become stronger, the haunting flashbacks continually haunt and cloud his mind. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, mostly known as the DSM-5, “the traumatic event can be re-experienced in various ways. Commonly, the individual has recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive recollections of the event.” As we can see in numerous films and comics, Batman constantly goes back to that night and blames himself for not taking action. His uncontrollable flashbacks and nightmares take a toll on his well-being. He lives life believing he has failed his family. In the show Batman: The Animated Series, we see Batman fighting off one of his well-known villains, Scarecrow, who is known for evoking fear in his victims with fear inducing toxins. In the episode “Nothing to Fear”, as Scarecrow exposed Batman to these toxins he asks what all of Gotham wonders “What hidden terror keeps the Batman awake at night?” …show more content…
His disorders seem to overlap, but what stands out the most about this particular one is the simple fact that he lives as Bruce Wayne, taking on the role of a billionaire, philanthropic, playboy by day. At night, he switches his identity and become the crime fighting Batman whom Gotham is dependent on. DID is explained as a disorder characterized by the “presence of two or more distinct personality states” that is “associated with overwhelming experiences, traumatic events, and/or abuse occurring in childhood” (DSM-5). People who suffer from DID may also experience impulsivity, self-destructive behavior, or inflict self-harm upon themselves. Clinical psychologist, Jared DeFife from Emory University says that, “in his consciousness by becoming Batman he is really withdrawn from his identity and he’s taken on sort of a new identity and with that identity he’s become obsessed. You could almost say with vengeance.” He becomes dependent on his alter-ego. Although he lives a successful life, outside of the suit he can’t seem to do without his dark half. “Bruce Wayne doesn’t like being Bruce Wayne. He spends more of his time being Batman and it’s only in that sort of split off identity where he really tends to find himself in what he wants but then there are ways in which he obsesses over it and it comes at a great cost,” Dr. DeFife continues. His double identity