Does Barkin suffer from PTSD?

[kimburnpotts]

Does anyone think that Barkin might be suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, presumably from wartime experiences?

While it's hard to tell if he has flashbacks or nightmares, he seems to relive war-like experiences when he is in a situation which he can be similar, i.e. shouting "getting out of range!" when Ron catapulted mashed potatoes on everyone, goin' a bit nutty in the sealed van and whispering instructions into a rubber chicken about the "enemy," etc. There's also a particular instance in "Graduation," but I don't want to spoil.

For reference, here's a quote from wikipedia on PTSD:

PTSD symptoms may include: nightmares, flashbacks, emotional detachment or numbing of feelings (emotional self-mortification or dissociation), insomnia, avoidance of reminders and extreme distress when exposed to the reminders ("triggers"), loss of appetite, irritability, hypervigilance, memory loss (may appear as difficulty paying attention), excessive startle response, clinical depression, and anxiety.

Any of that sounds familiar to anyone?

[Firelady Nemo]

OMG!! i was just about to start a thread like this!! ya i think he does... my g-pa was in WW2 & he was a little bit of PTSD!!! but mr B. is one serious case, let me tell ya!

[kimburnpotts]

I'm sorry about your grandfather. I hope he's doing okay!

------------------------

I wonder which war Barkin fought in?

[Luke Danger]

Well, when you get into a REAL battle, as in real life, real guns, real DEATH, it can leave a effect.

It's sad, people fight for the sake of their contury and suffer from it.

And it is assumed Barkin was in the Veitnam war from the images we got of him.

[Dr. Megabyte]

He's classic PTSD. And .. it explains his obsession with working in housewares at Smarty Mart

Barkin in group over at the VA hospital:

"They haunt my dreams .. all those huts, all those shacks .. all those housewares I destroyed in 'Nam. I've dedicated my life to helping people improve their houses. Maybe in some way, I'm just trying to balance to housewares scales to make up for all the curtains and place-mats I know never made it back because of what I did."

[eddybob15]

Actually, we know about that instant in "Graduation". It was seen on the promo. After Kim was abducted, Barkin screamed "It's the end of the world!". I have seen moments of Barkin freaking, like when Gill tried to mutate him (twice), when D-N-Amy fused him with Rufus, when he and Ron were sealed in a crate, and when the Smarty-Mart stockbots went berserk. I always find it funny when Barkin freaks out.

[mike]

probably... who knows ;D

[xcaliber]

If he is suffering from PTSD, funny is cruel.

[kimburnpotts]

Eddybob - thanks for reminding me that it's in the promo! But I was also thinking of a different scene which isn't in the promo.

Also: I always assumed Barkin fought in Vietnam, but that would place him in his fifties, and I think that TPTB have stated that he's in his thirties...

[jinxs]

well yeah I think Ron has some of this too

[Scoutcraft Piratess]

PSTD? Aww... now I just want to comfort and nurture my Steve...

[kimburnpotts]

Okay, now I can discuss the finale in relation to Barkin and PTSD.

When I saw Barkin rocking and crying in the gym, I immediately felt as though he was experiencing a flashback or was reliving some horrific experience.

As I mentioned in a different thread, I also think that he would have been able to pull himself together if he would have a role to play. His freak-out was partially due to feeling utterly helpless (in my opinion). That happens in war, as well - when people are in combat, the adrenaline rush enables them to stave off some fear and propels them to action. However, there was nothing that Barkin could have done during the invasion, which gave him the chance to re-live his experience and totally lose it.

[ninjanaco]

Ooh, excellent theory - hadn't thought of that...

[railroadnut70]

kimburnpotts said:

Eddybob - thanks for reminding me that it's in the promo! But I was also thinking of a different scene which isn't in the promo.

Also: I always assumed Barkin fought in Vietnam, but that would place him in his fifties, and I think that TPTB have stated that he's in his thirties...

I would place Barkin's age in the early to mid-forties. I have always assumed that he is a Marine Corps veteran. My guess that he was part of the U.S. peacekeeping contingent in Lebanon based at the Beirut airport in 1983. On October 23 of that year, a suicide bomber detonated a massive truck bomb at the Marine compound based at the Beirut airport, killing over 240 Marines there and injuring 60 more. According to one eye-witness account of the disaster: "The force of the explosion initially lifted the entire four-story structure, shearing the bases of the concrete support columns, each measuring fifteen feet in circumference and reinforced by numerous one and three quarter inch steel rods. The airborne building then fell in upon itself. A massive shock wave and ball of flaming gas was hurled in all directions." My guess is that Barkin is a survivor of that bombing.

[cgray]

Or he could have been involved in US operations in South America-- all during the 1980's there were deployments of advisors to various governments (officially) and to anti-government rebels in other countries (very unofficially). That would explain the jungle and also possibly why he's recieved no help for his PTSD-- in many cases those soldiers were never officially "at war". and so didn't receive the same degree of help.