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PTSD and its relationship with defense mechanisms and empathy: Character analysis of Levi Ackerman (SnK)

|Indira Bulhan

Blog post: 1


“Manga is for kids” (My ignorant friend, 2018). Manga is often treated by people as something which is not so serious. However, it holds within itself some dark aspects of humanity. One such example is Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan). In it, the character of Levi Ackerman has been through a series of events which sets him apart from the people around him. Through this blog post, I will look upon the nature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its relationship with defense mechanisms and empathy.
    Levi’s past is filled with events which can act as strong stressors for the development of trauma: the death of his mother at an early age, abandonment by father, raised by his uncle in the underworld in a highly unhygienic and malnourished state (who later abandons him again), death of his two closest friends and lover. Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD can be defined as a mental disorder which can happen to people who experienced a traumatic event (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Following the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD, the character of Levi Ackerman fits really well into several criteria. While he rarely shows direct expressions of his thoughts and emotions, symptoms of PTSD still sink in. Over time, he starts to learn to repress his emotions which makes him appear as a very cold character who lacks empathy. It appears that he comes up with defense mechanisms to cope with his situation.
    Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological techniques or strategies used by individuals to cope with situations which may make one feel uncomfortable (McLeod, 2017). One such mechanism seen in the character of Levi Ackerman is Denial or refusal of an experience if it is too intense (McLeod, 2017). His strong desire of cleanliness of his surroundings indicates his denial of the surroundings of his childhood which was covered with dirt and filth as he lived in the Underground under poverty. Therefore, he strongly focuses on making his environment perfectly neat and clean so that it would not remind him of his childhood conditions. His clothing style (other than his veteran uniform) further indicates an unconscious desire to stay away or let his past experience influence his present. One another defense mechanism used by him is Repression or preventing the awareness of certain thoughts (McLeod, 2017). When he witnesses the death of his loved ones, he does not express the emotions of loss or grief like other people in the manga do. He appears to not be highly affected by it as he instantly continues doing his activities as if nothing had happened. While there are subtle expressions of shock, they are still very minimal compared to those of other people. This shows strong signs of repression of his emotions.  
   As mentioned previously, Levi appears to be a very cold character who lacks empathy. His way of torturing people to take out information is shown in a very brutal sense.  However, there are instances in the manga which indicates his protective and caring side towards his comrades and civilians which also further shows his strong sense of empathy. These two conflicting situations create confusion regarding his feelings of empathy towards others.
   However, according to the research conducted by Francine Grevin (Grevin, 1996), it was found that for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, had a high score in the defense mechanisms Denial and Repression. They also had a low score in empathy. Both the character of Levi Ackerman and the study performed by Grevin show that there exists a relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and defense mechanisms and empathy. However, the character Levi produces ambiguity when it comes to a sense of empathy whereas Grevin’s work gives us a clear result. 
  To conclude, Levi Ackerman is a very well written realistic character which can be relatable to some. He helps the audience to understand some of the key elements of post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD does have a connection with defense mechanisms such as Denial and Repression and also with the feelings of empathy. This helps in knowing more about the nature of post-traumatic stress disorder and how it can affect individuals. This can help in gaining a better understanding of individuals who are under the influence of trauma and can help in the development of various ways which may help them to cope with their suffering in a healthy way. 






Citation

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of
    mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Isayama, H. (2009-present). Shingeki no Kyojin [Manga].   Retrieved. from: http://readshingekinokyojin.com/

Mcleod, S. (2017, May 05). Defense Mechanisms. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.html

Grevin, F. (1996). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Ego Defense Mechanisms, and Empathy among Urban Paramedics. Sage Journals, 79(2), 483-495. Retrieved from:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pr0.1996.79.2.483


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