Two-Face diagnosis

So, now that we know how Two-Face came to be, can we tell if he suffers from mental disorder?

The movie’s retelling of Dent’s disfiguration would suggest that he could actually be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Surely, having been severely burn on one side of his body and losing girlfriend Rachel in a separate explosion at the same time would count as a traumatic event for him. There are several symptoms that can suggest a diagnosis of PTSD. The core categories for symptoms are:

     A)    Re-experiencing the trauma

     B)     Avoidance or numbing

     C)     Increased arousal

[Source: Ozer, E., Best, S., Lipsey, T., & Weiss, D. (2003). Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and symptoms in adults: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, vol. 129(1), p. 52-73.]

Symptoms within these categories that I suggest Two-Face experiences include: quick temper and increasing anger, reliving the trauma, intrusive or vengeful thoughts and eventually an absence of empathy as he sets out to take revenge on those he believes are responsible for Rachel’s death.

The comic book character better presents the case for dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), as he often changes between his good side and his villainous alter ego in different storylines- some comic stories have even seen him revert to his old self and seek plastic surgery, only to return to insanity. The term ‘insanity’, while very broad, is sometimes best to describe this villain, as his capacity for evil, lack of empathy and obsessions with the number two and using a coin flip to determine the fate of his victims would show.