Parks And Recreation: Differential Diagnosis Of Chris Traeger

Differential Diagnosis of Chris Traeger
Several forms of media display characters with mental illness, some intentionally and others not. NBC’s American sitcom Parks and Recreation (2010-2015) did so with their often cheerful and energetic character Chris Traeger, portrayed by actor Rob Lowe. Chris Traeger has had several occupations throughout the series, all of which are demanding and he performs well in. He is a main character in the sitcom in seasons three through six and has made guest appearances in the second and seventh season. Traeger is a man who is initially introduced to the audience as very optimistic, energetic, and cheerful, but as the seasons go on and as his character develops, we see that Chris Traeger’s first impression

This symptom of recurring nightmares should definitely be noted. When indulging in the consumption of tasty but not particularly healthy foods, Chris becomes alarmed by how bad the food item is for him and therefore feels he must exercise immediately, or in some cases, simultaneously. This immediate act of exercising due to feeling of guilt when indulging in food might be caused by an unhealthy relationship with food. Chris Traeger has exactly 2.8 % body fat, a statistic that he announces to his peers, which shows a hyper fixation on his body. He often refers to his body as “a microchip,” meaning it is finely tuned and can be easily compromised by the smallest interference. He believes his body is constantly in danger of contamination and being “shut down,” so he keeps his body in perfect shape as a form of protection (Daniels & Schur, 2010-2015). In another episode, Chris is participating in a virus contamination demonstration, where he becomes “infected” for the sake of the presentation. Traeger explains in a confessional moment in the episode that in the past, the mere thought of contracting a hypothetical virus would have sent him immediately into a depressed state, which he refers to as “bummer-ville” (Daniels & Schur, 2010-2015). This shows how preoccupied Chris used to be regarding symptoms that were completely hypothetical. When Chris Traeger later contracts the flu, he states that he is dying, which is yet another example of overanalyzing his symptoms and assuming the worst outcome, and says that the “microchip has been compromised,” again referring to his