Daniel and reality
Reality is the world of state of things as they actually exist. In Daniel's case, the definition is less certain.
To our hero, reality is a malleable concept which is influenced by his many mental illnesses, the influences of trolls, and his current life situation. Daniel desperately denies reality as it is, instead retreating into his own delusions as a coping mechanism for the sad state of his life. His sense of what is real and what is not real is acutely warped, with him selectively believing what is so to him based on if it fits into his warped perception of the real world.
Daniel's perception of reality has been on a downward spiral since his first appearances on the Internet; the case can be made, however, that it was never quite that strong in the first place, and trolls only gave the final push rather than being the underlying cause of his poor sense of reality.
His perception of reality is broken to such an extent as to him holding strong in his delusional beliefs well into the Second Jail Arc. Despite periods of institutionalization, nothing has seemed to get through to him on a deeper level. Suffice to say, Daniel is almost certain to have a poor grasp on reality for the foreseeable future.
Causes of Daniel's poor grasp on reality
Mental health
One of the most concrete causes of Daniel's poor grasp on reality are his numerous mental illnesses. As of January 2025, he is confirmed to have PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, Autism and Schizophrenia[1].
Autism, while not the biggest influence on his sense of reality, plays a part. Autism Spectrum Disorder influences how a person afflicted with it senses reality due to their differences in perceiving stimuli compared to neurotypical people[2]. Daniel himself is willfully ignorant to his autism, claiming at one point to be cured of it[3], and that it caused his grandmother's death[4].
Schizophrenia is the big culprit in terms of mental health causing his poor grasp on reality. On a general level, schizophrenia causes it's sufferers to experience hallucinations[5], strongly hold delusional beliefs[6], distortedly take in stimuli[7] and have paranoia[8]. These symptoms are, sadly, well-documented in Daniel. From his obsession with Grace VanderWaal, delusions of grandeur and persecution as well as other happenings, much of the mental health factor of his poor grasp on reality can be blamed on his schizophrenia.
Another strong contender in terms of mental health causing his poor grasp on reality is his affliction with Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar alone can cause it's sufferers to have psychotic episodes, experience delusions[9], hold a distorted perception of time[10], and delusions of either grandeur or persecution[11]. Combined with his schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder makes Daniel an extremely delusional and violent person.
- ↑ File:Elisabeth Comment 1.png
- ↑ https://www.enableme.ke/en/disabilities/autism-a-different-perception-of-reality-1598#:~:text=From%20a%20medical%20point%20of,challenging%20to%20process%20environmental%20stimuli.
- ↑ Rooftop Interview
- ↑ Roe v. Wade Reversal Protest
- ↑ https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/schizophrenia
- ↑ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia#:~:text=Symptoms,movements%2C%20maintenance%20of%20unusual%20postures.
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/schizophrenia/a-look-inside-the-mind-of-schizophrenia#:~:text=Colours%20seem%20to%20be%20brighter,quotes%20one%20young%20man's%20experience:
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23348-paranoid-schizophrenia
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/bipolar/the-challenges-of-bipolar-disorder-delusions#:~:text=The%20Challenges%20of%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20and%20Delusions&text=If%20you%20have%20bipolar%20disorder,bipolar%20disorder
- ↑ https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/article-abstract/44/1/54/3835420?redirectedFrom=fulltext
- ↑ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-a-person-with-bipolar-thinks#psychosis
