Josh and Mental Health
 | Health disclosure: This article contains in-depth discussion of Josh's physical and/or mental health. This page should not be used as a substitute for medical advice or a professional diagnosis. All diagnoses are either taken from outside documentation; or based on amateur analysis, and will always remain primarily speculative. |
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| “ | THERE'S MEN AFTER ME! THEY HAVE KNIVES!
No one is after you Josh! |
” |
| — Josh and Mr. Based | ||
It is well known that Josh has autism which results in stimming, significant learning disabilities, difficulty reading emotions and social cues, and odd behavioral patterns. He also is afflicted with paranoia, believing there are people lurking everywhere waiting to get his passport or murder/kidnap/arrest him. Many believe that he may have bipolar disorder due to his sudden and frequent mood swings, or possibly schizophrenia as he has had hallucinations in the past and has believed that men were after him with knives. Josh is also known to frequently harm himself and others.
Josh is prescribed Seroquel, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. This is one of few items Josh considers essential.
Josh is also afflicted with alcoholism and a strong nicotine addiction that he satisfies by regular smoking, vaping, and zyn use. He has also used galaxy gas in the past which resulted in him hallucinating bright flashes of light.
Addiction
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can alter brain function in synapses similar to natural rewards like food or falling in love in ways that perpetuate craving and weakens self-control for people with pre-existing vulnerabilities. This phenomenon – drugs reshaping brain function – has led to an understanding of addiction as a brain disorder with a complex variety of psychosocial as well as neurobiological factors that are implicated in the development of addiction. While mice given cocaine showed the compulsive and involuntary nature of addiction, for humans this is more complex, related to behavior or personality traits.
Josh displays classic signs of addiction, which include compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, preoccupation with substances or behavior, and continued use despite negative consequences. Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification(short-term reward), coupled with delayed deleterious effects (long-term costs).
Paranoia
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself (e.g., "Everyone is out to get me"). Paranoia is distinct from phobias, which also involve irrational fear, but usually no blame.
Josh is always in a constant state of paranoia, and holds a belief that there are people everywhere waiting to steal his phone, passport, money or personal effects. This possibly stems from trolls, who frequently harass or threaten him, and leak his location.
On September 6, 2024 Josh stated he was going to purchase a firearm. This statement was most likely due to his persecution complex.[1]
Intermittent explosive disorder
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED), or episodic dyscontrol syndrome (EDS), is a mental disorder characterized by explosive outbursts of anger or violence, often to the point of rage, that are disproportionate to the situation (e.g., impulsive shouting, screaming, or excessive reprimanding triggered by relatively inconsequential events). Impulsive aggression is not premeditated, and is defined by a disproportionate reaction to any provocation, real or perceived, that would often be associated with a choleric temperament. Some individuals have reported affective changes prior to an outburst, such as tension, mood changes, and energy changes.
Josh is known to fly into a furious rage within seconds, which usually ends with him throwing or smashing objects, or hitting/kicking/biting someone. One notable example is the Thanksgiving Meltdown.
Hallucinations
A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the compelling sense of reality. They are distinguishable from several related phenomena, such as dreaming (REM sleep), which does not involve wakefulness; pseudohallucination, which does not mimic real perception, and is accurately perceived as unreal; illusion, which involves distorted or misinterpreted real perception; and mental imagery, which does not mimic real perception, and is under voluntary control. Hallucinations also differ from "delusional perceptions", in which a correctly sensed and interpreted stimulus (i.e., a real perception) is given some additional significance.
In some past instances, Josh has experienced hallucinations (Notably the "Make it stop" Incident and the Galaxy Gas Stream).
Pathological lying
Pathological lying, also known as pseudologia fantastica (Latin for "fantastic pseudology"), is a chronic behavior characterized by the habitual or compulsive tendency to lie. It involves a pervasive pattern of intentionally making false statements with the aim to deceive others, sometimes for no clear or apparent reason, and even if the truth would be beneficial to the liar. People who engage in pathological lying often report being unaware of the motivations for their lies.
Josh is known to lie about getting sober, and is often encouraged by his handlers to lie.
Self Harm
Self-harm refers to intentional behaviors that cause harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and self-mutilation have been used for any self-harming behavior regardless of suicidal intent. Common forms of self-harm include damaging the skin with a sharp object or scratching with the fingernails, hitting, or burning. The exact bounds of self-harm are imprecise, but generally exclude tissue damage that occurs as an unintended side-effect of eating disorders or substance abuse, as well as more societally acceptable body modification such as tattoos and piercings.
Josh had engaged in numerous instances of self-harming behaviors. Josh frequently bites himself during his crashouts, usually on his hands or arm. He also has bit his knee on at least one occasion. Josh has also fantasized and expressed desire about amputating his limbs and body parts such as his spine, legs and hands. Josh sometimes hits his head during crashouts in a matter not dissimilar to Daniel Larson. Josh also attempted suicide in July of 2024 though some argue that it was part of his attention seeking behaviors rather than a genuine attempt.
Pedophilia
Pedophilia (alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11, and boys at age 11 or 12, psychiatric diagnostic criteria for pedophilia extend the cut-off point for prepubescence to age 13. People with the disorder are often referred to as pedophiles (or paedophiles).
At one point, while in Japan, Josh appeared to purposely film a female child in a TikTok video, in what is likely a sign of pedophilia. He also did inappropriate acts on a child-like doll.
Diaper fetishism
Diaper fetishism (American English), or nappy fetishism (British English), is a type of garment fetish in which a person derives pleasure from themselves or partners wearing or using a diaper. Diaper fetishism can be performed on its own or incorporated into other various kinks. These kinks may include paraphilic infantilism, omorashi (also called wetting), and BDSM. When combined with paraphilic infantilism, the fetish is often called adult baby/diaper lover or AB/DL for short.
Josh is obsessed with diapers to the point that he smiles when hearing about them and has even covered a song called Your Diaper Song.
Coprophilia
Coprophilia (from Greek κόπρος, kópros 'excrement' and φιλία, philía 'liking, fondness'), also called scatophilia or scat (Greek: σκατά, skatá 'feces'), is the paraphilia involving sexual arousal and pleasure from feces.
Josh often stims and smiles about a commercial in which someone stated that they have "shipped my pants", as it is a euphemism for "shitted my pants".
References
1. https://www.reddit.com/r/WorldOfTShirts/comments/1e1u6q1/schitzo_paranoia_singing/