edward nygma (gotham) and OSDD-1a
hi! welcome to my hellhole!! i’ve been thinking about the topic of this post for a while and i just needed to yell about it here bc yelling about it on twitter under a meme post wasn’t enough for me xD
SO! let’s talk about this. i was highly generalizing in the tweet above because i personally don’t think edward nygma suffers from dissociative identity disorder. instead, i believe he suffers from other specified dissociative disorder, specifically subtype 1a.
below the “keep reading”, i will discuss a general overview of DID and OSDD, why i think this is the case for edward nygma, and a review of the representation of it in gotham. be warned that this post has a general trigger warning for discussions of abuse, self-harm, suicide, and drug abuse. this discussion is not in depth at all, but just as a warning if you wanna avoid this post! this post also has a trigger warning for discussions of negative portrayals of DID/OSDD (such as in films like m. night shyamalan’s split and discussions of tropes such as “evil alters”).
OSDD-1 is a subtype of OSDD that is very similar to DID. to get a general gist of what OSDD is, we first have to define DID. DID (dissociative identity disorder), which used to be referred to as MPD (multiple personality disorder), is a dissociative disorder that forms in early childhood as a reaction to prolonged and/or severe trauma (abuse, for example). this causes a child’s brain to split into multiple parts, called alters, and experience amnesia/dissociation between these parts. in OSDD-1 (other specified dissociative disorder), there’s two subtypes, 1a and 1b. in 1a, there’s dissociation between parts, but their parts aren’t as distinct as someone who has DID. on the other end of the spectrum, in 1b, alters are highly distinct but experience little to no amnesia between them. as stated previously, i believe gotham’s portrayal of edward nygma/the riddler has OSDD-1a.
to avoid confusion, in this post, i’ll be referring to the two as a whole as “edward nygma”, “edward”, or “nygma”; i’ll refer to the alter we’re first introduced to as “ed”; and the alter we’re introduced to next as “the riddler” or “riddler”.
while we don’t know anything about edward’s childhood in gotham, many other portrayals of the character (arkhamverse, general comic lore, etc.) mention an abusive past, specifically at the hands of his father. in general comic lore, this abuse explains where his compulsions for showing his intelligence comes from. if this backstory is true for gotham’s portrayal of nygma, which we will assume for this analysis, this is the trauma element of OSDD.
our first introduction to the idea of edward having a dissociative disorder is in season 2 episode 1. while this is our first introduction to the difference between ed and the riddler, the two seem to have a history of co-existing before this scene (ed tells riddler stuff such as: “i get nervous when you talk to me with other people around like that” and “i know where this is going. i told you, leave ms. kringle alone”).
now that we have those basics down (trauma and evidence of a long-standing dissociative disorder), i’ll be referring to an article written by DID-Research.org titled “DID Versus OSDD-1″. this will hopefully help my thoughts be more concise, since i tend to.. go all over the place with this stuff. i tried to write my thoughts on this topic in a discord server before and it went in 50 different directions x3
DID-Research’s article discusses how the parts in OSDD-1a are different from disorders such as borderline personality disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and complex posttraumatic stress disorder. while OSDD-1a’s parts are way less differentiated as ones in DID or OSDD-1b, since individuals “are more likely to present as the same individual”, these parts can have “different skills, emotional reactivity, or ways of interacting with the world”. to me, this sounds exactly like what riddler and ed go through throughout gotham. as early as season 2, riddler is shown as more confident, brash, and witty than his counterpart. ed is more focused on living a normal life, he wants to live out this fantasy with kristen, then isabella, then lee. this is all he craves, to be seen as normal and not a freak. riddler on the other hand, isn’t as concerned. sure, he originally wants to pursue kristen, but in a way to introduce a sense of excitement and power in him and ed’s life.
this mention of ed’s craving for a normal life is something.. very interesting as well. according to the theory of structural dissociation, there’s two types of parts a person with OSDD/DID could have. these are referred to as Apparently Normal Parts (ANPs, these alters take care of daily life, often are avoidant (or unaware) of trauma, and have a need to appear high-functioning (sound like anyone we know?)) and Emotional Parts (EPs, these alters represent dissociation and trauma through memories, internalized beliefs, and learned responses). ed seems much like an ANP, while riddler seems more like an EP. an article discussing the differences of ANPs and EPs states that an ANP “might engage in self harm or use psychogenic substances in attempts to forcefully tether themselves to the present and prevent EP from intruding”. this sounds very familiar, does it not? his abuse of hallucinogens in season 3 to see oswald again, using pills again in season 4 to try and get rid of the riddler, and if i remember correctly, plotting to kill himself in season 4 as well.
as i stated, the article talks about how OSDD-1a is different from an identity disturbance in disorders such as BPD, PTSD, and C-PTSD. the article specifically says that people with these disorders might feel a loss of control, but never “feel that different parts of them are capable of acting independently or that different parts of them have and express their own views or goals”. this exact quote proves that what nygma might be experiencing is OSDD-1a. our introduction to the two psyches of edward nygma show their differing goals and views. as another example, in season 5, riddler is completely unaware of ed’s plan to destroy haven and is shown as extremely distraught when he appears in different places without knowledge of what happened beforehand.
so.. it seems obvious that edward nygma has OSDD-1a, right? so... how would i, as a psychology major, someone who possibly has DID/OSDD, and someone who’s known multiple people with DID/OSDD, review this representation?
i’d say... it’s pretty good for what it’s worth!! gotham as a tv show has always dealt with terrible writing and a lot of things could have been written better, but this topic is surprisingly one they handled pretty okay. there was... a lot of room for more and it’s quite strange to see the dissociative disorder representation go to edward nygma instead of a character such as harvey dent (who’s a whole other can of worms and has been stated to have “MPD” in the past).
it’s really refreshing to see representation of DID/OSDD that doesn’t rely on played out and disgusting tropes such as “evil alters”. while it seems like riddler might play out as an evil alter, both ed and riddler are both messed up in their own ways. there’s no evil alter to stop, they’re both.. villains in their own ways (blowing up a place w/ the most vulnerable members of the city vs hiding your dead gf’s body parts over a police precinct, pick your poison). i also enjoy how cory michael smith portrays the two psyches of edward nygma and portrays the way the two switch in and out!
you’re free to disagree with my opinion as well. i’d love to have a discussion in the comments or reblogs :DD!! i just... really enjoyed writing this up. if i missed anything, just tell me :33
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I need more Toxic!Dark!Sorority Vanessa!!
That fic was just.. Chefs kiss. You write so well. 🥹
Thank you for the compliment it means so much. 😭😭🥺I took dark off it because to me toxic is just way more extreme dark.
Toxic!Soroity!Vanessa X Reader. The argument.
TW: DubCon, toxic relationship, drug mention, Pet play if you REALLY squint, slight abuse.
“ Vanessa please. Just sit down and study, you need to pass this test. “
“ I’ll be fine. My father will just throw some more cash at the teacher if I fail. I can’t belive I’m dating a fucking nerd…”
You sat on Vanessa bed, holding your rather expensive book on your lap, watching as Vanessa did her makeup in the mirror.
“ listen. Just do a little with me. If you do, I’ll go down to the frats party with you “
You got up and put your chin on Vanessa’s, as she pushed you off, mumbling to herself.
“ I’m not taking you out anywhere until you cut that hair. You know I hate it long. But fine, give me the fucking book…”
You sighed, and gently placed the book on her vanity, she flipped it open and read some random page, before closing it, going back to her makeup.
“ there, I’m done. Now leave me alone, I gotta finish getting ready for this party. “
You shrank into your skin, you looked at her through the mirror, your eyes starting to water.
“ your..your still going to the party without me? “
“ yeah? Who else is bringing the drugs. “
“ but..I can’t come? “
Vanessa groaned, standing up and heading towards her closest, looking through her multiple revealing outfits.
“ I said you’re not going out till your hair gets cut. And maybe if you loose a few pounds too. “
Your legs trembled, you hated when she brought up your weight, you had been working hard to try and loose some for her, but it was never enough.
“ b..but I’ll be alone in my dorm nessa…”
“ listen. You’re lucky we’re dateing, stop crying and get your shit together, I’ll drive you to your place. “
You grabbed your bag, shoving the papers and books you’d brought try and get her to study with you, it never worked. You froze, your hands trembling as you stared at the bright pink scrunchie around your wrist.
“ I can’t. TAKE IT ANYMORE VANESSA. “
She froze, staring at you in disbelief. You pulled the scrunchie off you wrist, holding it tightly in you hand.
“ I can’t take this abuse! I can’t take how you treat me like an accessory, I’m more than that! I’m sorry your father never loved you enough to give you a good life, but that doesn’t mean you can ruin mine. IM DONE. “
You throw the scrunchie in her small trash, grabbing your bag and storming towards the door. As you reached for the door handle, your wrists were quickly grabbed, and Vanessa shoved you against the wall, her eyes blazing with rage.
“ how dare you. You’d be nothing without me. NOTHING. “
She snarled in your face, her grip around your wrist tightened, you could feel her acrylics digging into your skin. She smirked, her eyes still starring into yours.
“ you wanna go to that party so bad? Fine. We’ll go, and we’ll make sure everyone knows your mine. “
She let go of you, and turned to her closet, throwing you an outfit. You watched as she changed her shirt skirt, tossing it back into the closet and going over to her vanity draws, before glaring at you.
“ don’t just stand there. Change. And if I fucking hear your complaining your dead. “
You quickly began to change, you had faced away from Vanessa, trying not to make much more eye contact with her. She had given you a pink tank top and a white short skirt, that barely covered your ass.
“ take the panties off. “
“ b-but nessa- “
“ do it. “
She growled at you from across the room, you reluctantly stripped them off, tossing them into the corner. You finally faced Vanessa. She wore a white crop top with a pink faux fir jacket, and a pair of tight black joggers shorts. You couldn’t help but notice the bulge in them, your lips quivering, you knew exactly what she was going to do with you.
“ now, let’s give you the last few changes~ “
She pulled your hair up with the pink scrunchie you threw out, putting it in a low ponytail. She fished around another cabinet and strapped a cold peice of leather around your neck. Looking in the mirror, you could see it was a pastel pink collar, you touched it gently, before Vanessa grabbed your wrists again, dragging you downstairs, and eventually out of the Soroity house.
“ your gonna listen to me. And if anyone comes up to you you’re gonna come find me, I don’t need another repeat of last time, do we? “
“ n..no nessa…”
She got into her car, you sitting in the passenger side, as she began to drive out.
“ one more thing. Im Mistress tonight, so if you need me, you’ll ask your Mistress, you got that? “
“ y-yes v-van-….yes mistress…”
Tears swelled in your eyes, as embarrassment flooded through your body. Vanessa glanced at you and scoffed.
“ again with the tears. Stop being such a crybaby, people don’t like it, I don’t like it. “
You wipped your face, and stayed quiet. Your heart raced at the thought of what she’d do to you. Eventually, you pulled up to a large red house, you could hear the music blaring from inside already. Vanessa stepped out and you followed her, she knocked on the door, and a tall, blonde guy welcomed her in, eyeing you down like meat as you followed her in.
People seemed to cheer as Vanessa came in and quickly sat herself down, emptying her purse, she had filled it to the brim with multiple baggies with white powder in them.
“ Y/N. You get the special job of counting my money. And if you do good I’ll reward you~ “
You only nodded, sitting next to Vanessa. You felt her fiddle with the collar, but you didn’t look.
“ alright fuckers, line up. Give the pretty girl your money. “
Dozens of people immediately lined up, digging through the pockets for wads of cash. You’d take it, count how much, and tell Vanessa, who’d hand them a bag worth the money. You couldn’t help but notice the glares you were getting, people eyeing you up and down. Even when they came up to get there shit they’d talk to Vanessa about.
“ pretty thing you’ve got there Nessa, what made ya bring her. “
“ she wanted you to throw a fit before i was gonna go, so i brought her along to help. Don’t worry, she’s got something coming. “
You stayed quiet when the line slowed down, and eventually everyone had gotten something. Vanessa pulled you into her, playing with something in her hand.
“ god…keeping you in a leash has been the best idea I’ve had. It really makes sure you know who you belong to~ “
You had finally noticed it, the black braided leash Vanessa had attached to your collar. You blushed and turned away, Vanessa only chuckled and pulled you in by it, holding you chin.
“ don’t be embarrassed. I think you got me a lot more money than I would off. I think that deserves a reward baby~ “
“ n-Nessa- “
“ mistress. “
“ mistress. Y-yess. I-I don’t wanna do anything in public like this..”
She chuckled again, spreading her legs, messing with her shorts and letting the pink strap pop out.
“ well, keep your mouth on it and no one sees. Easy as that. “
You stared at you, hesitantly moving down to sit between her legs. She held onto your ponytail, pushing your face against the strap.
“ pretty little thing…cmon. Get to work. “
You looked up at her once again, before slowly taking it in your mouth, slowly bobbing your head on it. She kept a good grip on your hair, you watched her look around the room, like she was making sure no one saw, but everyone could.
“ hey, Sarah, Bailey! No im not busy, get me a seltzer and join me. “
You flushed, those were the names of her closest friends. You tried to pull back, but she kept your head down, you reluctantly continued to suck on the pink silicone dick.
The girls sat on each side of her, you could see them looking at you, snickering behind their hands.
“ how’d she get in this predicament~? “
“ she wanted to run her mouth. And I couldn’t just let her get away with that. She threatened to leave me, Bailey, could you believe that. “
Vanessa finally let go of your head, you slowly pulled off, laying your head on her thighs. Sarah petted your head like you were a dog, snickering to herself.
“ can she do any tricks Vanessa~? “
“ mm..not tricks, but she’s a fantastic listener, arnt you baby~? “
“ yes..yes mistress…”
The girls all laughed, you burried your head in Vanessa thighs, you longed to go to your dorm and just sleep, but you had to run your mouth.
“ hey, baby. “
You lifted your head,Vanessa pulled the leash slightly, signaling you to sit on her lap. You felt so out of place there, the strap pressed against your pelvis, Vanessa’s arms around your waist.
“ you do one more thing for me and I’ll take you to ya dorm. “
“ w-what do you want…”
“ ride me. “
You burried your head into her shoulder, the girls giggled as Vanessa kissed your neck.
“ cmon baby, it’s just like at home. Only difference is we’re out. “
“ b-but I don’t like people watching..”
“ this isn’t a option, Y/N. You’ll do this, I take you home, I come back and get wasted. Maybe I should have let you walk out, you could have gotten kidnapped and raped on the way to your dorm. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with you. “
You quickly hugged her, tears forming in your eyes, before you pulled your face out of her shoulder and stared at her.
“ n-no please..d-don’t let me get hurt..”
“ then you gonna do it? “
You held her shoulders, taking a deep breath, before lowering yourself onto the toy, moaning softly. The tears slowly began to roll down your face as Vanessa gripped your waist, helping your ride the strap at a steady pace.
“ that’s it…my girl always comes back around to me, don’t you~? “
“ y-yes mistress, i do. I-I’m your girl..”
All threes of the girls laughed again. Vanessa would slam you down onto the strap, making your moans grow louder every moment.
“ m-mistress please- I-I’m gonna cum please~!! “
You felt the toy spread you, like it could rip you if it was any bigger. You slammed yourself down faster, trying to please her, trying to please yourself.
“ aww..dirty girl. Go ahead, cum…but your walking out of here by yourself, I’m not holding your hand~ “
You where to intoxicated by the pleasure to care, letting Vanessa thrust into your, before you let out one last defeated moan. Your walls clenched around the toy, as you let out heavy breaths. The music was still blaring around you, no one seemed to notice what had just happened besides the two girls and maybe one or two bystanders.
“ such a good girl..what do you say~? “
“..thank you…thank you mistress…I love you..”
Vanessa, for the first time, gently held his ur waist and helped pull you off, as she stuffed the soaked strap back into her shorts, letting you walk out toward the door.
“ I’ll be back in like fifteen, save my seat. “
Vanessa called to her friends, before you walked into the passenger seat, Vanessa pulled you into her, kissing you deeply.
“ oh i love you too…oh how lucky you are that your mine~ “
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