The Bold and the Beautiful (B&B) spoilers tease that Thomas Forrester (Matthew Atkinson) is headed for some terribly serious mental health difficulties. As B&B viewers know, Thomas’ behavior has been very troubling lately, as he’s been hearing voices coming from a mannequin that’s fashioned in Hope Spencer’s (Annika Noelle) likeness.
At first, Thomas seemed to be suffering from a lack of sleep and stress, but recently the Hope mannequin has been instructing Thomas to do things, like to let her stay at his apartment.
And then, Thomas imagined the Hope mannequin coming to life. It all seemed to be a little over-the-top, and perhaps a bit campy at first, but it’s become clear that Thomas is really suffering, and that he’s got a serious mental illness.
Well, in a recent interview with TV Insider, Thomas’ portrayer Matthew Atkinson discussed his current storyline, and he specifically mentioned the disorder that Thomas is suffering from – paranoid schizophrenia.
“As it [the story] goes on, we’ll understand why this has and is happening to him [Thomas],” Matthew said. “I had a conversation with a psychologist about what people suffering from paranoid schizophrenia experience. I’m trying to tell the story from this character and give it as much credence as possible.”
The diagnosis would make perfect sense given how Thomas has been acting lately. He’s certainly blurring the line between what’s real and what’s not, as he’s been imagining that the Hope mannequin is conscious and having conversations with him.
People with paranoid schizophrenia can have delusions and hallucinations, and they’re of course paranoid.
It would seem that Thomas’ growing paranoia about Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton) could be a symptom of his disorder.
Of course, B&B viewers know that Thomas is deeply suspicious of Liam’s behavior when it comes to his sister Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), and his recent tirade against Liam to John “Finn” Finnegan (Tanner Novlan) lately could very well have been a symptom of his disease.
It would seem that Thomas’ disorder may become apparent soon, as B&B spoilers say that Liam will burst into Thomas’ apartment, where he’ll discover something shocking.
As a paranoid schizophrenic, Thomas could potentially have his apartment barricaded, since people with this disorder tend to become highly fearful of the outside world. Or, Liam could witness Thomas talking to the Hope mannequin, in the middle of a full-blown delusion.
Whatever the case, it should be pretty scary for Liam, and hopefully it will be the beginning of some treatment for Thomas.
Medications can be prescribed to make the symptoms of the disorder easier to live with, although paranoid schizophrenia is a lifelong illness, so it’s something that Thomas and his family will have to deal with for years to come.
Thomas’ ultimate diagnosis will hopefully bring the Forrester family together to rally behind him.
Thomas has gone on for a long time now with Brooke Forrester (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Liam blasting him for being “disturbed” and “unhinged,” but once they realize that Thomas is suffering from a very real and serious disorder, perhaps they’ll have some compassion for him and rally behind him going forward.
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