Friends is one show everybody knows. Whether you like it or you hate it, you’ve definitely watched it. We all have been forced by our friends to watch the show and got hooked on it. Each character different than the other and lovable in their own way. The one character that was the toughest to read and most unpredictable was Phoebe Buffay. She was the flaky and weird one, and a lot of fans didn’t quite like her personality. But a fan theory suggests there was more going on in her life than we could see. World Mental Health Day 2019: Theme and Significance of the Day That Aims To Create Awareness About Mental Health Conditions.

Remember how Phoebe always blurted out random and strange things while having a perfectly normal conversation in the group? She was a little eerie, but we guess that is something that comes with living a life that traumatic. Her quirky antics never failed to make us laugh, but many fans have come forward and suggested Phoebe had mental disorders. The one that is being backed the most is schizophrenia. Which leads us to the question; was Phoebe Buffay really schizophrenic? World Mental Health Day 2019: Depression vs Sadness; Why People Should Stop Using the Term ‘Depressed’ Loosely.

Phoebe’s strange behaviour and craziness have been a recurring gag in the series. She would say the least expected thing in the middle of a conversation. It was all funny, sure. But a lot of the things she did were signs of schizophrenia. A person with schizophrenia struggles to polarise between the real and made-up things. They can't understand what is real and what is not, and they start to slowly lose touch with reality. In many instances, Phoebe has said or done things that have confused the rest of the group as it seems fake.

Who remembers Denise? Phoebe’s roommate? She claims Denise has been living with her for quite some time and she talks about her all the time, but none of the friends has met her or even heard about her. All of her pals are equally surprised when she tells them about Denise. This is one of the signs of schizophrenia. She’s confident about Denise’ existence, but the others don’t get it. How about the time she talks to the cycle Ross gifts her? This could be easily ignored by saying she’s just letting her inner child live. But which grown-up would talk to a cycle? Fans have said this was also one of the hints at Phoebe’s schizophrenia.

The most prominent thing that could prove Phoebe’s schizophrenia is when she believes her mother has come back to her life as a cat. She believes she came and sat in her guitar case because of the orange peels lying in the bag. She genuinely believes it’s her mother and even introduces the cat to her friends. We could give the cycle episode a pass but thinking a cat is your mother’s reincarnation?

People have also come up with theories that say Phoebe Buffay had ADHD, which explains her energetic behaviour, her quirky antics, and her mood swings. The saddest fan theory suggested Phoebe was a homeless, meth addict who lived outside the Central Perk café and imagined herself living in a group of friends. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think she really was schizophrenic or is this just a reach? Comment below and let us know.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2019 02:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).