Rue’s True DSM Diagnosis

What the writers got right and wrong

I am a huge fan of the show Euphoria, and currently an MFT grad student, the topic of mental health and addiction comes up a lot in the show, and I wanted to explore what actual diagnosis would actually fit. I decided to investigate Rue Bennett from the TV show Euphoria.

I want to first share that this article is for entertainment and educational purposes. If you strongly align with Rue’s experiences or what is mentioned in this article, please seek out professional support. Do not use this article to help with your own self-diagnosis.

Rue is a seventeen-year-old biracial girl living in a mostly whitewashed world. She has been struggling with anxiety and substance misuse since she was thirteen. She has been overprescribed and under-supervised for most of her life and has been using drugs as a way of self-medicating her pain. Rue is the oldest daughter and has a younger sister named Gia, that is in high school. Rue is protective of Gia and does not want her to make the same choices she has made. Rue is queer and was dating her friend Jules for a while before her drug addiction started to reach its peak.