Courage, the Dog
Courage was abandoned as a puppy since an insane veterinarian shot his two parents into space after a regular check-up. Eventually, Muriel Bagge, a sweet, nurturing woman, found Courage and brought him home to her husband, Eustace, a grouchy and greedy farmer, in their farmhouse in the town of Nowhere, Kansas. Courage seems to exhibit Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which was probably caused by witnessing his parents vanish. Courage attaches himself to Muriel, as she cares for him and is very kind towards him unlike Eustace. Whenever Muriel is abducted by a creature or is somehow separated from Muriel, he begins to show signs of PTSD. Courage tends to suffer from frightening thoughts or dreams ("You're Not Perfect") as well as deals with hyperarousal symptoms such as being easily startled, feeling tense, and having trouble sleeping and/or angry outbursts. Courage also is very clingy to Muriel, which is very common for children who experience PTSD. Courage may also suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, as he's easily startled, worries persistently, and has difficulty handling uncertainty. Additionally, Courage may have Paranoid Personality Disorder. Because of constant confrontations with the supernatural, Courage in most episodes, finds himself fearing anything that may not even be a threat to him. According to PsychCentral, "a person with paranoid personality disorder will nearly always believe that other people’s motives are suspect or even malevolent." This is portrayed by Courage's actions as he is constantly suspicious of others and fears the worst. Courage's paranoia is best conveyed in the episode, "Heads of Beef" which is shown below.
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