What Psychologists Have To Say About Bobrisky’s Traits

According to a report by The Nation, a Psychologist, Dr. Yinka Ojedokun, on Monday said popular cross dresser Idris Okuneye alias Bobrisky is exhibiting traits akin to dual-personality disorder.

Ojedokun, a former Head of Psychology Department (HOD) at the Adekunle Ajasin University (AAU), Akungba, Ondo State, said the self-acclaimed male barbie would need psychological intervention in terms of personality assessment.

Speaking to The Nation on the telephone on the possible causes of such behavioural pattern, he said it was confusion of identity triggered mostly by environmental factors such as a person’s upbringing.

Ojedokun said: “If I should give you my candid opinion as a social psychologist who also specialises in the behaviour of personality psychology, one thing that comes to mind is that Bobrisky is suffering from the dual-personality disorder.

“There are some people that are not satisfied with the kind of personality that they are carrying that is why he is trying to portray himself as a woman. When he is on his own (alone) he knows that he is a man but when he comes out he presents himself to the society as a woman.

“This also happens because society is encouraging it and it is a way of demeaning societal values in Africa.

“There are so many things that could be responsible. It could be an environmental factor in terms of upbringing by his parents. We do not know whether he had more females around him while growing up. If so, it could be what he learnt from the people around him as a child and grew up thinking that is who he is.

“If he cannot define who he is then identity confusion takes place. It is not a clinical issue. It is just a matter of him going through some psychological counseling process to really identify and accept who he is.

“It starts with helping him to understand that he is a man and not a woman. So, you must define yourself in every area in your choice of clothes, behaviour and the likes.

“I think there should be a psychology intervention in terms of personality assessment. As psychologists, we have tools that we can use to assess people’s personality. Then, we can have an idea about who he is and we can start to tailor our interventions towards our observations.”

Another psychologist, Valerian Monye, said Bobrisky could be suffering from a histrionic personality disorder, noting his appetite for attention and other behavioural patterns.

Monye said Bobrisky can go to any length to get attention, adding that he isn’t consistent with his claims.

He said: “From my own point of view, judging from his other behaviours he most likely has a histrionic personality disorder. He likes attention-seeking and can go to any length to get it.

“He speaks stupidly, is very abusive and likes flaunting fake wealth. All these are to get the attention he desperately craves.

“He has on multiple occasions claimed to either be gay or a woman. Now I don’t doubt he’s gay but him presenting himself as a woman but not taking the necessary steps to transition to a woman is just another clue that his problem is histrionic personality disorder.

“It is generally believed to be a complex mixture of psychological, social and neurological factors. Maybe, he was already wired to be histrionic but something must have happened in his childhood to break his inhibition and prioritise attention-seeking.”