How 'Atypical' Captured Teen Angst and Identity Crisis Flawlessly in One Episode

'Magical Bird #2' is a mental health course in the Netflix dramedy

Casey (Brigette Lundy-Paine) chews her cuticles compulsively throughout the fourth season of Atypical. It’s a disgusting habit — I know because I suffer from it since I was a kid. At most times, she’s not even aware of doing it. It’s a subconscious response to ease anxiety. But it’s actually more than a bad habit, a disorder called Dermatophagia — a body-focused repetitive behavior, an unintentional form of stress relief.

Casey does this because she’s unable to cope with the pressures of her sports career. She runs track. She’s been training hard for months, so when the time comes, a recruiter from UCLA will witness her outstanding talent. She blows it: she freezes up at the starting line, feeling as she can’t breathe. There’s nothing wrong with her body, though — it’s her mind that breaks down.

She sinks into depression the following days — cooped up in her bed, not eating, not talking, barely functioning. She tries to figure out what’s wrong with her. It takes a week — and a series of random events — until realizing why she had a meltdown.