So I found this clip and it embodies exactly what I said in a previous post about Alec and how he sees himself he sees that he isn't worthy of love. This leads to a variety of mental health issues, that we do see resolved when he meets Magnus and accepts a very core truth of himself.
Yet I see parallels in disability as many people with disabilities are treated this way and think it is ok and how friends treat each other or see that it is wrong but accept it because they don't want to be left out. He is at the times his own worst enemy.
Simon is the voice of common sense in the first series and said something interesting that resonated with me about Jace treating Alec like a lapdog. But he is tied to Jace in a very real way, it has been described as wedding vows taken to the extreme. It makes the fighters a better pair, but at the same time, the emotional bond can weaken.
In talking about disability I started to wonder how many people with disabilities live incredibly lonely lives because they don't "fit," into what society sees that we need.
He also is a great portrayal of very high functioning depression as you see him going through the motions but not taking time for himself, even forgetting about dinner with Magnus a couple of times and Magnus having to coach him in knowing how to relax. You do see others having hobbies and this is what makes this TV show so good, in its representation of trauma and relationships.
We also see self-harm from both Alec and Jace but the way it is addressed in the series is very different and reflects the relationships that both Jace and Alec have. It is Magnus that Alec before they even are a couple turns to. But in Jace, he tries to hide it behind a wall whereas Alec is just almost accepted that is who he is and Magnus both in the books and the TV series teaches him self-compassion and love.
Magnus is the one who sees that Alec needs positive attention away from his duties as a Shadowhunter and Alec sees that Magnus has a history with the Shadowhunters and that this has changed over the years, As there is a warlock that lived with the Shadowhunters yet when an adult warlock needed a place to stay it was seen as a bad thing so this relationship with the "downworlders," has changed over the years yet Magnus compassion has waned but at the same time he respects the Shadowhunter's laws and accords.
This is very similar to the disabled population being used to being treated as second-class people, being afraid to speak up or lose the care and government benefits they need to survive that at times don't even cover the cost of living. So they simply swallow their pride and live in situations that aren't great for their mental or physical health like aged care homes, hospitals, or other intuitions, or try to live independently but fail and are found when people check in on them.
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