Raquel "Rocky" Dakota didn't just walk onto the Eros in Season 3 of Below Deck; she exploded onto it. She was the third stewardess who could dive off a moving yacht like a pro athlete but couldn't make a simple salad without adding apples and grenadine. To most viewers watching in 2015, she was just "good TV." She was the "crazy" one. But as time has passed and our collective understanding of mental health has evolved, looking back at the Rocky Below Deck mental illness discourse reveals a much more complicated story than just a reality star having a meltdown.
Reality TV is a pressure cooker. It's designed to break people. You've got sleep deprivation, unlimited booze, and a production crew poking at your insecurities for 16 hours a day. When Rocky stripped down to her underwear and jumped off the boat after a heated argument with Captain Lee and Kate Chastain, it was treated as a comedic highlight reel. Today? We’d probably be asking if she was okay.
Honestly, the way we talk about "villains" has changed. Rocky wasn't just a disgruntled employee; she was someone clearly struggling to regulate her emotions in a high-stakes environment. She’s since spoken out about how the show affected her, and it’s a cautionary tale for anyone who thinks reality fame is all sunshine and tips.
The Chaos of Season 3 and Why We’re Still Talking About It
Rocky was a whirlwind. One minute she was performing a mermaid dance, and the next she was sobbing in her bunk because she felt bullied by Kate and Amy. This polar behavior is exactly what fueled the Rocky Below Deck mental illness rumors across social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter. Fans were quick to armchair-diagnose her with everything from Bipolar Disorder to Histrionic Personality Disorder.
It’s easy to judge from a couch.
But imagine being 20-something, stuck on a boat with people who actively dislike your work ethic, while a camera is three inches from your face. Rocky’s erratic behavior—like the secret affair with Eddie Lucas—only added fuel to the fire. When the truth about Eddie came out at the reunion, Rocky’s emotional state seemed even more fragile. She wasn't just "wacky." She was a person being gaslit by a crew member she trusted, and she didn't have the tools to handle it.
The show's editing didn't help. Reality editors love a "crazy girl" trope. They clipped her singing to herself, her strange culinary choices (the infamous oysters with crackers), and her frequent crying spells to paint a picture of someone totally detached from reality. But if you look closer, you see a young woman who was deeply overwhelmed.
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The Gaslighting of Rocky Dakota
We have to talk about Eddie Lucas. This is a huge piece of the puzzle. For most of the season, Rocky insisted they were hooking up in the laundry room. Eddie flat-out lied. He called her crazy. He let the entire crew believe she was delusional.
That kind of psychological stress can make anyone look like they’re losing it.
When the truth finally came out—that yes, they were sleeping together—Eddie got a bit of a pass because he was the "nice guy" bosun, while Rocky was still labeled the "unstable" one. This dynamic is a textbook example of how mental health struggles can be exacerbated by the environment. If you tell someone they are seeing things that aren't there, they start to act in ways that confirm your "crazy" narrative. It’s a vicious cycle.
Rocky eventually left the yachting industry. Can you blame her? She moved to Hawaii, focused on surfing, and leaned into a much more grounded lifestyle. She’s often posted about her journey toward peace and away from the "character" the world saw on Bravo.
Reality TV’s Responsibility Toward Mental Health
The conversation around the Rocky Below Deck mental illness topic isn't just about one person. It’s about how these shows vet their cast. Since 2015, there have been massive shifts in how networks handle the psychological well-being of participants. Following the tragic suicides associated with shows like Love Island UK, producers have had to step up.
- Pre-filming screenings: Most shows now require more than just a basic psych eval. They need to know if a person can handle the specific type of stress that comes with isolation.
- On-set therapists: Many productions now keep a mental health professional on-call or on-site.
- Aftercare: This is the big one. What happens when the cameras stop? For Rocky, the "after" was a wave of online hate and a reputation that followed her for years.
Below Deck specifically has a history of high-stress casting. Think about Caroline Bedol in Season 6 or Hannah Ferrier’s panic attacks. The show thrives on people reaching their breaking point. But at what cost? Rocky was one of the first cast members where the audience really started to question if we were watching "drama" or a genuine mental health crisis.
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What Rocky Has Said Since the Cameras Stopped Rolling
Raquel hasn't stayed silent. She has been open about the fact that she felt misrepresented and that the environment was toxic for her. She has leaned heavily into "flow arts," yoga, and competitive surfing.
It’s actually pretty common for people who are labeled "unstable" in high-pressure corporate or TV environments to thrive in nature-based, physical roles. Rocky wasn't built for the hierarchy of a motor yacht. She was a free spirit being forced into a rigid, military-style structure.
She once mentioned in an interview that the "Rocky" people saw was a version of herself she didn't even recognize. That’s the danger of the edit. It takes your worst 10% and makes it 100% of your identity. For those searching for answers about her mental health, it’s worth noting that she has never publicly confirmed a specific clinical diagnosis, but she has been very vocal about the importance of "protecting your peace."
The Stigma of the "Emotional" Worker
In the yachting world, being "emotional" is the ultimate sin. You’re supposed to be a service robot. Kate Chastain was the master of this—cold, calculated, and efficient. Rocky was the polar opposite. She felt everything loudly.
When we discuss the Rocky Below Deck mental illness angle, we have to account for personality clashing. Is it a mental illness to be highly sensitive? Not necessarily. But in a job where you sleep four hours a night and have to smile while cleaning up a guest’s vomit, high sensitivity looks like a breakdown.
The industry itself is grueling. "Yachties" are known for "burning out" fast. The combination of easy access to alcohol, long hours, and cramped living quarters is a recipe for a mental health disaster. Rocky was just the most visible example of what happens when that pressure has nowhere to go but out.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Crew
If you're watching old episodes of Below Deck and find yourself judging Rocky, or if you're considering a career in reality TV or yachting, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Recognize the Edit: Never assume what you see on screen is the whole truth. Producers cut hours of footage to create a 42-minute narrative. They need a hero and a villain.
- The Power of Gaslighting: In Rocky’s case, the Eddie Lucas situation proves that someone’s "erratic" behavior often has a very real, hidden cause. Believe people when they tell you something is wrong, even if they seem "dramatic."
- Prioritize Your Environment: If you are a person who values freedom and emotional expression, a rigid hierarchy like yachting might be a nightmare for your mental health. Know your limits before you sign the contract.
- Support Aftercare: Support reality stars who advocate for better working conditions. They are human beings providing us entertainment, often at the expense of their own reputations.
Rocky Dakota might have been the girl who made the terrible "oyster delight," but she was also a human being navigating an incredibly difficult situation. Whether there was an underlying mental illness or simply a massive misalignment between her personality and her job, the lesson remains: empathy is usually a better response than ridicule.
The most important takeaway from the Rocky saga is that "crazy" is a lazy label. It’s a word used to dismiss people when we don’t want to understand the complexity of their stress. Rocky moved on, found her surfboards, and left the laundry room behind. We should probably let the "crazy" label stay back there in 2015, too.
To stay updated on the intersection of reality TV and mental health, you can follow advocacy groups like The Reality TV Professionals Association, which works to ensure cast members have access to the resources they need during and after filming. Understanding the human cost of our favorite shows is the first step toward a more ethical entertainment industry.