Girl Interrupted - 2674 Words

Ali Cox Psych 350 Steve Illardi 15 November 2012 Applied Paper For this applied paper I chose to read the novel Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. In her biography she writes about her time at McLean Hospital, a residential psychiatric facility in Massachusetts. She tells about the experiences she had there, the people that she met, and most importantly her diagnosis; Borderline Personality Disorder. Through reading her novel I was able to see what caused her diagnosis, the symptoms that she portrayed, and the treatment she received to have the status of recovered. Through out the novel, Susanna portrayed a number of abnormal behaviors that interfered with her ability to function. The first symptom, and probably the most†¦show more content†¦(4) impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating). (5) recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior. (6) affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days). (7) chronic feelings of emptiness. (8) inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights). (9) transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms† (Disorders | BehaveNet). Susanna displayed the first symptom, â€Å"frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonmentâ⠂¬  through her fear and depression from her childhood. She felt that she could not make satisfactory decisions through out her life because of the lack of communication with her parents and their lack of understanding. Some of her depressive behaviors come from that fact that her parents sent her to the mental hospital without notice and did not say goodbye. She states that the reason she was in the hospital is because of her family and that they are absent from her hospital life. She displays her fear of abandonment through the question she constantly poses; is she as absent from their lives outside asShow MoreRelated Girl Interrupted Essay986 Words   |  4 Pages GIRL, INTERRUPTED by Susanna Kaysen (New York: Turtle Bay Books, 1993) 1. Author: Susanna Kayson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1948 where she still lives. She is the author of books which are in some parts related to her personal experiences. She worked as a free-lance editor and proof reader until an introduction to an agent set her career in motion. Her novels: The novel that caught the agents attention, Asa, As I Knew Him, was published in 1987 and people were very interested inRead MoreEssay on Girl Interrupted Review785 Words   |  4 PagesOne popular cultural myth about the mentally ill is the archetype of the Sexy Crazy Girl, which weve seen in movies, comic books, and music. Losing your grip with reality is not a glamorous subject, but thats not what you get from Girl, Interrupted. It is apparent that all the girls in the movie had some type of dysfunctional personality, and bad things happen to some of them, but it just did not seem realistic. First off, most of the patients prtrayed were young, which made the care facilityRead MoreEssay about girl interrupted review753 Words   |  4 Pages One popular cultural myth about the mentally ill is the archetype of the quot;Sexy Crazy Girlquot;, which weve seen in movies, comic books, and music. Losing your grip with reality is not a glamorous subject, but thats not what you get from G irl, Interrupted. It is apparent that all the girls in the movie had some type of dysfunctional personality, and bad things happen to some of them, but it just did not seem realistic. First off, most of the patients prtrayed were young, which made the careRead More Girl Interrupted vs. The Yellow Wallpaper1078 Words   |  5 Pages The main character in Susanna Kaysen’s, â€Å"Girl, Interrupted† and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† are similar in the fact that they both were suppressed by male dominants. Be it therapist or physicians who either aided in their mental deformities or created them. They are similar in the sense that they are both restricted to confinement and must endure life under the watchful eye of overseers. However similar their situations may be, their responses are different. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;InRead More Susanna Kaysens Journal-Memoir, Girl, Interrupted Essay example1212 Words   |  5 PagesSusanna Kaysens Journal-Memoir, Girl, Interrupted Sane or normal people have wondered at one time or another what it is like in a hospital that houses the insane. Susanna Kaysen opens the door to the reality and true insanity of being a patient in a mental hospital renowned for famous ex-patients, including Ray Charles Sylvia Plath, and James Taylor in her book, Girl, Interrupted. She stays focused on reality and her idea of perception as well as the friendships she acquires in her twoRead MoreGirl Interrupted By Susanna Kaysen1155 Words   |  5 PagesGirl Interrupted is Susanna Kaysen s memoir a series of recollections and reflections of her nearly two year stay at a residential psychiatric program at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. She looks back on it with a sense of surprise. In her memoir she considers how she ended up at McLean, and whether or not she truly belonged there. Each chapter focuses on one aspect of her experience. Founded in the late 19th century, McLean Hospital had been a facility for troubled members of wealthyRead MoreEssay On Girl Interrupted1394 Words   |  6 Pagesto spread awareness on said condition. â€Å"Girl, Interrupted† by Susanna Kaysen is a memoir telling the story of a young girl taken to a psychiatric hospital in the late 60s. The memoir was published in 1993 and continues to have an impact due to its descr iptions of mental illness. By analyzing the memoirist’s descriptions of her time spent hospitalized and her perspective on these experiences, it is evident that Susanna Kaysen’s purpose with â€Å"Girl, Interrupted† is to seek awareness of mental illnessRead MoreGirl Interrupted Analysis1122 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Larkins novel, The Pause follows Declan O’Malley, a depressed 17-year-old and his life after attempting suicide. On the other hand, James Mangold’s 1999 film, Girl, Interrupted tells the story of 17-year-old Susanna Kaysen and the way she deals with being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder after a failed suicide attempt, and being placed in an institution. Both texts are focus on around the effects that mental health has on teenagers. The two texts explore the three themes of supportRead MoreAnalysis of Girl Interrupted2171 Words   |  9 PagesMovie Analysis: Girl, Interrupted. Brittany Clontz Nursing 114 Girl interrupted is a gripping tale of a girl’s maladaptation to the challenges of life. The movie focuses on a young girl named Suzanna Kaysen growing up in the 1960s and struggling with the world around her. Suzanna is admitted to Clarmoore institution after she consumes a whole bottle of aspirin and alcohol to deal with her pain. When admitted to Clarmoore she claims she was not trying to commit suicide, but that she just had a headacheRead More Girl, Interrupted Essay1244 Words   |  5 Pages Girl, Interrupted Part I: Critical Analysis Author: Susanna Kaysen. Girl, Interrupted: New York Division of Random House. Inc 1993. 1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What is the author’s topic? The author’s topic is about a teenager name Susanna Kaysen. At 18 she voluntarily turned herself into McLean Hospital. 2. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Identify the author’s main idea(s). In other words, what is the main point the author is attempting to make about