UMW Fall 2023
(apologies for the embed not working, the link should be fine!)
This comedian addresses the struggles of talking about mental health within the Black community. While his comment may be brief, it became the highlight of his stand-up set simply because it was relatable to many.
In what now feels like looking for needles in a comedic haystack, I’ve been trying to find older comedic works that in some way engage with mental health, in either a funny or serious light. I’m also trying to primarily find older works, because for my project, I want to see an evolution of portrayals, and how different afflictions were treated in comedy. The problem that I’m running into with these older works is what I like to call the “English teacher problem.” The English teacher problem is the overanalysis of fiction, or anything really, to the point of huge jumps to conclusions. The quintessential example is something like “the curtains were blue to represent the main character’s sadness,” when in reality, the curtains being blue could just be an extraneous detail. I write all that essentially to say that its harder than I’d hoped to go back and pluck out good primary sources from obscurity, because of this problem of interpretation.
All that is to say, however, that I think I’ve got a good one this week (although truth be told even this feels like a stretch). Today, I present to you all Ted Stryker, and the fantastically hilarious 1980 comedy movie Airplane! as this week’s focus. In Airplane!, Ted Stryker is a former fighter pilot, who is suffering from PTSD after fighting in “the war,” and because of this, suffers from a “drinking problem,” and has a pathological fear of flying. As many wacky things occur on the titular airplane, Ted is forced to face his trauma, and land the plane after the pilot is incapacitated. While I’d venture to guess that this is not the most accurate depiction of PTSD in media, I think we can learn something about how PTSD was seen in the 1970s and 80s from how his trauma is addressed episodically, and how it is (relatively) easily resolved in crisis.
Maybe I’m grasping at straws, but whether I am or I’m right on the money, if you haven’t seen Airplane! before, this is your sign to watch it, because it is absolutely hilarious.
As we’ve discussed in class, John M. Galt may have had good intentions, but behind closed doors……. they tend to fade away a bit. Especially when it came to race. This quote, probably one of Galt’s best known, represents his moral treatment shift.
Attached below is my proposal and annotated bibliography
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K7cO41Gb9pul82pQbHxXIeLMQq_vUj97gxkAe9HvBfg/edit?usp=sharing
Ruth Curran
History 471
September 21, 2023
Digital Research Project Proposal: Tranquilizer Marketing Strategies for Women 1950-1970
This digital research project will explore how tranquilizer drugs were marketed to women and why the marketing strategies were effectively reaching their female clientele from the early 1950s to 1970. This project will provide insight into women’s lives and the reasons these drugs became so popular for women in this period. Advertisements and articles from this period will be used to investigate the strategies used to reach women as well as just how prevalent the idea of tranquilizer use was in this period. Advertisements show that Americans are experiencing curiosity for the new, anxiety about the Cold War, and the desire to have things that make them more comfortable. Eye-catching advertisements with the word “Tranquilizer” designed for products are useful in understanding the role of purchasing something to feel fulfilled and comfortable. Testimonials from women using tranquilizers in papers and magazines give insight into what women’s understanding of these drugs were at the time. Andrea Tone’s book The Age of Anxiety will give key information on the differences in the uses between men and women as well as historical background and the use of advertisements in drug sales. The article Frances Oldham Kelsey. FDA Medical Reviewer Leaves Her Mark on History. FDA Consumer. Is useful in this project for understanding the boundaries some drug companies were willing to cross to sell their product. Articles from the 1960s such as Looking at Young Wives with Brains by Edwin Diamond gives valuable insight into women’s lives and how culture viewed their dissatisfaction. Hidden in Plain Sight written by Jeremy Greene is useful in understanding how drug companies slipped through the advertising regulations and how advertising to the general public was done more discreetly than advertising to the doctors themselves.
Ruth Curran
History 471
September 21, 2023
Annotated Bibliography
Digital Research Project: Tranquilizer Marketing Strategies for Women 1950-1970
Bren, L. Frances Oldham Kelsey. FDA Medical Reviewer Leaves Her Mark on History. FDA Consumer. Vol. 35. United States: Superintendent of Documents, 2001. https://umw.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01UMW_INST/1mko5a7/cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_227053184. Linda Bren, who writes articles for the FDA consumer, details the story of Frances Oldham Kelsey who worked for the FDA and is known for blocking a dangerous tranquilizer drug from the company Merrell in the US. The story here describes France’s work and qualifications and highlights the highly driven aspect from drug companies to get their product on the market for the public. This publication is from 2001, preceding some other key books and articles such as Age of Anxiety by Andrea Tones. This article also takes a bit of a different approach to the discussion of anxiety medicine by detailing specifically the story of Frances Kelsey.
Bound, Fay. “Keywords in the History of Medicine: Anxiety.” The Lancet (British Edition) 363, no. 9418 (2004): 1407–. A brief article by Fay Bound Ph.D, a Professor of Modern History at Kings College London, discussing how and when the term “Anxiety” came to be used and popularized. The author argues that the term “anxiety” to describe a physical response to feelings of uneasiness begins to be used in the 17th century. Published in 2004, shortly before Andrea Tone’s book Age of Anxiety in 2008 where she deep dives into the history of anxiety and medications used in the US, this article serves as a brief background to understanding the use of the term “anxiety” in the US.
Branch, Hardin, Charles .H. Aspects of Anxiety. Philadelphia, Lippincott 1968. Accessed September 11, 2023 https://archive.org/details/aspectsofanxiety00bran/mode/2up. Aspects of Anxiety written by Charles H. Hardin Branch in 1968 gives insight into how anxiety was viewed in this period as well as how it was understood and studied. The differences in anxiety between men and women are detailed and various forms of anxiety disorders and treatments are discussed. This book may aid in understanding more about what was believed about anxiety in women during this period and how this was approached from a treatment perspective which is important to understand for analyzing marketing strategies.
Brinkley, David. “Segment 3 (Women, Moods, and RX Drugs) # 498936.” Vanderbuilt News Archive. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/broadcasts/498936 NBC evening news broadcast with reporter David Brinkley where in this segment he reports on the higher rate of women addicted to “legal drugs”, which include tranquilizers like valium, than men. While this broadcast does not happen until 1978, it shows the progression of abuse with tranquilizers after regulation of the drugs which begins much earlier and where the current use of the tranquilizers leads.
Brill, Abraham, Signund, Freud. Selected Papers on Hysteria and Other Psychoneuroses. NY: The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing Company 1912. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://archive.org/details/39002010893197.med.yale.edu/page/112/mode/2up. Written by Freud who was one of the first psychologists whose theories were widely used and understood prior to the period in the 1950s. Although other thoughts and methods for treatment of anxiety are prevalent by the 1950s, understanding the Freudian concepts of women and anxiety can aid in understanding the method of marketing directed at women and why it was successful.
Coontz, Stephanie. The Way We Never Were : American Families and the Nostalgia Trap. Revised and updated edition, 2016 edition. New York: Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Book Group, 2016. Historian Stephanie Coontz details the history of the American family from a social perspective from 1900-1990 in this text. She pulls out details from the past that argue that much of the past is full of unpleasant memories. Sections of this book discuss women’s lives and participation in the workforce in the 1940s-1980. Women and their work either in the workforce or within the household has been considered by some scholars to be correlated with the use of tranquilizer drugs. The book also refers to the supposed reasons for anxiety in women in the 1950s which is tied back to the Freudian idea seen in Selected Papers on Hysteria and Other Psychoneuroses about reasons for anxiety in women. This is important to understand when examining how companies marketed their tranquilizers to their female clientele.
Classified Ad 7 — no Title.” 1958.Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963), Feb 11, 1-a15. https://umw.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/classified-ad-7-no-title/docview/181995205/se-2. Advertisement in the Chicago Daily Tribune in 1958 referencing Miltown. While not directly Related to the sale of Miltown, this reference to Miltown as something a woman might take due to working an unfulfilling job aids in understanding the public view of tranquilizers at this time.
Diamond, Edwin. “Looking at Young Wives with Brains.” Newsweek 55, (1960): 94-95. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://archive.org/details/newsweek55jannewy/page/n1127/mode/2up?q=Edwin. Edwin Diamond, who was a reporter that wrote articles for Newspapers, brings to light in his entry in 1960 Newsweek a perspective that argues that women should be content with their place in society yet they are increasingly unhappy. He questions the growing dissatisfaction among young married women and his perspective is insightful as to the cultural view of women at the time. Women’s responses to his post show different opinions from women and give insight into their lives and desired changes. Understanding women’s position in society aids in understanding who and what kind of women tranquilizers were being marketed to.
Greene, Jeremy A. “Hidden in Plain Sight Marketing Prescription Drugs to Consumers in the Twentieth Century”. Am J Public Health (May 2010), 793-803. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2853635/. Jeremy A. Greene M.D. Ph.D. Is a Professor of the History of Medicine at John Hopkins University. This article argues ways that drug companies have marketed to the general public and drawn interest from the general public in their products in ways that were not incredibly obvious. Published in 2010, close to the publishing dates of Age of Anxiety by Andrea Tone and Keywords in the History of Medicine: Anxiety by Fay Bound, it is a significant contribution to the understanding of anxiety and tranquilizers in the mid to late 1900s.
HOUCK, JUDITH A. “‘What Do These Women Want?’: Feminist Responses to ‘Feminine Forever’, 1963-1980.” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 77, no. 1 (2003): 103–32. https://doi.org/10.1353/bhm.2003.0023. Many advertisements directed towards women for tranquilizers appeal to their status within society and their cultural role. This article written by Judith Houck, a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, looks at a couple of different books written in the 1960s to argue the standards for ideal femininity in this period. This aids in understanding more about the women that the marketing companies were attempting to appeal to with the sale of tranquilizers.
Lutz, Tom. American Nervousness, 1903 : an Anecdotal History. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1991. https://archive.org/details/americannervousn00lutz/mode/. This book written by Historian Tom Lutz, argues where the created ideals for men and women come from and how behavioral type therapy was implemented based on gender prior to the creation of tranquilizer drugs. Marketing companies are appealing to women in the mid to late 1900s who were looking to escape their cultural role which had been set for some time. The book was written in the same period as The Way We Never Were by Stephanie Coontz which is coming from a social history approach in regards to gender and family to gain an understanding of women’s roles in society.
LOPEZ-MUNOZ, Francisco, Cecilio ALAMO, and Pilar GARCIA-GARCIA. “The Discovery of Chlordiazepoxide and the Clinical Introduction of Benzodiazepines: Half a Century of Anxiolytic Drugs.” Journal of Anxiety Disorders 25, no. 4 (2011): 554–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2011. This article details research and creation of some of the first tranquilizers intended to treat anxiety. A core understanding of what these drugs are, when they were produced, and how they were used is important in a marketing context to understand what the tranquilizers are and who might use them. Written in 2011, just after Hidden in Plain Site by Jeremy A. Greene, this also contributes to the understanding of the emergence of anxiety medications.
Metzl, Jonathan. Prozac on the Couch : Prescribing Gender in the Era of Wonder Drugs. Durham: Duke University Press, 2003. Metzl, Jonathan. Prozac on the Couch : Prescribing Gender in the Era of Wonder Drugs. Durham: Duke University Press, 2003. This book by Jonathan Metzl, an American psychiatrist, pulls together the history of popularly used tranquilizer drugs and ties the reasons for their uses together with the Freudian concepts of anxiety. Advertisements geared towards women are often geared towards putting them back where much of society wants them and this book aids with the understanding of how culture is viewing anxiety in women.
Metzl, Jonathan M. “‘Mother’s Little Helper’: The Crisis of Psychoanalysis and the Miltown Resolution.” Gender & History 15, no. 2 (2003): 228–55. Accessed September 11, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0424.00300. This article by Jonathan Metzle, an American Psychiatrist, outlines the history of creating the tranquilizer drugs as well as the period that the benzodiazepines became incredibly popular as a drug. The author argues that, in reference to women, this drug was used to help women fit back in the box of motherhood and monotony she was supposedly intended to fulfill. Understanding the purpose of these tranquilizers aids in understanding the way in which they were marketed towards women.
Tone, Andrea. The Age of Anxiety : A History of America’s Turbulent Affair with Tranquilizers. 1st ed. New York: Basic Books, 2008. This book begins with a brief history of anxiety before tranquilizers were used and covers in detail the initial marketing and sales of the first tranquilizers up until the FDA begins to put more regulations and rules on their sales and uses. Andrea Tone, Ph.D. Is a historian who has done extensive research that has been accessible to the general public in historical uses of medicine. In The Age of Anxiety she argues the different reasons for Tranquilizer use for men and women as well as significant background information on the Cold war which she ties together as a source of extreme anxiety in America. This book is written in 2008 which is after Fay Bound’s brief article about about the history of the word “anxiety”.
SYLVIA HARTMAN, J.A., M.D.G., Emily Fishman, VARDA ONE, ANN, Madeline Belkin, et al. “Everywoman.” Everywoman 1, no. 1 (4) (July 10, 1970). https://jstor.org/stable/community.2803609. This advertisement for Valium by Roche Laboratories featured in Everywoman in 1970 demonstrates how tranquilizer drugs could be introduced to women through reading. This also highlights the importance of seeing how the companies selling the drugs were using these tactics to target their intended audience and make sales.
Shorter, Edward. A Historical Dictionary of Psychiatry. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. A dictionary written by Edward Shorter, a Historian and Professor, useful for understanding terms and different tranquilizer drugs. Information about each drug is useful in understanding what it was used for and how it was created and marketed.
Tone, Andrea, and Elizabeth Siegel Watkins. Medicating Modern America. NY: NYU Press 2007. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://web-s-ebscohost-com.umw.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=c46e2534-f251-4005-b027-a88b8cbbef6d%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=200949&db=nlebk. Historian Andrea Tone Ph.D. And History Professor Elizabeth Siegel Watkins detail many different medications, their origins, and their uses in America. Tranquilizers are discussed in detail as well as the argument that marketing was an essential part of the success of the sale of the drugs. Published in 2007, contributing to the understanding of the origins and types of medications on the market in America, this book aids in the understanding of marketing tranquilizers.
Tone, Andrea. “Listening to the Past: History, Psychiatry, and Anxiety.” The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry—In Review 50, no.7 (June 2005): 373-80. Accessed September 11, 2023. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/070674370505000702. Historian Andrea Tone discusses the history of anxiety and why anxiety medications became popular when they did. This article increases understanding of when tranquilizers came on to the market, what they were used for, and how they were categorized. This article is written prior to Andrea Tone’s book Age of Anxiety and contributes to the overall understanding of when treatments for anxiety became available.
Woloch, Nancy. Women and the American Experience. 3rd ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Nancy Woloch covers history pertaining to women and argues some of the reasons for society’s fear of change within women. This is relevant to the study of the marketing of tranquilizer drugs to women as they are designed and marketed for women to find peace in their current role which is what culture deems acceptable rather than to promote change.
Proposal
Perhaps one of the most often discussed health topics in recent years has been that of mental health. As society careens forward into the digital age, there has been an increased focus on the upkeep of one’s mental health, and as a result, there has been an increasing turn towards openness in communicating issues of mental health. Nowhere has this trend been more apparent than in American popular media, and more particularly, American comedy. Increasingly, issues of mental health have moved away from portrayals of the exclusively dramatic, and an entire ecosystem of comedic depictions are abound. This begs the question, however, if this is really new? Has comedy always confronted such issues, or is it only with this increased cultural awareness that such common depictions seem all the more apparent? This project endeavors, in part, to answer that question through a comprehensive examination of the dynamic relationship between American comedy and the depiction of mental health from origins before the Vaudeville era, to the era of streaming and stand-up specials. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, this project will investigate how humor, psychology, and cultural attitudes toward mental health have interplayed and evolved over time. By conducting a thorough analysis of primary sources encompassing comedic performances, films, and television shows, in conjunction with a broad historiographical review, this research aims to provide an intricate exploration of how comedy has at times reflected and challenged societal views on mental health, and how those views have evolved over time. Few works have examined the place that mental health has occupied in American comedy, and so this project will hopefully fill some gaps in the literature, and serve as a well-balanced examination of an overlooked area in the history of mental health in the US.
Selected Sources (Annotated)
Apatow, Judd. Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy. New York: Prelude Books, 2017.
Beginning this bibliography with a somewhat unorthodox source, Apatow’s Sick in the Head is a part memoir-part compilation of interviews that the writer-director has had with fellow comedians over the years, from 1983 to 2015. Apatow interviews various comedians, including Jerry Seinfeld, James Brooks, Steve Martin, among many others, talking about their creative processes, comedic approaches, and personal struggles. As a half-primary, half-secondary source, this fits somewhat oddly in this bibliography, however this work will be crucial in understanding perspectives of comedians, and how they approach comedy in general, and difficult topics of mental health.
Berger, Phil. The Last Laugh: The World of Stand-up Comics. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000.
Berger’s Last Laugh paints a broader picture of the development of stand-up comedy in the US, using a narrative format to describe early standups from the 1940s and 50s, moving up through to the 70s. Because of its narrative format, it offers a uniquely comedic tone, and helps to show how stand-up evolved alongside comedians big and small. It also offers a way to map the development of how mental health came to stand-up to the profession writ large.
Declercq, Dieter. Satire, Comedy and Mental Health: Coping with the Limits of Critique. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, 2021.
Declercq offers an examination of satire’s political nature and its impact on mental health. It explores conventional views on the value of satire, addressing debates regarding its political efficacy and emotional catharsis, and it appears to be the only readily available work to be making this direct connection. Declercq argues that satire’s most remarkable aspect is its capacity to help individuals cope with critique, and that understanding satire grants a deeper understanding of mental health. As the only work directly examining the project topic, it will likely be an invaluable guide to breaking down connections between comedy and mental health.
Eagleton, Terry. Humor. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2019.
Eagleton’s Humor is a literary focused breakdown of the elements of humor, written as literary criticism more than a historical or psychological approach. Not only does that fact not garner it an important role in this project, its deconstruction of humor in general is incredibly useful in illuminating the how comedy is created, and gives clues as to what and how comedians, writers, satirists, etc have joked about. This leaves a fascinating path to follow to explore how jokes about complex topics like mental health are created and approached by comedians.
Ezell, Silas Kaine. Humor and Satire on Contemporary Television: Animation and the American Joke. London: Routledge, 2016.
Much of this bibliography focuses on a specific mode of comedy: stand-up, or more generally, live comedy. Much of what drives common perceptions of mental health is popular movies and television, and so this source is an attempt to shore up that deficiency in this bibliography. Ezell provides a more modern perspective than many of the other sources here, a view outside of live comedy, and provides a framework that will help to analyze primary sources this project will use.
Finney, Gail, ed. Look Who’s Laughing: Gender and Comedy. New York: Gordon and Breach, 1994.
As the title suggests, Finney explores how women have existed in the comedic space, both through female comics, and how women have been treated by comedy. On its own, it is a useful summary and examination of the role of women and gender in American comedy, but paired with Lanady’s Madcaps and Mizejewski’s Hysterical! it looks to help draw out the perception of a throughline between women who are mentally ill, and those who pursue comedy.
Federman, Wayne. The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle. Independently Published, 2021.
Federman’s History of Stand-Up is another overview work on standup, but is a fair deal more contemporary than Berger. One thing that Federman does is delve a bit deeper into the origins of live comedy in the US, harkening back to vaudeville, even tracing the lineage of modern American comedy back to minstrel shows, something that this bibliography will come to explore more deeply. Understanding such roots, and how they informed the profession will be critical to explaining how topics like mental health came to be depicted.
Freud, Sigmund. Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious (1905). Translated by James Strachey. New York: Norton, 1963.
Despite his controversial legacy in modern psychiatry, Freud’s works loom large over the profession, and his work on the role of humor in psychiatry is no less important to the study of psychology or of humor. Framed through Freud’s preferred lens, that of the subconscious, this work serves to establish a historiographical basis for the connection between comedy and mental health. It also serves to buttress some of the psychological works and aspects in this project, and to connect the idea of the use of jokes in relation to mental health to ideas of social bonding
Gelkopf, Marc. “The Use of Humor in Serious Mental Illness: A Review.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (January 1, 2011): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nep106.
Far more scientific in tone than other entries in this bibliography, Gelkoph takes a decidedly scientific and treatment focused examination of comedy in a clinical setting. In addition to further fleshing out the more overtly psychological side of this bibliography, it stands to introduce some novel rhetorical concepts about how humor can be used as treatment for mental illness, both formally and informally, and expand upon ideas of humor as a tool of social cohesion explored elsewhere in these sources.
Gibson, Janet M. An Introduction to the Psychology of Humor. London: Routledge, 2019.
In what is decidedly a textbook, Gibson’s Introduction serves as a comprehensive psychological look at the roots of humor. While somewhat unique in this bibliography due to its format, this source is pivotal to exploring the psychological underpinnings of humor, providing insights into the origins of what society finds funny, how humor is utilized effectively in various contexts, and how those played into evolving topics of mental health in comedy.
Greenberg, Jonathan. The Cambridge Introduction to Satire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.
Much like Eagleton, Greenberg’s work is more literary focused, especially as it is a reader on satire. While disconnected from the American context in particular, Greenberg helps to explain how satire developed from ancient antecedents, and explore the evolution of written humor, and delineate the careful yet important distinction of satire and comedy. Also like Eagleton, this work will be useful in creating a timeline of comedic trends, and how popular jokes come to exist.
Hess, Linda. “Cringe and Sympathy: The Comedy of Mental Illness in Flowers.” Humanities 10, no. 4 (November 20, 2021): 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/h10040121
Hess examines the use of cringe comedy in the Channel 4 show Flowers, and how the depiction of cringe represents a realistic portrayal of mental illness. Part of Hess’ analysis revolves around Flowers’ self-reflexive use of narrativity, how the show draws attention to the culturally constructed and narrativized nature of mental illness throughout history, an idea critical to this project. This is useful as an accurate portrayal of mental disorders, but also as a signal that accuracy, rather than simple mentions, were beginning to be the important part of depicting mental illness on screen, comedically or dramatically.
Kanfer, Stefan. Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball. New York: Knopf, 2003.
In looking at the life of Lucille Ball, Kanfer conducts what is, for the purpose of this project, a case study on how mental health difficulties affect a comedian, and what that means for their comedy and their image. While it is important to proceed with caution when it comes to a third person view of someone’s mental health, it nonetheless can provide a useful insight into an individual perspective from a third party. One concept explored here that this project will delve much deeper into is the idea of the facade of normalcy that tended to exist around celebrities at the time, and how that affected the mental health and performance of certain material in the mid twentieth century.
Krefting, Rebecca. All Joking Aside: American Humor and its Discontents. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014.
In All Jokes Aside, Krefting looks at “charged humor” and its use in creating and defining groups, and the important role that humor plays as a societal regulator. Krefting uses the frame of charged humor to examine subversive comedy, counterculture comedy, and how humor fits in stratified social, political, and economic contexts. This work is invaluable in getting at the social role of comedy, how it can be used as a signal for behavior, and how it can both break and reinforce various societal norms and standards.
Landay, Lori. Madcaps, Screwballs, and Con Women: The Female Trickster in American Culture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998.
Landay’s Madcaps offers a valuable exploration of gender stereotypes and their connection to portrayals of mental health through the trope of the “trickster” character in popular media. The title itself hints at the association between women and notions of “crazy,” which illuminates certain societal perceptions of women and their emotions. This source not only delves into the historical context of these stereotypes but also examines how female trickster figures in American culture have played a role in perpetuating or subverting such associations. Landay’s work provides critical insights into the intersection of gender, comedy, and mental health, making it an invaluable inclusion
Martin, Rod A., and Thomas E. Ford. The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach. Second edition. London: Elsevier, 2018.
As with Gibson, Martin and Ford also write a textbook that is more geared to the psychological sciences than it is history or literary criticism. That said, Martin and Ford delve into theory, and take a rather interdisciplinary approach towards explaining some of the more evolutionary and physiological roots of humor alongside the more social factors. Again, like Gibson, this source is meant to provide a solid psychological context for examining mental health and comedy, both directly with each other in clinical settings, and more abstractly in cultural contexts.
Mast, Gerald. The Comic Mind: Comedy and the Movies. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1973.
Much like Ezell, Mast provides a branch away from what is live, and into comedy during the silent era of film, offering crucial insights into the early development of American comedy. Mast will serve as a vital resource for constructing a timeline of the evolution of comedic styles in American cinema. By focusing on the silent film era, Mast’s work delves into the foundational elements of visual humor, slapstick, and physical comedy that laid the groundwork for future comedic traditions, and offers a lens through which to examine how themes of mental health were portrayed or alluded to during this formative period.
Micale, Mark S. “Hysteria and its Historiography.” History of Science 27, no. 4 (1989): 319–351.
This article is a fairly standard review of the literature surrounding hysteria from Micale, and while it may seem out of place in this bibliography, it does two things that will be useful to this project. The first, and most important, is providing a historical baseline of how mental illnesses were thought of, both through and in the literature. Secondly, it provides a certain amount of historiographical review on gendered notions of hysteria, which come into play when discussing women and mental health in American comedy.
Mills, Brett. The Sitcom. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009.
Perhaps one of the most important developments in television was the emergence of the situational comedy, or the “sitcom.” Mills’ work takes the form of a genre analysis, and explores how things like production, tropes, etc shape our understanding of the genre and limit what sitcoms can be. Not only is this useful for further deconstructing television, many of the modern primary sources this project will use are often called sitcoms, so using Mills’ framework on these modern examples may color the interpretation of relevant themes.
Mizejewski, Linda. Hysterical!: Women in American Comedy. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2017.
Mizejewski’s Hysterical! will likely be a pivotal resource for this project, offering a contemporary, in-depth exploration of gender dynamics within American comedy. Another reader, the collection delves into the multifaceted relationship between women actively engaged in comedy and how derogatory stereotypes that have colored their comedy or their person as crazy, or more accurately, hysterical, a term with a fair amount of historical baggage. Mizejewski’s analysis sheds light on the complexities of gendered humor and offers a valuable lens through which to explore mental health in the context of women’s roles in comedy.
Sawallisch, Nele. “‘Horsin’ Around’? #MeToo, The Sadcom, and BoJack Horseman.” Humanities 10, no. 4 (October 29, 2021): 115. https://doi.org/10.3390/h10040115.
In this article, Sawallisch explores the blend of tragic and comedic elements in the animated series BoJack Horseman, specifically focusing on its fifth season from 2018. The show, which she dubs a “sadcom,” is analyzed in the context of larger inquiries into the interplay between tragic and comic modes of humor, such as elements of awkwardness and cringe. Sawallisch argues that season 5 emphasizes notions of authenticity and solidarity, which are core themes in sadcoms. This focus on the specific intersection of “tragicomedic” elements in a sitcom, coupled with a deep examination of mental health, offers a valuable contribution in the study of humor in contemporary television to this bibliography.
For more (or really, my hanging indent), feel free to click here! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uFXRI4aeJLRrok-yQ4-XlfdgXgoKGqGkpyVTvFXSjcM/edit?usp=sharing
My working thesis is “this paper will argue American society forced mental health facilities to become long term care facilities.” The first place to look for that is how “insane” people were viewed by the majority of Americans during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As cities became more populated throughout America citizens became less likely to take care of mentally ill family members. These people were seen as burdens not only to the families but by the community. This led to mental health facilities becoming somewhat of a “dumping ground” for unwanted individuals. This can be seen in the broad spectrum of things that got people sent to these facilities as well as the seemingly instant increase in the elderly population. Once communities filled mental asylums they then put little or no money into any facet of the hospitals. Leading to serious problems of overpopulation and abuse. This is in serious contrast to the original purpose of these facilities. The goal for all of these facilities was to cure individuals to a point where they could return to society. But since society viewed the individuals so poorly the hospitals never had a true chance. The idea of moral treatment was what every hospital in America was built on. The issue of overcrowding is the main reason these hospitals became care facilities. Simply put the hospitals never had the knowledge and resources to individually work with patients. Funding also plays a huge role in this. It is mentioned multiple times that Kirkbride and other operators had to beg for money to keep running their hospitals. Which really harkens back to how society viewed “insane” individuals. As they were willing to send them there but not willing to ensure their safety.
Sources
Grob, Gerald N. 2011. Mad among Us : A History of the Care of America’s Mentally Ill. Editora: New York: Free Press.
Grob argues that American hospitals were made with good intentions but societal factors led to its eventual downfall. Grobs discusses how the development of these hospitals coincided with growing societal beliefs. For my project it discusses the growing displeasure that Americans had about the mentally Ill.
Tomes, Nancy. 1994. The Art of Asylum-Keeping.
The main argument that Tomes is making is that Kirkbrides asylum philosophy lost appeal because of “new social realities.” It follows Thomas Kirkbride and his ideal facility which was never able to come to fruition. This source is useful because it talks about moral treatment in theory and in action and gives a unique perspective that most head physicians shared.
Tone, Andrea. 2009. The Age of Anxiety : A History of America’s Turbulent Affair with
Tranquilizers. New York: Basic Books.
The author discusses the issues with feeding humans pills to help deal with mental illness. She points to the use of tranquilizers to remedy anxiety. This shows the willingness of modern doctors to prescribe heavy medication, showing how treatment has never really changed overtime.
Shorter, Edward. 1998. A History of Psychiatry: From the Era of the Asylum to the Age
of Prozac. New York ; Chichester: Wiley.
Shorter argues against the “revisionist” history of psychiatric care that took place in the 1960s. Shorter mentions how the work done in the sixties discredited mental illness and their true effects. This touches on the evolution of Psychiatric hospitals be that physically or in the public eye up until the modern day.
Magennis, A.L. “Lives Forgotten; Morbidity and Mortality in the Late 19th Century
Colorado Insane Asylum.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2003, 144–.
The article emphasizes the poor treatment that the patients faced. Magennis discusses the examinations of patients’ skeletal remains, noting that many of them suffered violent deaths. This is a good piece to help expand on the idea that Americans used hospitals as a dumping ground.
Jimenez, Mary Ann. Changing Faces of Madness : Early American Attitudes and
Treatment of the Insane. Hanover, NH: Published for Brandeis University Press by University
Press of New England, 1987.
Mary Ann Jimenez makes the case that as society developed there became a need to care for these individuals. Mainly she points at the growing need running along side Americas industrialization This adds context to show societies changing views as their life styles began to change.
Sutton, John R. “The Political Economy of Madness: The Expansion of the Asylum in
Progressive America.” American Sociological Review 56, no. 5 (1991): 665–78.
https://doi.org/10.2307/2096087.
This article argues that in the late 1890s-1940s it was the governments responsibility to take care of these individuals. Sutton points to a political split which ultimately only hurt the people who needed help. The government showed little support to these facilities yet everyone reaped in the benefits.
Riddle, Bryan Justin. “Treatment, Warehousing, and Dispersion: Mt. Pleasant Insane
Asylum, 1844-1980.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2010.
This author argues that Iowas government was ultimately the downfall of Mount Pleasant Insane Asylum. He notes how Iowa did not give the proper resources to the asylum so it ultimately spiraled into a disaster. This article is a perfect example of how society let down these individuals and never gave the hospitals a real opportunity to work.
Holt, Anna Kate. “Seeking Voices in Dark Places: The History of the Tennessee
Asylum for the Insane.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2023.
Holt argues that other authors do not cover the racism that was regularly apart of hospitals. She points to the Tennesse Asylum to show the how racism effected not only this asylum but similar ones across the nation.The fact that racism was so prevalent amongst these facilities speaks volumes to societal problems.
Lanzoni, Susan. “The Asylum in Context: An Essay Review.” Journal of the History of
Medicine and Allied Sciences 60, no. 4 (2005): 499–505. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhmas/jri070.
This review argues that the issue of overcrowding was a variety of factors. Early in the article the author discusses the role that families play however in the end, Lanzoni mentions that “lax procedures” on commiting individuals is what did the most damages. This article shows a couple of different views that add perspectives on the family side, political side, and the institution side.
Kemp, Donna R. Mental Health in America : a Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara,
Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2007.
Kemp argues that the ever changing definition of mental illness makes it difficult for individuals to find adequate treatment. It covers the changing definitions and treatments of a varies of different illnesses. Speaks to the terrible treatment that patients recieved and the fields sort of Guinea pig approach to mental illness.
FEE, Elizabeth, and Theodore M BROWN. “Freeing the Insane.” American Journal of
Public Health (1971) 96, no. 10 (2006): 1743–1743. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2006.095448.
This article argues that the treatment in the 1800s was a major step in the right direction for the world of mental health. Points to use of “moral treatment” that occurred in America and other countries compared to treatment during the 1700s. As my paper will focus on the negative it is important to understand that leaps were made during this time period.
Geloso, Vincent, and Raymond J. March. “Rent Seeking for Madness: The Political
Economy of Mental Asylums in the United States, 1870 to 1910.” Public Choice 189, no. 3-4
(2021): 375–404. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-021-00890-1.
This piece argues that “stronger political influence from mental healthcare providers contributed to the rise in institutionalization.” They point to the rising level of rates from 1870-1910. A perfect example of policies that allowed for the neglect of patients and hospitals alike.
Yanni, Carla. 2007. The Architecture of Madness : Insane Asylums in the United States.
Minneapolis: University Of Minnesota Press.
This author argues that the architecture of insane asylums has evolved overtime. They had to change from the kirkbride model in order to better suit patients. It is also mentioned that hospitals now prefer open spaces with art which shows the evolution of American hospitals.
Ryan, Madeline Kearin. “The Smell of the Insane: Disciplining the Olfactory Domain in
the Nineteenth-Century Asylum.” Historical Archaeology 56, no. 4 (2022): 722–39.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-022-00378-9.
This article focuses on the failure of the facilities to keep patients properly taken care of. TH articles paints this a top down problem.For my paper it talks about the failures of asylum operators to successfully implement proper regiments for patients.
Deitz, Charles. “‘A Tomb for the Living’: An Analysis of Late 19th-Century United States
Newspaper Reporting on the Insane Asylum.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2018.
Deitz’ argues that newspapers helped to push negative narratives about mental illness. While also promoting false narratives about asylums. This works perfectly with my other sources to display growing societal views.
Braslow, Joel. Mental Ills and Bodily Cures : Psychiatric Treatment in the First Half of
the Twentieth Century. Reprint 2019. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997.
https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520917934.
This piece argues that doctors went to extreme lengths for these tests. Which violated the rights of individuals and went unknown to families. This article speaks to the poor treatment that patients had to undergo in these facilities and further strengths the idea that patients were test subjects.
Grob, Gerald N. Mental Institutions in America : Social Policy to 1875. London:Routledge Publisher, 2017
In this piece Grob argues that mental institutions are unable to produce results. This drastically impacts the amount of support they receive from the public. For my paper it shows where societies expectations and reality just didn’t line up.
Grob, Gerald N. “Review: John C. Burnham, ‘Mental Institutions in America: Social Policy to 1875’ (Book Review).” Journal of Social History. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press Books Division, 1975.
This source agrees that Grob is right, and that it was social policy that was the largest factor in hospitals failures. For my paper it solidifies some of what I had found and my overall thesis.
Lambe, Jennifer. “Memory Politics: Psychiatric Critique, Cultural Protest, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Literature and Medicine 37, no. 2 (2019): 298–324. https://doi.org/10.1353/lm.2019.0014.
This article covers a form of popular media but flips it in a way to reflect upon current America’s treatment of those with mental illness. It really works to show how patients are often ignored by society. For my paper this shows some of the more general preconceived notions that American society held.
Neonya Garner
In the past few decades, taking care of one’s own mental health has become a great concern to millions around the world. Entire industries dedicated to taking care of people with mental illnesses have been redefined and reconstructed to fit the crisis. While the rate of accessibility to mental health help has increased over time, certain minority groups are still disproportionately affected. The National Library of Medicine found that rates of mental illness are higher among minority groups, specifically Black Americans. Psychological Historians have found that the reason being is factors such slavery, fighting for civil rights, and instituinalized racism as a whole forms generaltional trauma that is passed through families and leaves them reeling from it years later. Along with this, Black American women are less likely than Black American men to seek treatment. Posing the question: how has the history of racial based trauma caused a lack of mental health treatment among Black American women?
This study will show that not only have Black women been under and misdiagnosed due to historical and societal perceptions, but the history of malpractice has created cultural stigma that further discourages them from seeking treatment. This study will be conducted with the use of multiple varying sources. Namely, autobiographies and testimonies from various American Black women speaking on their experience with mental health and the struggle of seeking help. Secondly, sources studying mental health specifically in Black American communites in order to understand how cultural aspects affect the perception further. Further, to get the psychoanalytic side of things, multiple psychological studies concerning mental health within Black women will be used. Lastly, studys about psychiatric history, African-American history, and Black history involving mental health, will be cross-referenced for historical analysis and development over time.
Brown, Charrita Cole. Defying the Verdict: My bipolar life. Chicago, Curbside Splendor, 2018.
In her work, Defying the Verdict: My Bipolar Life, Brown delves into her personal experiences of dealing with Bipolar Disorder. As she illustrates the struggles brought about by mental illness, she explores the journey of dealing with social and cultural stigma, as well as an account of mistreatment from mental health officials. Overall, Brown provides a first-hand account of the mistreatment Black women face within medical environments and society as a whole in reference to their mental well-being.
Burton, Nsenga K. Black Women’s Mental Health: Balancing Strength and Vulnerability. Albany: State
University of New York Press, 2017.
Burton’s work brings together a diverse group of contributors from fields such as psychology, sociology, law, medicine, and the humanities to engage in a thoughtful discourse on a wide range of critical issues affecting Black women’s mental health. Topics covered in this book include stress, sexual assault, healing, self-care, contemplative practices, health policy considerations, and parenting. By merging both theoretical and practical perspectives with personal narratives and public policy analysis, the book establishes a framework for addressing the wellness of Black women
Danquah, Meri Nana-Ama. Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Depression, a memoir. New York: Norton, 1998.
In Willow Weep for Me, Meri Nana-Ama Danquah shares her struggles with clinical depression, providing readers with insight into the challenges she faced, including stigma, cultural expectations, and the difficulties of seeking help. She also reflects on her experiences as a Black woman dealing with mental illness, discussing how race and gender intersect with her mental health journey. The memoir is known for its candid and emotional storytelling, as well as its contribution to the broader conversation about mental health, particularly within the African American community.
Ikpi, Bassey. I’m Telling the Truth, But I’m Lying. New York: HarperCollins Publisher, 2019.
I’m Telling the Truth, But I’m Lying is a memoir written by Bassey Ikpi, a Nigerian-American writer, poet, and mental health advocate. The book was published in 2019 and is a deeply personal exploration of her experiences with mental illness, specifically bipolar II disorder, and her journey towards understanding and managing her condition. Ikpi uses a blend of essays and poetry to share her life story, including her upbringing, her struggles with mental health, her career as a writer and performer, and her interactions with the healthcare system. She addresses themes of identity, race, and the intersection of mental health and cultural expectations.
Golden, Marita. The Strong Black Woman: How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women. Miami: Mango Publishing, 2021.
In The Strong Black Woman, Marita Golden examines the stereotype of the strong, self-sacrificing, and emotionally invulnerable Black woman. She argues that this stereotype, while rooted in historical and cultural contexts, can have detrimental effects on the mental health of Black women. The book delves into the various ways in which Black women may internalize this stereotype and feel pressure tombe strong at all times, even at the expense of their own mental and emotional health. Golden draws from personal stories, interviews, and research to discuss the challenges that Black women face in seeking mental health care and addressing their emotional needs within a society that often expects them to be endlessly resilient.
Jackson, Vanessa. In Our Own Voice: African American Stories of Oppression, Survival and Recovery in the Mental Health System. Oral History. 2002.
In Our Own Voice: African American Stories of Oppression, Survival, and Recovery in the Mental Health System is a collection of narratives that showcases the personal experiences of Black Americans within the mental health system. These stories bring to light the historical and contemporary challenges faced by African Americans in their mental health journeys, including oppression and discrimination. It brings to light the history of how Black Americans have been treated within the mental health care system and highlights how systemic racism plays a role in the care Black Americans recieve.
Williams, Terrie. Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting. North Carolina, USA: Scribner Press, 2009.
Terrie Williams, a renowned clinical social worker and mental health advocate, draws attention to the emotional struggles faced by many African Americans and seeks to destigmatize discussions about mental health. Williams combines personal anecdotes, stories from her clinical practice, and research to shed light on the impact of racism, discrimination, and other societal factors on the mental health of Black individuals. The book discusses various emotional and mental health challenges that can affect African Americans, including depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Picot, Iresha. The Color of Hope: People of Color Mental Health Narratives. South Carolina, USA: CreateSpace Publishing, 2015.
The Color of Hope: People of Color Mental Health Narratives is a project dedicated to shedding light on mental health within communities of color. This initiative shares personal stories from individuals affected by mental illness, aiming to initiate open discussions, challenge the stigma, and break down feelings of shame associated with mental health issues. Contributors to this project represent a diverse range of individuals, including those living with mental health conditions and those impacted by their loved ones’ struggles. These stories encompass a wide spectrum of experiences, from depression and bipolar disorder to borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and more.
Pierce-Baker, Charlotte. This fragile life: a mother’s story of a bipolar son. Chicago, Lawrence Hill Books, 2012.
In “This Fragile Life,” Pierce-Baker provides a deeply personal account of her family’s journey in navigating the challenges of her son’s mental illness. She offers insights into the emotional and practical aspects of caring for a loved one with bipolar disorder, shedding light on the impact it has on families and caregivers. Along with this, her narrative provides insight into how cultural differences within Black communities have on caregiving and perception of a child with a mental disorder.
Poussaint, Alvin F. Lay my burden down: unraveling suicide and the mental health crisis among African-Americans. Boston: Beacon Press, 2000.
Lay My Burden Down: Unraveling Suicide and the Mental Health Crisis Among
African-Americans by Alvin F. Poussaint is an exploration of the complex issue of suicide and mental health challenges within the African American community. The book sheds light on personal stories and experiences, providing valuable insights into the emotional struggles faced by African Americans. Poussaint offers strategies and solutions for addressing these issues, emphasizing the importance of culturally sensitive mental health support and community engagement. In essence, the book serves as a vital resource for understanding and addressing the mental health crisis among African Americans.
Secondary:
Dressler, William W. Stress and Adaptation in the Context of Culture. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1991.
In his study, anthropologist William Dressler uses socio-anthropological methods to calculate exact risk factors for depression with the Black American commuity. To do this, he uses a Black community in the American rural south as a case study. With his study, he points out how social and historical context is a number one fator in understanding how mental health affects Black Americans in today’s society.
Evans, Stephanie Y. Black women’s mental health: balancing strength and vulnerability. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2017.
The book examines the unique challenges faced by Black women, including the societal pressures to embody strength while simultaneously grappling with vulnerabilities. Evans highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing the mental health needs of Black women, as well as the role of resilience and community support in their well-being. Overall, Black Women’s Mental Health offers a nuanced and insightful perspective on the complex dynamics of mental health within the Black female community and provides valuable insights about their intersection with mental health and societal pressures.
Gary, Lawrence E. Mental health: a challenge to the Black community. Philadelphia: Dorrance, 1978.
Lawrence E. Gary’s book, Mental Health: A Challenge to the Black Community, addresses the critical issue of mental health within the Black community. This work explores the unique challenges and barriers that Black individuals face when it comes to mental health, including cultural stigmas, systemic inequalities, and historical trauma. With specific arguments for generational trauma, Lawrences book offers true data and analysis to support his discussion.
Hooks, Bell. Sisters of the yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery. Boston: South End Press, 1993.
In this book, Hooks delves into various aspects of the lives of Black women, including their struggles, resilience, and the unique challenges they face due to intersecting factors of race, gender, and class. She addresses issues such as self-esteem, body image, and the impact of racism and sexism on mental and emotional well-being.
Jackson, Harold W. Mental Health in Black America. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1996.
Harold Jackson’s work Mental Health in Black America, like many other books in this lineup, focuses on how Black Americans’ quality of life correlates to mental and behavioral health. Jackson provides a new persepctive by studying the ways in which Black Americans cope with the adversity of livin in the United States as a minority group.
Jones, Reginald L. African American Mental Health. Hampton, VA: Cobb and Henry Publishers, 1998.
Reginald L. Jones provides insights into the disparities in access to mental health care and the impact of systemic racism on mental well-being. He also explores culturally sensitive approaches to mental health treatment and interventions, aiming to improve mental health outcomes for African Americans. The book addresses the unique challenges and experiences faced by African Americans in the context of mental health, including cultural factors, historical influences, and contemporary issues.
Mendes, Gabriel N. Under the Strain of Color: Harlem’s Lafargue Clinic and the promise of an
antiracist psychiatry. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2015.
This book examines the history of the Lafargue Clinic, a mental health clinic that operated in Harlem, New York, from 1946 to 1958. The clinic was unique in its approach, as it sought to provide mental health services with a focus on addressing the specific needs and experiences of Black patients. Mendes explores the history of the clinic and its founders who were committed to addressing racial disparities in mental health care. The book delves into the challenges they faced and the ways in which they sought to provide culturally competent and antiracist mental health care to the African American community during a time of segregation and discrimination in the United States.
Metzl, Jonathan. The protest psychosis: how schizophrenia became a Black disease. Boston: Beacon Press, 2009.
Metzl delves into specific case studies and historical events to illustrate how mental health diagnoses were weaponized to stigmatize and marginalize Black activists. He also discusses the broader implications of this phenomenon for racial disparities in mental healthcare. In essence, the book reveals how social and political forces have shaped the perception and diagnosis of mental illness, particularly within the context of racial discrimination, shedding light on the historical injustices faced by African Americans in the mental health system.
Turner, Erlanger A. Mental Health Among African Americans: Innovations in research and practice.
Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2019.
Mental Health Among African Americans: Innovations in Research and Practice by Erlanger Turner is a comprehensive work that delves into the various aspects of mental health within the African American community. It highlights innovative research and practical approaches aimed at understanding and addressing mental health disparities among African Americans. Overall, it serves as a valuable resource for understanding historical context and cultural factors that
contribute to mental health disparities within the community.
Umeh, Uchenna. “Mental Illness in Black Community, 1700-1901: A Short History” Black Past. March 11, 2019. JSTOR
This article describes a detailed history about the mental health issues within the Black Community. Daitng back to the 18th century, Umeh gives a detailed analysis about how Black patients were treated by mental health professionals once mental health care began to emerge in the United States. She keys in on how slavery, systemic oppression, and eugenics were the cause for the lack of and mistreatment of Black Americans within the mental health community. Her work goes on to explain how the malpractice of mental health professionals from the 18th-20th century developed into cultural stigma and distrust, thus highlighting the reasoning behind the mental health crisis within the Black community.
Proposal
Blackwell’s Island, now known as Roosevelt Island, is a small island in New York’s East River. It is about 2 miles long and is situated between Manhattan Island and Long Island. Blackwell’s Island, after being purchased by the city of New York in 1828, housed some of the city’s most notorious and destitute citizens. The island was home to several facilities, including an insane asylum. Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum was made famous partly due to one brave reporter, Nellie Bly, who faked a mental illness in order to be admitted to the asylum for ten days. After these ten days Bly came out with publications in the newspaper the World telling of her experiences inside the asylum. This tell all by Bly alerted the public to the atrocities that patients were facing. Her publications received so much attention that she compiled them into a book, at the beginning of which she states that her accounts had a positive effect on those being treated in the asylum.
This project proposes an investigation into how Bly changed the running of Blackwell’s Island Asylum as well as the running of American asylums in general. This will be accomplished by examining several sources on Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum, as well as some examinations into Nellie Bly. A major primary source that will be utilized in this project is Bly’s book, Ten Days in a Madhouse. Furthermore, the project will investigate sources such as William Logie Russell’s work, The New York Hospital: A History of Psychiatric Service, 1771-1936, which gives a detailed account of the history of the psychiatric services offered at the New York Hospital. This source, as well as others will assist in contextualizing how asylums changed throughout the years. The purpose and goal of the project is to find major changes and improvements in the running of asylums soon after the time Nellie Bly published her works.
Annotated Bibliography
“Before Rikers, Blackwell’s Was DOC’s Island Home.” Blackwell’s Island Part 1. Accessed September 10, 2023. https://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/nycdoc/html/blakwel1.html.
This source discusses the history of Blackwell’s Island and the institutions on it. It talks about when they were first founded and how all of these buildings were actually created through labor of those convicted in the prison on the island. This source will aid the project by giving insight and information into the history of Blackwell’s Island as well as the history of the other facilities on the island.
Bernstein, Anne E., and Shryn A. Lenhart. The Psychodynamic Treatment of Women.
Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Press, 2005.
This work by Anne E. Bernstein (M.D.) and Shryn A. Lenhart (M.D.) is about the
psychodynamic treatment of women. This means there will be discussions on major psychiatric issues for women and the unconscious processes they pick up. This type of treatment begins withSigmund Freud and has continued to be built upon, mostly by women in the psychiatric field. This work will aid the project by showing more modern treatment types for women with mental health problems. This work will help in comparing how mental health treatment of women has changed since Nellie Bly wrote about her experiences in the nineteenth century.
“Blackwell’s Island Asylum.” Asylum Project. Last modified August 29, 2020.
http://www.asylumprojects.org/index.php/Blackwell%27s_Island_Asylum.
This website gives an overview of the history of Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum. It discusses the asylum’s and the island’s background and goes into the history of the asylum. Furthermore, the website also talks about Nellie Bly and the part she took in this asylum’s history. This website will assist the project by giving information on the history of Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum.
“Blackwell’s Island (Roosevelt Island), New York City.” National Parks Page. Last modified
April 5, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/places/blackwell-s-island-new-york-city.htm.
The National Parks Service put together information on Blackwell’s Island, also known as Roosevelt Island. This website gives an overview of the history of the island as well as a history of the facilities the island used to house. This source will be helpful to the project because it gives insight into the history of Blackwell’s Island.
Bly, Nellie. Ten Days in a Mad-House; or, Nellie Bly’s Experience on Blackwell’s Island.
Feigning Insanity in Order to Reveal Asylum Horrors. The Trying Ordeal of the New York World’s Girl Correspondent. Project Gutenberg, n.d.
This book compiles all of Nellie Bly’s accounts of her time inside of Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum. These entries were originally published one by one in the newspaper, the World in 1887. These accounts highlight the cruel treatment the women admitted into the insane asylum faced. Bly’s purpose was to expose what really happened inside this asylum to the public. This book of Bly’s experiences will assist the project by providing a firsthand account of what Bly experienced and how Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum operated.
Boardman, Samantha, and George J. Makari. “The Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island and the New York Press.” American Journal of Psychiatry (April 2007), accessed September 10, 2023. https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/ajp.2007.164.4.581.
This article by the American Journal of Psychiatry discusses the history of Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum. It discusses how it was originally designed to be a “state-of-the-art institution based on the theories of moral treatment” but how that original design was never completed due to financial setbacks. The article goes on to mention how patients were mistreated and continues to discuss Nellie Bly’s impact after she went undercover in the asylum. This article will assist the project because it discusses the impact Nellie Bly as well as other forms of media had on the asylum.
Dolan, Michael. “Roosevelt Island” American History. Vol. 54. World History Group, LLC,
2019.
This small infographic by Michael Dolan gives a brief overview of information on Roosevelt Island. Dolan recounts some of the information that Stacy Horn gives in her book Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad & Criminal in 19th-Century New York. Dolan recounts how Nellie Bly and other reporters put the institutes on Blackwell’s Island through the mud and ruined their reputations. This source will assist the project by giving further insight into the effects reporters, such as Bly, had on Blackwell’s Island.
Dwyer, Ellen. Homes for the Mad : Life Inside Two Nineteenth-Century Asylums. New
Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 1987.
In this monograph, author Ellen Dwyer aims to examine two different nineteenth century asylums. However, Dwyer argues that most studies into asylums dissolves into arguments and debates on the “social control functions” of asylums at the time. Dwyer wishes to have her examination take a closer look at the internal and external histories of asylums during the nineteenth century. She aims to have a more positive, and less negatively influenced study into these asylums. This source will aid the project by providing information on how asylums in the nineteenth century worked from sources that are not just from one person’s experience in hopes of getting a wider understanding of the asylums.
Earle, Harriet E. H. “‘A Convenient Place for Inconvenient People’: Madness, Sex and the
Asylum in American Horror Story.” Journal of Popular Culture 50, no. 2 (2017): 259–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpcu.12508.
This article by Harriet E. H. Earle discusses the historical accuracy of the TV show American Horror Story: Asylum. In this article, Earle goes over the history of the asylum, as well as talks about the image of asylums and how they are remembered. She further scrutinizes womens’ roles and how they are treated, or viewed in popular media adaptations of asylums. This source will assist the project because it studies how asylums are remembered today and gives some insight into the history of asylums as well.
Grob, Gerald N. Mental Illness and American Society, 1875-1940. NJ: Princeton University Press, 1983.
In this work, Gerald Grob aims to analyze the experiences that the American society went through when they were trying to effectively deal with mental illness through both a social and medical lens. Doing this Grob describes the complex relationships that existed between patients, psychiatrists, institutions, and government between the years of 1875-1940. This study will aid the project by giving insight into how mental institutions and the relationship with the public changed in the time period.
Kroeger, Brooke. Nellie Bly : Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist. 1st ed. New York: Times Books, 1994.
In this monograph, Brooke Kroeger writes a biography of Nellie Bly’s life. Kroeger mentions how there remains very little sources on Nellie Bly, which is odd considering the major impact she had on the field of journalism and the waves she made for feminists. Kroeger goes on to argue that the reason she wrote this biography was to showcase the wonder that is Nellie Bly. In this book, Kroeger includes a whole section on Bly’s time with the New York World, the paper she wrote for when she faked a mental illness to get into Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum. This source will thus assist the project by giving information on Bly’s life, both before, during, and after her time in the asylum. It will assist in pointing out the profound effects Bly had.
Lutes, Jean Marie. “Into the Madhouse with Nellie Bly: Girl Stunt Reporting in Late
Nineteenth-Century America.” American Quarterly 54, no. 2 (2002): 217–53.
In this essay, Jean Marie Lutes analyzes Nellie Bly’s accounts in Ten Days in a Mad-House. Lutes aims to examine Bly’s impact on the history of journalism, women writing, as well as womens’ access to the public sphere. Though this source has a focus on Bly’s impact on journalism and womens’ rights, it will also assist the project by examining her impact on the asylum.
McGrath, Patrick. “Bedlam on the East River: Roosevelt Island Was Once Home to
Squalid Prisons and Asylums.” New York Times (1923-). New York, N.Y: New York Times Company, 2018.
This New York Times article is a review of Stacy Horn’s book Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad & Criminal in 19th-Century New York. In this review McGrath discusses Thomas Kirkbride’s impact on mental institutions and highlights Horn’s argument that “crowding . . . disparate populations together” did immense evil. This source will be beneficial to the project because it gives an easily accessible overview of Horn’s arguments.
Noble, Iris. Nellie Bly: First Woman Reporter (1867-1922). New York: Julian Messner Inc., 1956.
This monograph is a biography on the life of Nellie Bly. Author Iris Noble argues that Bly was the most famous women reporter of her day, and that she was the first women reporter. The source gives an overview of Bly’s life from when she decided she wanted to be a reporter in her teens, to her death. The source will assist the project by giving background information on Bly’s life as well as her major accomplishments.
Paranick, Amber. “‘’Behind Asylum Bars:’ Nellie Bly Reporting from Blackwell’s Island.”
Library of Congress (blog). November 8, 2022. Accessed September 10, 2023. https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2022/11/nellie-bly-blackwells-island/.
This blog post by Amber Paranick on the Library of Congress website discusses Nellie Bly’s book Ten Days in a Mad-House. In this post Paranick argues that Bly was the “original muckraker” and that she gave a voice and platform to women reporters starting with her work in the Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum. This source will aid the project by giving insight on Bly’s time in the asylum and the profound effects she had.
Richmond, Julius B. “THE HULL HOUSE ERA: Vintage Years for Children.” American
Journal of Orthopsychiatry 65, no. 1 (1995): 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0085065.
In this article, Julius B. Richmond goes over the history of the Hull House and their commitment to the care of children. Richmond further examines how the increase of social and developmental problems for children and families affected the increased concern for those less fortunate and grew the interest in social work and developmental sciences. This source will aid the project by providing insight into how people in the late nineteenth century approached philosophy work and compare these findings to society’s response to Nellie Bly’s accounts of the asylum on Blackwell’s Island.
Roche, Rick. “Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad & Criminal in 19th-Century New York.”
Booklist. Chicago: American Library Association, 2018.
This short review by Rick Roche gives an overview of what Blackwell’s Island is and the idea the city of New York had when they first purchased the island. Roche goes on to continue stating that though the plans for the island seemed good, the “penny pinching commissioners and corrupt bureaucrats” ran these plans to the ground and caused suffering, crowding, and mistreatment of patients. This source will assist the project by giving information on the history of the institutions on Blackwell’s island and how they went downhill.
Russell, William Logie. The New York Hospital: A History of Psychiatric Service, 1771-1936. New York: Columbia University Press, 1945.
This work includes the history of the New York Hospital. It includes accounts of the first New York hospital and its psychiatry department and retells the development of the hospital and psychiatric treatment from 1771-1939. This work will be helpful to the project because it will inform on how the treatment and approach to psychiatric care changed over the time period, a time period which includes Nellie Bly’s articles and the after effects of it.
Spinelli, Michelle Alison. “‘Sound the Alarm’: Patient Experience, Print Culture, and the
American Asylum in the Nineteenth Century.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2020.
Michelle Alison Spinelli, in this dissertation, examines how patient experiences in nineteenth century American asylums were portrayed in popular media at the time. She pairs this examination with context of the time and how the culture at the time allowed for asylum reforms. This dissertation will be helpful to the project because it discusses such topics such as asylum reform as well as how asylums were portrayed in media such as Bly’s accounts.
Warren, Carol A. B. Madwives : Schizophrenic Women in the 1950s. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1987.
This monograph by Carol Warren is about the life of women in the 1950’s and dealing with marriage and mental hospitalization at the time. Warren claims the work to be a “study of gender” since she interviewed and studied seven women, their husbands, children, and social circles. The women were put into the same mental institution for the same diagnosis. This work will be beneficial to the project because it will show and discuss how the treatment of women has changed from when Nellie Bly experienced and wrote about the treatments in the late nineteenth century in Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum.
PROPOSAL
The proposed topic for this research topic is the impact of diet culture and media on eating disorders in young women in the late 20th to early 21st century. This project attempts to explore how the emergence of diet culture and an increased media presence impacted young women with eating disorders. Diet culture that is portrayed in the media can be especially harmful to young women, as it often presents women in the media in an ideal shape or size. A standard is then set, which is usually quite unrealistic for women to achieve. For some women who are already predisposed to an eating disorder, whether it be anorexia, bulimia, or another common mental illness, diet culture can have a much larger impact. While diet culture and its presence in mainstream media has the capacity to impact all people, this project will be focused on women who have diagnosed eating disorders. This project will mostly involve using personal narratives from those who have suffered from eating disorders, including “The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America” and “Anorexia Nervosa and Recovery: A Hunger for Meaning.” The use of personal stories of journeys through an eating disorder provides a more in-depth look at the root causes of eating disorders. Specifically for women, there is further societal pressure to have a certain appearance. Therefore utilizing sources which are specific in tracing the causes for young women and their struggles with eating disorders, it will assist the paper in supplying more central evidence for the argument of the paper. Through the use of these kinds of sources and other important one’s in the field, this research project will attempt to explain the historical rise of diet culture and media and its connection to young women with eating disorders.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Biederman , Alyssa. My Rory: A Personal Journey Through Teenage Anorexia. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2005.
This book is written from the perspective of a teenage girl suffering from anorexia. It takes the reader through the mind of a young girl who is struggling through disease and attempting to recover from it. This is a unique read in that it allows the reader to try to grasp what the mindset of a young person working through a major eating disorder looks like. It is a brief look into the mind of anorexia and illustrates the struggle to get out of the hole of anorexia.
Binstock, Melissa. Nourishment: Feeding My Starving Soul When My Mind and Body Betrayed Me. Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 2001.
Melissa Binstock provides the reader with a full overview of living with mental illness from a young age. Binstock suffers from a multitude of different mental ailments, including anorexia nervosa has been diagnosed with such since the age of eleven. The suffering of a young girl into womanhood provides a story of growth and recovery. The importance of this kind of personal story is found in that teenage years are often when humans are most susceptible to influence of peers and media. Since Binstock was predisposed to mental illness, the combination of entering her teenage years in a more vulnerable state gives an honest glance at the reality of a young woman’s life impacted by mental illness.
Burns, Maree, and Helen Malson. Critical Feminist Approaches to Eating Disorders. New York: Routledge, 2009. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203876442.
This book focuses on the specific details of eating disorders as it pertains to women. This kind of secondary perspective is important in the academic field of eating disorders as it provides a further insight on the causes and treatment of eating disorders. With the specific feminist critique of approaches to eating disorders, the authors highlight the connection between broader cultural norms for women and the realities of mental illness. The book is more specific in its exploration of the feminist movement and how the treatment of eating disorders fit into the modern feminist movement.
Chaerani, Astrid Restu, and Junaidi Junaidi. “DOES DIET START TOMORROW? A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF SELF-DEPRECATING HUMOR AGAINST DIET CULTURE IN DIET STARTS TOMORROW.” Celtic (Online) 6, no. 2 (2019): 51–62.
This journal article is a brief analysis of an Instagram page which is targeted at making light of diet culture. The article goes through certain posts and themes of the Instagram page and analyses the pros and cons of the humor approach to diet culture. It also points out the significance of an Instagram page directed at the negative aspects of diet culture. As it exemplifies a shifting tide of diet culture and its slow removal from mainstream thinking in the US. This article serves as an important tool in looking at the slow shift away from diet culture and the ways in which people are attempting to do so.
Doney, Faith M, Jonathan Lee, Ani Sarkisyan, Emilio J Compte, Jason M Nagata, Eric R Pedersen, and Stuart B Murray. “Eating Disorder Risk Among College Sorority and Fraternity Members Within the United States.” Eating Disorders 31, no. 5 (2023): 440–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2023.2188005.
This journal article provides a different look at the culture of eating disorders in the US, by looking specifically at Sororities and Fraternities. In looking at these organizations who have a history of toxic culture within them, it gives a different side of diet culture that isn’t usually included. The article goes through the different ways in which eating disorder culture is present and swept under the rug in these collegiate communities. With such a large concentration of young people, the focus is more specific to the 18-22 age range. The specificity of the article allows the reader to gain a greater understanding of eating disorders in the collegiate environment as well as young people’s experience with them.
Halban, Emily. Perfect: Anorexia and Me. London: Vermilion, 2008.
Halban’s personal narrative about her journey of anorexia gives the reader an in-depth look at the effects and struggle to recover from anorexia as a young woman. Her struggle with anorexia starts towards the end of high school and the book details the causes of her eating disorder to her eventual first step towards recovery during her senior year of college. Perfect captures the internal thoughts and the external effects of suffering from anorexia, it allows those without the experience of an eating disorder to gain a greater understanding and further empathy for those that do.
Hansen, Kathryn. Why I Was Bulimic, Why Conventional Therapy Didn’t Work, and I Recovered For Good. Phoenix: Camellia Publishing, 2011.
Kathryn Hansen’s memoir detailing her journey with bulimia provides the reader with a greater understanding of the complexities of mental illness. The uniqueness of Hansen’s situation adds an aspect to the book that captures the vast spectrum of mental illness, but eating disorders specifically. Because the traditional modes of therapy weren’t effective for Hansen, her road to recovery is detailed differently than many other personal narratives written about eating disorders. Hansen’s description of events gives readers a glance into the experience of bulimia and the struggle it takes to recover from it.
Hornbacher, Marya. Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia. New York: Harper Collins, 1999.
This memoir of details the experience of being diagnosed with two major eating disorders, which is a combination that most who struggle with eating disorders don’t find themselves dealing with. Hornbacher’s experience with these two illnesses from a young age illustrate the struggle of growing up and figuring out how an eating disorder fits in with age. Her eventual recovery from anorexia and bulimia allow the reader to further understand the struggles of each and the long process of realizing help is necessary.
Howard-Taylor, Lucy. Biting Anorexia: A Firsthand Account of an Internal War. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2009.
This book is a personal narrative which focuses on the internal conflict of battling an eating disorder. By nature a mental illness is a war within yourself, but Howard-Taylor takes the explanation of this a step further by providing context and background of this experience. She takes the readers along with the thought process of someone battling an eating disorder and complex process to reaching recovery. This memoir, with much of the writing is taken from her diary’s, Howard-Taylor demonstrates the long road to recovery and the benefits of seeking treatment.
Kingsley, Jo and Alice. Alice in the Looking Glass: A Mother and Daughter’s Experience of Anorexia. London: Piatkus Books, 2005.
A unique narrative of eating disorders, this book is a collaborative piece between a daughter who struggled with an eating disorder and the experience of her mother watching her struggle with the mental illness. This detailed book outlines the struggle of someone suffering from Anorexia and the simultaneous hurt that comes from being in close relationship with a person who is self-sabotaging in a major way. The back and forth between the mother and daughter illustrates an experience not uncommon among many young women and their mothers. This memoir gives insight into those outside the eating disorder and the internal struggle of someone with anorexia.
Knopp, Lisa. Bread: a Memoir of Hunger. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2016.
This book is focused on the life of an older woman affected by anorexia. Her narrative explains her journey with an eating disorder, which begins at fifty-four again, having already suffered from disordered eating in her 20s. Her memoir focuses on her push to find the cause for her anorexia and she looks closely at the links that can be made between eating disorders, women, and age. This writing by Knopp provides a glance into how mental illnesses are never quite cured, but are often a lifelong struggle for those diagnosed. Both with her personal experience with eating disorders and the look into the general causes, it gives the reader a full encapsulation of someone that is dealing with the never-ending struggle of an eating disorder.
McKay, George. “Skinny Blues: Karen Carpenter, Anorexia Nervosa and Popular Music.” Popular Music 37, no. 1 (2018): 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026114301700054X.
This journal article is a focused look at culture and the intersection with eating disorders. For many artists, their craft is a way to express themselves and what they are going through. In this writing, McKay explores the link between Carpenter’s struggle with anorexia and her music. In addition to the specifics of Carpenter’s music, the article looks at the overall trend of popular music and the underlying theme of eating disorders that can often make their way into songs. This article is a different perspective of eating disorders than many articles, as it is much more specific in its look at the cause and presence of eating disorders in popular music.
Pettit, Christie. Empty: A Story of Anorexia. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 2006.
This memoir by Christie Pettit is taken from her personal diary’s with supplemental material added by her. It is a narrative about Pettit’s journey of recovering from disordered eating and her use of religion as a means to cope and recover from it. It is written as more of a self-help book, for those also struggling with anorexia to use as a guide to recover. Her strong faith is credited to her eventual recovery from her eating disorder, which differs from the traditional recovery plans. She points to the broader community of women as understanding her struggle with eating and looks to encourage others to break through the cultural pressures to look a certain way.
Rivera, Erica. Insatiable: A Young Mother’s Struggle with Anorexia. New York: Berkley, 2010.
Erica Rivera’s story is a powerful narrative about the power of eating disorders and the pressure that is placed upon keeping mental illness under wraps. Her memoir details her secret struggles with eating, all while seemingly checking off the boxes of the suburban American dream. She doesn’t seek recovery until her daughters start to emulate her same destructive behavior. The book paints the picture of eating disorder culture and the struggle to break the cycle of negative body view and disordered eating within broader culture but also within families.
Rozgonjuk, Dmitri, Johanna Ignell, Franziska Mech, Eva Rothermund, Harald Gündel, and Christian Montag. “Smartphone and Instagram Use, Body Dissatisfaction, and Eating Disorders: Investigating the Associations Using Self-Report and Tracked Data.” Journal of Eating Disorders 11, no. 1 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00865-1.
This journal article is specific in looking at social media and the impact that it has on those with eating disorders. The use of social media is often generalized as having an impact on the way that people view themselves, often having a negative impact on body image. The specific look at Instagram allows for a more targeted view of social media impact. In addition, since social media is still a fairly new development, the recent publishing of the article allow for a more realistic look at the effect.
Sacker, Ira M., and Marc A. Zimmer. Dying to Be Thin. New York, NY: Warner Books, 1987.
Sacker and Zimmer’s Dying to Be Thin is a more dated publishing of anorexia and bulimia and the respective treatments for each mental illness. It is written as a guide to recovering individuals, focusing on the hope and fulfillment that recovery from eating disorders bring. In addition to serving those struggling with disordered eating, it also explores the difficulty of being a friend or family member of someone with an eating disorder. The inclusion of both of these aspects make this book applicable still today and allow its use as an important tool for all.
Sole-Smith, Virginia. The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2018.
This book by Virginia Sole-Smith is an in-depth look at the effects of diet culture and the desire to be thin in America. The book explores the deep root that unhealthy food culture has in our media and our societal norms. In looking at the impact of the media, government, and large companies, she visits households around the US finding the explanations for the toxic culture surrounding food that has come to grip America. The nuances of this book are bountiful in addressing more than just the media as a cause for the disordered eating and unhealthy food culture present in many peoples lives.
Swenson, Rae. Linger No Longer: A Memoir of Anorexia. Charleston, SC: Booksurge Publishing, 2009.
The recount of a young woman’s struggle with anorexia serves as a look into the complexities of the illness. With many of the book’s pages being taken from Swenson’s journal, it is an honest tale of anorexia and the many causes for the struggle. The eventual recovery of Swenson is credited to the urge to find the most authentic version of herself in order to break free from the struggle. It serves as a look into the most vulnerable parts of anorexia and also a comfort to those who also know the suffering of self-destruction.
Way, Karen. Anorexia Nervosa and Recovery : a Hunger for Meaning. New York: Routledge, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315820668.
This book by Karen Way is focused on presenting the whole picture of anorexia and the causes of it. Taken from her own struggles with the illness, it centers on the need for control as the desire that steers anorexia. In recovering from the illness, she speaks about the hardship of letting go of control and finding the most authentic version of herself. In presenting a complete picture of the many causes and effects of anorexia, she goes into more depth about more than just the base layer of anorexia and gives those outside of it a look inside.
Zipfel, Stephan, Andreas Stengel, Stephan Zipfel, Andreas Stengel, and Katrin Giel. Anorexia Nervosa. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2021.
This book is an overview of anorexia and the many causes and effects of the mental illness. It is based on scientific insight and research and provides the reader with a basic understanding anorexia nervosa. The recent publishing of the book ensures the up-to-date information and new findings about anorexia. Anorexia Nervosa gives a broad look at the causes of anorexia and the intricacies of the mental illness.
