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1.The “My Diagnosis” chapter of Girl Interrupted (150-164) examines Susanna Kaysen’s hospital file that stated she had Borderline Personality. On page 151 she writes: “What does borderline personality mean, anyhow?” The DSM has lots of neat categories for all sorts of mental conditions but I feel that human beings are much more complex than a list of definitive signals that result in being “labeled” with one disorder or another. What about overlapping conditions? How do you feel about Susanna’s lengthy hospitalization? Was it warranted or an overreaction to the emotional struggles of a sensitive and intelligent young woman who felt lost and trapped by her circumstances?
2.Kaysen mulls over the chaos going on in her mind in the chapter called Velocity vs. Viscosity (75-78). I found the last line of this chapter particularly moving. Susanna is wondering what the catalyst to her next depressive episode will be and she says: Endogenous (internal) or exogenous (external), nature or nurture – it’s the great mystery of mental illness. So, in your opinion, what causes some people to succumb to depression and sometimes even give in to the suicidal impulse and others to simply cope with all kinds of suffering and come out unscathed?
Submitted by Bonnie Akkerman I pledge…
1. Quoting her psychiatrist, Susanna Kaysen states that the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is “what they call people whose lifestyles bother them” (151). She goes on to suggest that since homosexuality is no longer in the DSM (formerly considered aberrant behavior, too) that BPD should no longer be in it either (152). I believe she misses the point here. Removing homosexuality from the DSM helps to remove the stigma from homosexuality, which may alleviate the mental stress homosexuals might otherwise have for being labeled deviant. On the other hand, those who have BPD suffer significant distress due to their thinking and behavior. It is possible to correct a person’s cognitive processes and behavior; it is not possible to fix a person’s sexual orientation. Therefore, I think BPD should be kept in the DSM. What do you think?
2. Kaysen admits that she “had boyfriends by the barrelful,” but doesn’t go into much detail into the nature of those relationships (155). One of the key features of BPD is unstable relationships, which are a source of stress for those with BPD (147). Kaysen seems almost proud of the fact that she’s had a lot of boyfriends, rather than be upset about it. Do you think that these numerous relationships were happy, or not?
Submitted by Chris O'Neill
1. I came into this reading with a somewhat sympathetic perspective, considering I was also hospitalized for BPD symptoms. The disease is incredibly complex, mainly because–like other diseases such as Anxiety, Depression, and ADHD–people around you can often claim to 'have experienced what you're feeling.' “Everyone has trust issues.” “Everyone goes through rocky relationships, sometimes.” You hear those near-constantly when you're explaining feelings to close family members. While this is true, most people can sift through their rational and irrational thoughts and cope with their emotions relatively easily. It is often difficult for neurotypical people to understand how tough it can be to learn social skills, boundaries, and emotional regulation when you didn't grow up inherently knowing them. A good analogy would be to compare it to learning a language most people just grew up speaking as kids.
2. A trope I've noticed throughout these mental health/asylum biopics is the complicated relationship the author can have with their fellow patients. Just like it may not be a great idea to put violent individuals together in a prison, perhaps forcing individuals with milder symptoms around those with let's say “chronic diseases” might impede on the sense of normalcy/equilibrium they're trying to achieve. On the flip side, I can attest to having met some of my favorite people in the psych ward. Sometimes, other people “going through it” are the only ones who understand your experiences. Is there a feasible middle-ground here? Does it all come to funding and the organization of internal “wings” of a psych ward?
-Submitted by Theron Gertz I pledge…