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Borderline personality disorder review of the literature
Borderline personality disorder review of the literature
Borderline personality disorder case study
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Susanna Kaysen’s memoir, Girl, Interrupted (1996), documents the author’s almost two year stay in McLean Hospital, in which she was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Throughout this book, Kaysen offers a look into her experiences in the psychiatric ward through retellings of events in non-chronological order. Kaysen’s book begins when she is eighteen years old, and institutionalized, and continues on to her life after the institution. She recounts how she got to the hospital, her experiences in the hospital, as well as descriptions of the different people she encounters. Though the events and people that Kaysen describes are often presented out of context, Kaysen builds a memoir that communicates One of the strongest parts of …show more content…
Kaysen describes that her Borderline Personality disorder was something that she was very aware of. She emphasizes that during her “madness” she was aware of all the different misrepresentations of reality she held (41). This awareness is so interesting because people hold assumptions that people who have a mental illness are not aware of their disorder, they are instead seem as blissfully or not blissfully locked in their own world. The fact that Kaysen explains that she never really believed the perceptions and things she saw and yet she could not stop having them is so powerful to read. Kaysen’s Borderline Personality Disorder leads to a feeling of alienation and isolation and though she is aware of her illness and the effects it brings she cannot consciously stop the things she sees or …show more content…
Kaysen believes that attached to personality disorders, is a stigma that it is the mentally ill persons fault. Kaysen addresses how if her disorder had been more biological she would be blameless (151). She compares Borderline Personality Disorder with bipolar disorder, stating that if she had bipolar disorder the reader’s reactions to her would be different. Because bipolar disorder is attached to a chemical imbalance, people look at it as a true illness, and tend not to blame the person with the disorder. She even goes on to compare her disorder to schizophrenia, stating that if she had schizophrenia people would see it as a true madness and be suffused with chills at the thought of the disorder. The idea that some mental illnesses are taken more seriously than others is very clearly addressed through Kaysen’s
Susanna’s actions prove that she is continually working towards recovering. Jim Watson visits Susanna, asking her to run away with him, however, Susanna denies his proposal and stays at the institution: “For ten seconds I imagined this other life...the whole thing...was hazy. The vinyl chairs, the security screens, the buzzing of the nursing-station door: Those things were clear. ‘I’m here now, Jim,’ I said. ‘I think I’ve got to stay here’” (Kaysen 27). Susanna wants to stay at McLean until she is ready to leave; her choice supports what Buddha said, “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting” (Buddha). Susanna finds reassurance from McClean as she undergoes her journey. Susanna sees the young nurses at the ward who remind her of the life she could be living: “They shared apartments and had boyfriends and talked about clothes. We wanted to protect them so that they could go on living these lives. They were our proxies” (Kaysen 91). Susanna chooses to take these reminders as a positive motivating force along her journey. However, Susanna is also surrounded by patients who have different, more severe psychoses. These girls do not hinder Susanna’s progression, but instead emphasize her
This frustration acted as a vehicle for her to gain a desire to be more
The main character of this book is Susan Caraway, but everyone knows her as Stargirl. Stargirl is about 16 years old. She is in 10th grade. Her hair is the color of sand and falls to her shoulders. A “sprinkle” of freckles crosses her nose. Mostly, she looked like a hundred other girls in school, except for two things. She didn’t wear makeup and her eyes were bigger than anyone else’s in the school. Also, she wore outrageous clothes. Normal for her was a long floor-brushing pioneer dress or skirt. Stargirl is definitely different. She’s a fun loving, free-spirited girl who no one had ever met before. She was the friendliest person in school. She loves all people, even people who don’t play for her school’s team. She doesn’t care what others think about her clothes or how she acts. The lesson that Stargirl learned was that you can’t change who you are. If you change for someone else, you will only make yourself miserable. She also learned that the people who really care about you will like you for who you are. The people who truly love you won’t ask you to change who you are.
In the Next Room, or the vibrator play written by Sarah Ruhl premiered at the Berkley Repertory Theatre in February 2009, and later premiered on Broadway at Lincoln Center in November of 2009. Taking place at the dawn of the age of electricity around 1880 in a wealthy spa town on the skirts of New York City, this play follows the events taking place in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Givings. Mr. Givings is a scientist and a doctor, treating women for hysteria out of his home by using a clinical vibrating machine to induce paroxysms, or what we know today as orgasms. These induced paroxysms are strictly scientific, and are believed to release any congestion in the female womb, which is understood to be the cause of these hysterical symptoms. His wife, Mrs. Givings, quickly becomes curious about her husbands work, which remains under lock and key, in the next room. As Catherine follows her innocent instincts and her undying thirst for knowledge and human connection, she realizes her desire to find true intimacy with her husband. The result of her investigative work to find this intimacy is her first experience with the vibrating machine. It causes her whole world to shift upside down. Sarah Ruhl exposes the play’s thematic issues through this shift in Catherine’s world, and the experiences of her other characters. Through repeating her theme of lightness and darkness, in various manners and forms, visually and textually, Ruhl paints a metaphor for the prevailing struggle of moving forward, embracing social practices and new technology, and preserving current practices. Through this identified struggle, questions arise about the importance of the child in the home and the child’s influence on the structure of marriage, the sep...
Little Girl Lost is an autobiography written by actress Drew Barrymore. When this book was written Drew was around the age fourteen. Drew Barrymore is the grand-daughter of actor John Barrymore. Most people know Drew from the hit movie E.T where she captured the hearts of thousands of people. Sadly, during this time, all of the fame got to her, she began partying which led to drinking. Drinking led to doing drugs like marijuana, and eventually cocaine; she was only twelve years old (Barrymore 1). Drew’s parents separated when she was young, her father left and she stayed with her mother. Drew and her mother were not very close, her mother was always working trying to provide for them, and so she was stuck either with a nanny or by herself. When Drew Barrymore began to spiral down into drugs and alcohol her mother did not even notice. Her mother finally realized what was happening when the tabloids reported stories and pictures of her partying and getting out of control. Her mother decided it would be best for Drew if she went to rehab. The first time Drew Barrymore went to rehab she ended up relapsing fairly quickly and her drug addiction became worse. This happened a few times. By the end of the biography Drew had just gotten out of rehab and was doing well. She states, “I think about that every day. All addicts do. You are never without the fear of returning to your old ways and losing everything that you’ve gained. When you’re sober, you don’t forget what it was like to use. It’s hard, really hard, and you take it day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. That’s the way it’s going to be for as long as I’m alive. But at least I’m alive” (Barrymore 260).
The Day the Voices Stopped is a “Memoir of Madness and Hope,” written by Ken Steele (Steele & Berman, 2001, p. 1). As a reader, my experience of this book was like a rollercoaster and I found myself very emotionally invested. When terrible things happened to Ken, I truly felt sick to my stomach while reading them; but when good things happened, I also felt like there was still hope left. Ken Steele’s memoir described how stigma is extremely prevalent in mental illness and individuals are forced to overcome massive obstacles in their lives.
Susanna Kaysen’s “Girl, Interrupted” is a memoir of an impacting component of her life. Her story follows a part of her life as she enters into a psychiatric hospital in order to better herself during the 1960s because of a drug overdose. Even though Kaysen plans on staying just a few short weeks, she ends up staying there for nearly two years. While remaining in the psychiatric hospital, readers are introduced to some of her experiences that she has dealt with and tells the stories of others who are residing there as well.
What is a hero? In Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he proposes a theory about someone who goes through a series of events typically experienced by a mythic hero. These events are known as the Hero’s Journey. Cheryl Strayed’s journey on the PCT can be closely related to that of the Hero’s Journey. As strayed sets out on the PCT, she unknowingly is following these steps and is on her way to a new life. It’s no doubt that the tragedies and misfortunes Strayed has endured influenced her decision to go on her journey. Beginning in her teenage years, she has faced many family and relationship issues. She has gone through her parent’s divorce, living without electricity or running water, separation from her siblings, and divorce.
We have all heard the African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The response given by Emma Donoghue’s novel Room, simply states, “If you’ve got a village. But if you don’t, then maybe it just takes two people” (Donoghue 234). For Jack, Room is where he was born and has been raised for the past five years; it is his home and his world. Jack’s “Ma” on the other hand knows that Room is not a home, in fact, it is a prison. Since Ma’s kidnapping, seven years prior, she has survived in the shed of her capturer’s backyard. This novel contains literary elements that are not only crucial to the story but give significance as well. The Point-of-view brings a powerful perspective for the audience, while the setting and atmosphere not only affect the characters but evokes emotion and gives the reader a mental picture of their lives, and the impacting theme along-side with conflict, both internal and external, are shown throughout the novel.
The song "Your Lost Little Girl" was a metaphorical symbolism for everything Morrison believed in.
Whilst in the library skimming through the books, one in particular caught my eyes, Room by Emma Donoghue. The book’s dark colours and large red lettering with a child in the background gave a feeling of evil, not unlike that of the horror movie Insidious, and suggested the book had a horror or supernatural theme to it. Audrey Niffenegger, famous of course for The Time Traveler’s Wife amongst other popular novels, praised Room, saying that it’s ‘a book to read in one sitting.’ This combined with Room being shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2010 and Sunday Times No.1 Bestseller increased my expectations significantly, and cemented it as my choice for this assessment. I read this book for enjoyment however, I must admit I was eager to finish it, which resulted in irrational irritation with the characters and detrimentally affected my response and interpretation of the book.
Girl, interrupted is an outstanding representation of mental illness. The story follows 18-year-old Susanna Kaysen who is going through troubled times after graduating high school. The beginning showcases a therapy session with a paid professional it was decided that she should move into a mental institution for the present time after her attempt at suicide. Within the mental institution Susanna herself, Lisa and Valerie are three of the characters audiences are drawn to and curious about, on why they do the things that they do.
The book “before i fall” is a book full of changing tones. Sammy (the main character) has an important change in tone. The tone the author sets for Sammy is changing; from the beginning of the story to the end there is a big difference in tone. The tone that is set, helps create a more detailed perspective of the character.
In Steven Pinker’s short informative article, “Crazy Love,” he defines the special effects love has on us as human beings, and the technique people use to look for certain spouses. Pinker claims that ever since the beginning of time love has driven humans to make verdicts they would not generally make. Love induces feelings not only of happiness, but of distress and irritation as well. Pinker begins to clarify how humans find a companion, and what they browse for in the opposite sex. He says that romantic passion, with its ideational fixation, mood swings, and intense need for signs of giving back is different from lust and long-term commitment. He explores two dissimilar approaches in finding a mate: Looking for someone who fits the mold and meets the criteria for a supreme spouse, or someone who evokes the countless feelings associated with being in love.
The Canadian Huffington Post published an article (2014) about common mental health myths, listing numerous perceptions and attitudes towards mental health and individuals struggling with disorders. It disclosed many common ideals individuals have about mental health, highlighting common harmful misconceptions. These common misconceptions range from a dismissal in the severity of mental illnesses, such as depression and suicidal tendencies, to the thought that people impacted by mental disorder are simply ‘crazy.’ However, all of the mental health myths listed severally threaten an individual’s chances of seeking help and understanding their own disorder. The mental health perceptions listed in the article are common and dangerous due to the lack of support they offer to individuals who have problems with their own mental health. The misconceptions can produce a dismissal of mental disorders’ severity and the importance of detection and treatment.