Susanna Kaysen wrote the book “Girl, Interrupted” as an autobiography describing her time spent in a mental hospital. The book gives great insight into those suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder, as well as some of the other patients residing at McLean psychiatric hospital. The hospital was notorious for it’s somewhat famous visitors the list including but not limited to: Sylvia Plath, John Forbes Nash, Robert Lowell, and singer James Taylor. Susanna spent her time at Mclean beginning in the spring of 1967 and stays for almost two years. A twenty-minute visit to her doctor will be all it takes to land her into McLean Hospital. While Susanna suspects much of what led her to be at McLean was fear of current youth of the late 1960s as
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Referring back to the incident involving the bones in Kaysen’s hands I believe that event could be described as a dissociative state under stress, in particular perhaps with the separation anxiety Kaysen was feeling in regards to not wanting to leave the hospital. Another criteria that could be argued for Kaysen would be self-direction, which might have led to Kaysen leaving school. However, Kaysen does argue that, she feels most adolescents might describe themselves as suffering from a feeling of loss of direction. I might associate the criteria of impairments of interpersonal functioning specially empathy with Kaysen’s lackadaisical suicide attempt in which she stated required a degree of detachment from everyone to be able to perform I would also associated the criteria of depressivity with that event. I would also say that her relationship with her high school English teacher falls under risk-taking, and her relationship to authority especially before she went to McLain highly identifies with antagonism characteristic. Because these events went on Kaysen’s life for an extended period of time, were not considered normal by anyone around her and did not necessarily make sense in her environment, and were not induced by any sort of drug or head trauma I would agree with Kaysen’s diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, she too agrees with her diagnosis while only …show more content…
Mayo Clinic states, “As with other mental disorders, the causes of borderline personality disorder aren't fully understood. Experts agree, though, that the disorder results from a combination of factors.” (Mayo Clinic) The three factors that seem the most likely to play a role in Borderline Personality Disorder include: genetics, environmental factors, and brain abnormalities. Mayo Clinic states that there have been studies conducted of twins and families that suggest personality disorders are possibly inherited, or at least strongly related with other mental disorders among family members. In terms of environmental factors Mayo Clinic talks about the fact that a lot of people with Borderline Personality Disorder seems to have a history of childhood abuse, neglect and separation from caregiver’s or loved ones. Lastly, Mayo Clinic discusses brain abnormalities and how they might contribute to the disorder; some research suggests changes in certain arrest of the brain involved in emotional regulation, impulsivity, and aggression. Also certain brain chemicals that help regulated mood, such as serotonin, may not function
Referring back to the incident involving the bones in Kaysen’s hands I believe that event could be described as a dissociative state under stress, in particular perhaps with the separation anxiety Kaysen was feeling in regards to not wanting to leave the hospital. Another criteria that could be argued for Kaysen would be self-direction, which might have led to Kaysen leaving school. However, Kaysen does argue that, she feels most adolescents might describe themselves as suffering from a feeling of loss of direction. I might associate the criteria of impairments of interpersonal functioning specially empathy with Kaysen’s lackadaisical suicide attempt in which she stated required a degree of detachment from everyone to be able to perform I would also associated the criteria of depressivity with that event. I would also say that her relationship with her high school English teacher falls under risk-taking, and her relationship to authority especially before she went to McLain highly identifies with antagonism characteristic. Because these events went on Kaysen’s life for an extended period of time, were not considered normal by anyone around her and did not necessarily make sense in her environment, and were not induced by any sort of drug or head trauma I would agree with Kaysen’s diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, she too agrees with her diagnosis while only …show more content…
Mayo Clinic states, “As with other mental disorders, the causes of borderline personality disorder aren't fully understood. Experts agree, though, that the disorder results from a combination of factors.” (Mayo Clinic) The three factors that seem the most likely to play a role in Borderline Personality Disorder include: genetics, environmental factors, and brain abnormalities. Mayo Clinic states that there have been studies conducted of twins and families that suggest personality disorders are possibly inherited, or at least strongly related with other mental disorders among family members. In terms of environmental factors Mayo Clinic talks about the fact that a lot of people with Borderline Personality Disorder seems to have a history of childhood abuse, neglect and separation from caregiver’s or loved ones. Lastly, Mayo Clinic discusses brain abnormalities and how they might contribute to the disorder; some research suggests changes in certain arrest of the brain involved in emotional regulation, impulsivity, and aggression. Also certain brain chemicals that help regulated mood, such as serotonin, may not function