Girl, Interrupted is a memoir written by Susanna Kaysen in 1993. In her memoir, Kaysen recalls her time spent at a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Her story is told through a collection of nonlinear vignettes as she chronicles her two years spent at psychiatric hospitall and her life after her time there. Kaysen recalls that in April of 1967, as an eighteen-year-old, she was admitted to McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts after attempting suicide by overdosing on fifty aspirin pills. Kaysen recounts her suicide attempt by saying:
I wasn’t a danger to society. Was I a danger to myself? The fifty aspirin--but I’ve explained them. They were metaphorical. I wanted to get rid of a certain aspect …show more content…
Overdosing on pills only alleviated her for a short time until these feelings returned. After meeting with a doctor, he decides that she should spend some time in a psychiatric hospital and diagnoses her with borderline personality disorder. While at the hospital, Kaysen details her experiences in McLean and her experiences with the patients there including Lisa Rowe, a diagnosed sociopath, and Polly Clark, hospitalized for schizophrenia and depression. Kaysen is finally released from McLean after an eighteen month stay. Twenty-five years after she is released, Kaysen learns about her diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and discusses her life since her stay at the …show more content…
People who have family members that are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder are five times more likely to develop the same disorder than the general population. Biological factors that may play a role in the symptoms of this disorder include increased emotional liability, such as increased cholinergic energy. Some researchers have proposed that, “parental neglect or loss during childhood, or a deficient attachment between child and parent” play a role in developing this disorder (Lyons & Martin, p. 204). Others studies have shown high levels of physical or sexual abuse among patients with this disorder. There are a number of treatments available for those with borderline personality disorder. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is “a complex and eclectic mix of group and individual sessions dealing with interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, problems solving, acceptance, and goal-setting” (Lyons & Martin, p. 204). This method has been effective in reducing some symptoms of this disorder. First-line pharmacology involving SSRIs and antimanic drugs has also been used as effective
I wasn’t a danger to society. Was I a danger to myself? The fifty aspirin--but I’ve explained them. They were metaphorical. I wanted to get rid of a certain aspect …show more content…
Overdosing on pills only alleviated her for a short time until these feelings returned. After meeting with a doctor, he decides that she should spend some time in a psychiatric hospital and diagnoses her with borderline personality disorder. While at the hospital, Kaysen details her experiences in McLean and her experiences with the patients there including Lisa Rowe, a diagnosed sociopath, and Polly Clark, hospitalized for schizophrenia and depression. Kaysen is finally released from McLean after an eighteen month stay. Twenty-five years after she is released, Kaysen learns about her diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and discusses her life since her stay at the …show more content…
People who have family members that are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder are five times more likely to develop the same disorder than the general population. Biological factors that may play a role in the symptoms of this disorder include increased emotional liability, such as increased cholinergic energy. Some researchers have proposed that, “parental neglect or loss during childhood, or a deficient attachment between child and parent” play a role in developing this disorder (Lyons & Martin, p. 204). Others studies have shown high levels of physical or sexual abuse among patients with this disorder. There are a number of treatments available for those with borderline personality disorder. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is “a complex and eclectic mix of group and individual sessions dealing with interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, problems solving, acceptance, and goal-setting” (Lyons & Martin, p. 204). This method has been effective in reducing some symptoms of this disorder. First-line pharmacology involving SSRIs and antimanic drugs has also been used as effective