SusanKaysen
SusanKaysen
SusanKaysen had trouble in the 60s when major changes were taking place inthe social arena. As the author of her biography, GirlInterrupted,she describes her stay at a mental health institution. Like any otherpatient, she interacts with the health professionals and otherpatients. The reader can note some abnormal behaviors that Kaysendemonstrates, indicating that she was in need of professionaltherapy. Through her story, she sheds light on the generational gapand the problems of social revolutions experienced in the 60s.Thesymptoms that Kaysen exhibited warranted her to be hospitalized.However, the amount of time that she spends in the mental healthfacility raises concerns about her ability
tocope and get back to her normal behavior. First, Susanna exhibitssigns of severe depression. Depression develops gradually and if thepatients do not receive psychological help during its formativestages, it becomes severe. Her behavior in school depicts anindividual who has no immediate willingness to cope with her contest.She had abandoned school after failing several times. The feeling ofbeing recited and harboring the feelings of failure leads her toabandon school.
Inaddition, Susanna dates her teacher that was against the schoolethics. Dating the teacher was an outlet for her frustrations.Possibly, she was looking for sympathy and a feeling of achievement.According to the physicians report, Susanna had attempted suicide.Her behavior of trying to end her life depicts symptoms of advanceddepression. It was a sufficient reason for her to be hospitalized.Additionally, Susanna confessed that she knew that she was notinsane. She believed and that she was different from the otherpatients. However, she describes how she felt isolated, desperate andin constant desolation. She felt unfit for the society. It was,therefore, prudent to have her in the hospital until she developed apositive attitude towards the changing world.
Q2
Thestay in the hospital was however imperative in changing her attitudetowards suicide. Before she was admitted to the hospital, she hastaken aspirin overdose but she was not confident of the feeling wouldfollow. Her changed behavior is demonstrated by how she explains tothe other inmates that suicide is a premeditated murder. Before onecontemplates suicide, he/she must bear in mind the [pain involve inthe process. additionally, the difficulties that Kaysen had withsleeping were addressed by the nurses in the health institution.according to her, the nurses would visit the wards every fifteenminutes. In doing so, they would record the behavior and monitor theprogress of the patients.
Themental hospital had various merits and negative effects on Kaysen.First, the dormitories in the wars housed patients suffering fromdifferent mental conditions. Kaysen describes it as locked and barredby widows. It gives her a feeling of being incarcerated. Besides, thetwo years she spent at the hospital were enough to bar her from theexternal world. The problem heightened because the external world waschanging rapidly. She developed the claustrophobia of incarceration.In addition, Kaysen confesses how she was uncomfortable with theendless visits made by the nurses in the wards made heruncomfortable. She developed a negative feeling towards the nurses.She would not wish to stay in the hospital again to avoid the feelingif being incarcerated.