Tuesday, July 26, 2005
I just finished reading the book Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. Apparently this book has been made into a movie starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie.
The book was published in 1993. At some point I was aware of its existence, and I think I have even heard interviews with the author.
Reading this book was really special for me for several reasons:
1. it takes place a couple of towns from where I grew up. I have always liked Belmont. It's a nice little town. In high school, we used to go ride the swings and climb around the playgrounds at night. It was so fun! and I almost joined a swim team in Belmont. And we used to go to Waverly Square, which is mentioned in the book. The protagonist/author is put into McLean, the mental hospital. When I was in college I saw some sort of mental health professional there... I guess that would be after Waltham Hospital closed its mental health department (I never got to thank the administration for that). I remember my Dad driving me there and then me taking the train home or into Harvard Square (also mentioned in the book) afterwards.
2. she has borderline personality disorder. I always used to think that my first girlfriend had it. But now my mental health "care" providers don't know how to classify me and are considering diagnosing me as being borderline. And/or bipolar two. But they insist I do not have ADHD.
3. she is put into this ward in the hospital. I spent a night in a hospital once (depression). After that I was put into this godawful outpatient program. I think I went to the hospital every day for a couple of months. We did tai-chi, which really hurt my joints (I was 20, btw), art therapy, and I guess some talk therapy. I was transitioning from Depakote and Effexor to ADD meds. I remember one woman who was on shock therapy. She was really pathetic and I didn't feel so good being in a group with all these sadass losers. Frankly.
Noel was in a mental ward for 60 days 2 summers ago. Or was it 3? Patty might have been put into one when he disappeared. And in Cancun, the woman who was in the bed below me, Louise, got crazier every day (my diagnosis: paranoid schizophrenia). I was able to bring her to the medics, who kept her for 24 hours. Then they brought her to a psychiatric hospital. Very sad. So anyhow, I would call the payphone on Noel's ward and she would put all these crazy people on the phone. This reminded me of her.
Anyhow, I felt like the book gave voice to a lot of my own depression and alienation. But I have not had a feeling of seeing a different reality the way Susanna Kaysen did.
email me at haydees@gmail.com
The book was published in 1993. At some point I was aware of its existence, and I think I have even heard interviews with the author.
Reading this book was really special for me for several reasons:
1. it takes place a couple of towns from where I grew up. I have always liked Belmont. It's a nice little town. In high school, we used to go ride the swings and climb around the playgrounds at night. It was so fun! and I almost joined a swim team in Belmont. And we used to go to Waverly Square, which is mentioned in the book. The protagonist/author is put into McLean, the mental hospital. When I was in college I saw some sort of mental health professional there... I guess that would be after Waltham Hospital closed its mental health department (I never got to thank the administration for that). I remember my Dad driving me there and then me taking the train home or into Harvard Square (also mentioned in the book) afterwards.
2. she has borderline personality disorder. I always used to think that my first girlfriend had it. But now my mental health "care" providers don't know how to classify me and are considering diagnosing me as being borderline. And/or bipolar two. But they insist I do not have ADHD.
3. she is put into this ward in the hospital. I spent a night in a hospital once (depression). After that I was put into this godawful outpatient program. I think I went to the hospital every day for a couple of months. We did tai-chi, which really hurt my joints (I was 20, btw), art therapy, and I guess some talk therapy. I was transitioning from Depakote and Effexor to ADD meds. I remember one woman who was on shock therapy. She was really pathetic and I didn't feel so good being in a group with all these sadass losers. Frankly.
Noel was in a mental ward for 60 days 2 summers ago. Or was it 3? Patty might have been put into one when he disappeared. And in Cancun, the woman who was in the bed below me, Louise, got crazier every day (my diagnosis: paranoid schizophrenia). I was able to bring her to the medics, who kept her for 24 hours. Then they brought her to a psychiatric hospital. Very sad. So anyhow, I would call the payphone on Noel's ward and she would put all these crazy people on the phone. This reminded me of her.
Anyhow, I felt like the book gave voice to a lot of my own depression and alienation. But I have not had a feeling of seeing a different reality the way Susanna Kaysen did.
email me at haydees@gmail.com
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