Analysis Of Borderline Personality Disorders By Susanna Kaysen

Book Review
Renae Van Der Linden
Roberts Wesleyan College

Susanna Kaysen coped with the realization of having borderline personality disorder through a lot of confusion and uncertainties. Due to the fact that she did not even know why her doctor was sending her in a taxi to a psych ward, she had to process everything as it was happening. There is not a particular moment that stuck out to me in which she denied having a mental illness, as it appeared to me that she was basically accepting of it throughout the story. However, Susanna did discuss how she almost refused to believe the doctor when she was told that her initial doctor’s appointment was in the afternoon and lasted three hours. Susanna believed that it was in the morning and

lasted for less than an hour. This may have been an eye-opening moment for Susanna in realizing that her illness was real. However, this is not to say that prior to learning that her doctor’s appointment was longer than she thought, she was in denial of her diagnosis.
Additionally, Susanna did not appear to have fully understood the seriousness of her mental state; when the doctor told her she needed a “rest,” she responded by saying “I’ll go on Friday…” (Kaysen, 1993, p.

8). Regardless, she was still accepting and did not argue with her doctor. When her first visitor came to see her at the psych ward, she made the comment “It’s not really that bad” (p. 26). Overall, Susanna’s realization of her diagnosis of borderline personality disorder was handled pretty well. From what I can recall, she never denied her diagnosis and was initially open to discussing her condition with

others.
1.) How did others respond to them? Were there any experiences of discrimination, stigmatization, and oppression? What kinds of experiences did they have with the physical and mental health service systems?
While Susanna was in the psych ward, other patients, overall, responded fairly well to her. Of course, it was helpful for her that many of the others that she had contact with were experiencing what she was, in one sense or another. Had Susanna not been in the situation she was in, it is more likely that people would not have been as accepting to her, because she would be different from everyone else. Susanna’s experience in the psych ward was actually likely to be more beneficial than what she thought it would be. The reason being is that she that even though her diagnosis was serious, she saw first-hand people who were experiencing worse things than she was. Specifically, Alice, who was transferred to the maximum security ward.
Susanna Kaysen experienced discrimination from being in a psych ward, especially after she was released and began to seek employment. After employers noticed her recent address, which was the psych ward, she was immediately shut down. Maintaining a strong support system was difficult for Susanna, especially after she was released from the psych ward. Susanna admitted to the fact that she eventually stopped talking to people about the hospital, because nobody was able to understand her or her experiences. Due to the fact that the psych ward would play such a large role in someone’s life, it is hard to imagine not talking about those experiences, simply because someone does not understand the circumstances. Yet, it makes sense as to why Susanna stopped talking to others about it. After having to re-explain herself to people numerous amounts of times, it may have been a way that Susanna had to relive those experiences, which she probably did not want to do all the time.
Additionally, the etiology of being in a psych ward in the 60s included:
“[being] on a perilous journey from which we can learn much when he or she returns, possessed, a witch, bewitched, bad and must be isolated and punished, ill and must be isolated and treated, ill and must spend the next seven years talking about it, a victim of society’s low tolerance for deviant behavior, sane in an insane world, on a perilous journey from which he or she may never return” (Kaysen, 1993, p.

15).
Susanna’s story was very eye-opening to me, as I have been able to visit a family member in a behavioral unit. I could easily imagine the different items that she would discuss—the nurses station, the rooms, and the cafeteria from an outsiders perspective. I could not relate to what she was experiencing, but I was still able to imagine the differences of what a psych ward was like in the 1960s, while picturing a behavioral unit today. One of the main differences that I read was that in the 60s’ the patients were allowed to smoke inside their

unit.
As previously mentioned, another idea that stuck out to me was that Susanna stopped talking to others about her experiences at the hospital because nobody understood. It is hard for me imagine keeping all of those thoughts and experiences to myself. I can imagine myself trying to share some of those experiences and having people look at me like I am crazy. It must have been hurtful to Susanna to already be struggling with a mental illness and then people are thinking that she is even crazier because of the truth that she is experiencing of what she learned and witnessed in the psych ward.
After reading Susanna Kaysen’s story, one thing I have learned about myself is that I need to be more thankful for the situations and experiences that I have had and that, for the most part, others understand what I am saying when I describe those situations. I need to be more thankful for having a strong support system who is willing and ready to listen to me and I need to not take my support system for granted. I need to be more thankful for not having a reason to keep stuff locked up inside of me, because the world will think that I am crazy if I say something.