Borderline Personality Disorder in Girl Interrupted by Sussana Keysen

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Girl, Interrupted by Borderline Personality Disorder
Girl, Interrupted, an autobiography, follows Sussanna Kaysen an eighteen year old girl who finds herself being escorted to a taxi and being sent to McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Massachusetts. Only after a brief twenty minute interview with a psychiatrist she had just met regarding her failing grades, depression, suicidal attempts as well as her inappropriate relationship with her high school english teacher, she was convinced that she is in need of “rest” and agrees to voluntarily commit herself. Kaysen believes only a few short weeks would be sufficient however soon two years pass. Her first hand account of her stay at the hospital is chaotic and non-chronological which is consistent with her diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. During her stay at McLean, Kaysen grows fond of many of the young patients on her wing. She particularly finds Lisa, a sociopath, entertaining and clever for her various escape attempts and dramatic arguments with the staff. Polly on the other hand burns her own face and body and finally Georgina is Kaysen's roommate at the ward. Daisy is a new patient on the ward and is known in the facility for her rather odd obsession with roasted chicken and laxatives. Daisy is one of the first patients to leave the ward however commits suicide soon after.
Kaysen comes from an affluent family who can afford her expensive treatment on the ward. Kaysen doesn't get much visitors due to her volatile relationship with her parents which stems from their disappointment in her condition as well as her various suicide attempts. A family friend named James Watson visits Kaysen and offers to help her leave. Kaysen rejects and insists that she stays for...

... middle of paper ...

...as many as 8-10 percent of patients commit suicide (Butcher, Hooley, and Mineka 342-344).

Works Cited

"Borderline Personality Disorder." NIMH RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
Butcher, James N., Jill M. Hooley, and Susan Mineka. "Chapter 10: Personality Disorders."
Abnormal Psychology. 16th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2014. 342-44. Print.
Hopwood, Christopher J., and Mary C. Zanarini. "Borderline Personality Traits and Disorder:
Predicting Prospective Patient Functioning." Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology 78.4 (2010): 585-89. Print.
"Interview with Susanna Kaysen." Interview by Catherine Elsworth. Goodreads. Goodreads,
Mar. 2014. Web. May 2014.
.
Kaysen, Susanna. Girl, Interupted. New York: Turtle Bay/Random House, 1993. Print.

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