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Depression and its effects
Holden caulfield depression essay
Depression and its effects
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Throughout the book of Catcher in the Rye by,J.D Salinger. Holden Caulfield not only does he shows signs of depression but he also expresses that he is depressed. His depression can be the reason why he views the world in such a negative way. His depression can be because of the death of his brother and he might also feel alone. Depression is an illness that impacts the brain. Depression is not just feeling “down.” It is a serious illness caused by changes in brain chemistry. According to research there are other factors that contribute to the onset of depression, including genetics, change in hormone levels, certain medical conditions, stress, grief or any other problem in life. Any of these factors alone or them all together can cause …show more content…
changes in brain chemistry that leads to depression.According to The University of Michigan Depression center they say that “ The World Health Organization characterizes depression as one of the most disabling disorders in the world, affecting roughly one in five women and one in ten men at some point in their lifetime. It is estimated that 21% of women and 12% of men in the U.S will experience depression at some point in their lifetime.” Both men and women of every age, educational level, and social and economic background may suffer from depression.Once an episode of depression occurs, it is also quite likely that it will recur.The problems caused by depression are made worse by the fact that most people suffering from the disease are never diagnosed,or treated. When depression is identified and treated, its symptoms are manageable and there are many effective strategies for living with the disease. Depression affects your thoughts, emotions,behaviors and overall physical health.
Some symptoms of depression are sadness,hopelessness,guilt,moodiness.Loss of interest in friends, family and favorite activities/hobbies. According to The University of Michigan Depression center a symptom of depression can be “Delusions and/or hallucinations can also occur in cases of severe depression”.Substance abuse,missing work, school or other commitments, thoughts of harming yourself or attempts to harm yourself are also symptoms of depression..According to The University of Michigan Depression center some “physical symptoms can be tiredness or lack of energy,unexplained aches and pains,changes in appetite,weight loss,weight gain and changes in sleep sleeping too little or too much”. According to WebMD” Antidepressants are medications used to treat depression.”There are several medications that can be used to treat depression. These antidepressants all work to take away or reduce the symptoms of depression.Manufacturers of all antidepressant drugs are required to include a warning on the box that alerts consumers to an increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and adolescents being treated with these drugs.According to WebMd “This risk has not been shown for adults over age
24”. In conclusion Depression is a serious condition. It’s also, a common one. There has be more awareness towards this illness. Majority of those affected by this illness don't even know they have it. With several symptoms that are visible. People have to start paying attention to the people surrounding them and tell someone if they notice any of these signs on anyone. Anyone with this illness has to seek help so they can receive the proper help and medication they need.
As Eugene McNamara stated in his essay “Holden Caulfield as Novelist”, Holden, of J.D. Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye, had met with long strand of betrayals since he left Pencey Prep. These disappointments led him through the adult world with increasing feelings of depression and self-doubt, leading, finally to his mental breakdown.
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, portrays Holden Caulfield as a manic-depressive. Holden uses three techniques throughout the novel to cope with his depression. He smokes, drinks, and talks to Allie. Although they may not be positive, Holden finds comfort in these three things.
The catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger is about a boy named Holden Caulfield and his struggles in one part of his life. Holden seem very normal to people around him and those he interacts with. However, Holden is showing many sighs of depression. A couple of those signs that are shown are: trouble sleeping, drinking, smoking, not eating right, and he talk about committing suicide a couple times during the book. On top of that Holden feel alienated plus the death of Holden’s brother Allie left Holden thinking he and no where to go in life.
Manic-Depressive Behavior Exhibited in The Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, portrays Holden Cawfield, a New York City teenager in the 1950's, as a manic-depressive. Holden's depression starts with the death of his brother, Allie. Holden is expelled from numerous schools due to his poor academics, which are brought on by his depression. Manic depression, compulsive lying, and immaturity throughout the novel characterize Holden.
The Catcher in the Rye by, J.D. Salinger is told through Holden the narrative in the story. The setting of the novel takes place in the 1940's early 1950's. Holden is sixteen years old and he has a lot of problems in his life. He becomes seriously depressed to the point he cannot deal with people and life around him. The 1940's were different from today. However, Holden Caulfield is similar to many other teenagers who go through the same problems.
Nineteen million American adults suffer from a major case of depression (Web MD). That is a staggering one in every fifteen people (2 in our classroom alone). Holden Caulfield is clearly one of those people. Depression is a disease that leads to death but is also preventable. Psychology, stressful events, and prescription drugs are causes of depression. Stressful events brought on Holden’s depression. Holden has been trying to withstand losing a brother, living with careless parents, and not having many friends. The Catcher in the Rye is a book that takes us through the frazzled life of Holden Caulfield, who appears to be just a regular teen. But by hearing his thoughts and through heart-wrenching events in the book, the reader learns that Holden is not the innocent boy that he once appeared. In his book, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger shows that Holden’s depression is not only affecting him, but also the people around him through Sally, Phoebe, and Sunny.
The Catcher in the Rye has been described, analyzed, rebuffed, and critiqued over the years. Each writer expresses a different point of view: It is a story reflecting teen-ager's talk--thoughts-emotions--actions; or angst. I believe it is an adult's reflection of his own unresolved grief and bereavements. That adult is the author, J.D. Salinger. He uses his main character, Holden, as the voice to vent the psychological misery he will not expose -or admit to.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in four American adults suffer from a mental disorder. This means that 57.7 out of 217.8 million people over the age of 18 are ill; never mind that mental illnesses are the leading cause of disability in Canada and the United States. Holden Caulfield, the controversial main character of J.D Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye, spends much of the book wandering through the streets of New York City. Kicked out of boarding school for the umpteenth time, he does many odd things: he calls a prostitute, tries to befriend a taxi driver, drinks with middle aged women, and sneaks into his own house in the middle of the night. While many of these things seem outré, some may even go as far as to say that he is mentally disturbed. From a psychiatric standpoint, main character Holden Caulfield exhibits the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder (manic depression), and psychosis throughout the infamous novel Catcher in the Rye.
Did you know, 3.3 million Americans suffer from clinical depression? This makes it no surprise that Holden Caulfield, protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is suffering from this mental illness. The Catcher in the Rye follows a high school student, Holden Caulfield, as he struggles through school, loneliness, friendships, and coping with the loss of his kid brother, Allie. Throughout the novel, Holden is residing in a mental institution, but the cause of why is unknown. I believe Holden is suffering from clinical depression as evidenced by abnormalities in his cognitive behavior, issues with shifting moods, and his disruptive sleep patterns.
Each year in the United States depression affects over 17 million people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds. One in every eight teens are affected by depression (“Understanding Depression”). Depression can be defined as a mental illness where the person affected feels very sad and melancholy. Most people have passed through a stage or a short period of time where they have felt downhearted. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield, a 16-year old boy, can be viewed as insane in the eyes of many readers because of his behavior and actions. Despite this common belief, Holden most likely suffered from depression. Some symptoms which convey Holden was depressed was his mood, lack of sleep, and his suicidal
A major theme throughout The Catcher in the Rye is the feeling of sadness. The amount of times that Holden uses the words “depressed” or “depressing” is innumerable compared to the amount of times he says “happy.” No matter what he’s doing or who he’s talking to, Holden always finds a way to feel sad and depressed. Today, this would be called Clinical Depression. It goes along with his many psychological problems that are obvious in the book. Because of his depression and various problems, throughout the story there are many examples of Holden being depressed for no apparent reason and very few of him being happy.
Depression is the storm whose rain can drown a person to oblivion if they have nothing to cling onto. This sea of confusion swirls in an endless tsunami of despair whose only savior is love, for its intensity shines through the storm and calms the sea. Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger, explores this emotion through Holden Caulfield. Adolescence is often a time of confusion and yearning to find a place of belonging; this is no exception to Holden who seeks connection with other people and struggles to understand the changing world alongside his transition into young adulthood. Holden’s struggle throughout the novel ultimately illustrates the hypocritical notions society tries to teach the new generations such as being an individual
Many young people often find themselves struggling to find their own identity and place in society. This search for self worth often leaves these young people feeling lonely and isolated because they are unsure of themselves. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character in the book The Catcher In the Rye, is young man on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. One contributor to this breakdown, is the loneliness that Holden experiences. His loneliness is apparent through many ways including: his lack of friends, his longing for his dead brother, and the way he attempts to gain acceptance from others.
The psychological battle of Holden Caulfield in the Catcher in the Rye, serves as the basis for the entire novel. Salinger's portrayal of Holden, which includes incidents of depression, a nervous breakdown, impulsive spending, sexual exploration, vulgarity, and other erratic behavior, attributes to the genuine nature of the novel. Salinger creates a real, relatable story by focusing on Holden´s thoughts and impressions of the events described in the novel, rather than the events themselves. The novel shows that the plot of the story isn’t that important in terms of importance, the Catcher in the Rye focuses more on what Holden thinks and how he thinks, creating an interesting, relevant story based on the psyche of a single character.
Once Holden decides he is leaving Pencey, he started displaying early symptoms of depression. According to Mental Health America, teens may display signs of depression through participating in substance abuse, lack of sleep, withdrawing from people and missing school. In chapter 20 Holden drowns himself in booze after his naive confrontation with Carl Luce. “Boy, I sat at that goddamn bar till around one o’clock or so, getting drunk as a bastard,” (Salinger 150). Caulfield spends most nights getting drunk or smoking cigarettes. Initially, Holden repeals his relationships from Pencey Prep. “All of a sudden, I decided what I’d really do, I’d get the hell out of Pencey...It made me too sad and lonesome,” (Salinger 51). Evacuating his school was