Library / Living With Mental Illness
Read this when
Girl, Interrupted
They wrote a whole diagnosis after one short interview. She got the file and wrote back. 📄
Who it's for
Kaysen was 18 in 1967 when, after a single short interview with a doctor, she was sent to McLean Hospital and stayed about eighteen months.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Susanna Kaysen's 1993 memoir recounts the roughly 18 months she spent at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, after being admitted in 1967 at age 18, when she had expected to stay only a few weeks. The book is told in short vignettes that mix her own experiences with portraits of fellow patients and staff.
Where to find it
In print (Vintage); widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain. A 1999 film adaptation exists.
Before you start
Heads up: Suicide and self-harm.
Age: Ages 16+
I’ve got out at last,Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper
