October 10th is World Mental Health Day! According to John Hopkins Medicine statistics, about 1 out of 4 adults in America suffers from some sort of mental disorder in a given year, and women are 2x more likely to suffer from a depressive illness than men. Many people have written their mental health journey’s in the form of a memoir. Writing memoirs could possibly be done to help in their own healing process, but they could also help the reader be more informed on what having a mental illness is like and how to help if they see the same signs in someone they know. These next 3 memoirs are written by women who have a unique journey with a mental illness or disease that they felt was important to share:
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
In the late 60’s, Susanna Kaysen was sent to a psychiatric hospital, McLean, at 18 years old after one session with a psychiatrist. Kaysen tells a vivid story of her time at the hospital, including her what her fellow patients and caretakers were like and the many progressive methods of treatment that were carried out in the hospital. This unflinching memoir is written in the form of a diary, although not linear in time, that includes specific diagnostic papers, notes, and medications Kaysen went through during her time at McLean. Mental health is treated completely different now than it has been in the past, and by reading this book, you could get a better notion of how we now think of and treat mental illness.
This memoir has also been made into a film featuring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. Click here to purchase on Prime Video.
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
Susannah Cahalan, a 24-year-old New Yorker, has just started a new job at a major newspaper and found a boy she wants as a serious boyfriend. She seems to have it all, until one day, she becomes unfocused, begins acting out, and has a major headache – completely unlike her. She feels like she has gone crazy and has no control over her identity anymore. After some time of trying to deal with her issues, she is admitted to a hospital and kept under surveillance. Her initial diagnosis is schizoaffective disorder, but doctors were still not positive that was the answer. Brain on Fire is a raw, unfiltered account of one woman’s road to madness and later, a recovery no one was expecting.
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
An interesting twist on mental health disorders, Jenny Lawson illustrates her severe depression, along with many other conditions, with a book of humor. She feels that while depression causes an array of extremely low emotions, it can also make a person capable of feeling extremely high ones, including joy. Overall, Furiously Happy is a book that talks about mental illness and depression – but it’s also about joy, and it gives the reader an uplifting message that sets this memoir apart from others of its kind.
If this book is interesting to you and you would like to further the conversation, check out Conversations on Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson: Conversation Starters .
Emma Keeling is a third-year student at BGSU studying Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Her favorite genres of book include mystery and horror and her favorite author is Stephen King. She can usually be found curled up on the couch studying, reading, or watching movies. To easily contact Emma, email her at emmamk@bgsu.edu.
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