Girl, Interrupted, By Film Starring Winona Ryder And...

Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 drama film starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie that is based off of Susanna Kaysen’s memoir of the same name that documented her stay in a mental institution during the 1960’s. In the film, Susanna’s character displays many symptoms of some form of mental illness ranging from impulsivity to a suicide attempt. In the beginning of the movie, Susanna is rushed to the hospital after overdosing on aspirin and vodka; Susanna, in denial about her own mental state, declares often throughout the early parts of the film that she took the aspirin â€Å"because she had a headache†, refusing to acknowledge that she had attempted suicide. In addition to her apparent suicidality, Susanna engaged in self-harm behaviors, shown†¦show more content†¦The broad range of symptoms that Susanna demonstrated during the film makes it hard to pinpoint an exact diagnosis for her. Given the symptoms Susanna presented, including instability in relationships, impulsivity, suicidality and self harm, negative affect, and feelings of emptiness; a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) seems most likely. A diagnosis of depression also seems fairly likely due to Susanna’s low mood and thoughts of suicide; however, this diagnosis did not completely map onto the symptoms that Susanna presented throughout the film. The depressive symptoms she experienced were also symptoms of her personality disorder, perhaps suggesting a comorbidity. In the film, the age of onset for Susanna’s BPD was around 18 years old, which fits within the framework for diagnosing personality disorders, as personality disorders are not usually diagnosed until the patient reaches adulthood. The first episode that Susanna experienced was very severe, leading her to attempt suicide, this episode extended into the beginning of her stay at Claymoore, and could be triggered by s tresses in her environment. The episode then decreased in severity as time passed and as she received treatment, which was multifaceted and tailored to her individualShow MoreRelatedI Watched The Film Girl, Interrupted Starring Winona Ryder And Angelina Jolie Essay1689 Words   |  7 Pages1 A: I watched the film Girl, Interrupted starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. The film is based on a true story of a young woman with borderline personality disorder named Susana Kaysen. Following a suicide attempt, Susana admits herself into a psychiatric hospital with the encouragement of a mental health professional. Throughout the film, when Susana describes what she experiences psychologically, as well as flashbacks to her previous life in a detached and sulked tone –emphasizing the detachmentRead More Girl Interrupted Essay986 Words   |  4 Pages GIRL, INTERRUPTED by Susanna Kaysen (New York: Turtle Bay Books, 1993) 1. Author: Susanna Kayson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1948 where she still lives. She is the author of books which are in some parts related to her personal experiences. She worked as a free-lance editor and proof reader until an introduction to an agent set her career in motion. Her novels: The novel that caught the agents attention, Asa, As I Knew Him, was published in 1987 and people were very interested in