Susanna Kaysen grew up in the late 1960's. On the outside she looked like a normal teenage girl going to high school. She had a boyfriend named Johnny, struggled with school, and had parents who didn't really understand her. But, on the inside, she was raging with depression and thoughts of suicide. To abort the parts of her life that she didn't like she took 50 aspirin pills. She wanted to end the depression that was taking over her and get rid of the certain aspects of her character about her that she didn't care for. Right before she took the pills she made one last phone call to her boyfriend who then called the police. She was immediately picked up and taken to the hospital. Pumping her stomach saved her. When she was in better condition the hospital referred her to a psychiatrist who she's never seen before. In response to her suicide attempts, an illicit relationship with her high school English teacher and running away from home she was sent to McLean Psychiatric Hospital outside Boston, Massachusetts after only one session with the psychiatrist. He said that she would only be there for a few weeks but she ended up being institutionalized for two years with "borderline personality". Borderline personality is a disorder that affects mostly woman and is pretty common. It interferes with social and occupational functioning. There are symptoms of extreme depression, substance abuse, and premature death from suicide. At the hospital she was diagnosed as very paranoid, with a schizophrenic reaction to things, and a passive-aggressive personality. During this time she felt very depressed and found herself with little hope. She also had an obscure obsession with patterns. She would find them in ceiling tiles, rugs and curtains. This was one of her many ways to escape from reality. While at the hospital she pondered her admittance to the hospital. She wondered how after just one single 30-minute session with the doctor he concluded her that she belonged in an institution.
