| Elizabeth Wurtzel details her struggle with depression starting from early adolesence and continuing throughout college and beyond. She speaks of a great force outside of herself, a "black wave," that takes over her being and immobilizes her during a time when we as a society were first beginning to understand depression as a mental illness. In attempts to get her emotions under control, Wurtzel describes her journey through therapy, self-medication with drugs and alcohol, thoughts of suicide, and hospitalization.
It is not until Wurtzel has been battling her inner chemistry for years that antidepressants come into play. Wurtzel's thought provoking account, full of a variety of rock bottoms, brings to light a modern American generation that has become reliant on pills to find happiness. | ||
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Plot & Themes Phys disability/mental struggle? Yes Struggle with - mental illness Which institution - mental hospital Life in an institution Yes Subject of Biography Gender - Female Profession/status: Ethnicity - Jew Nationality - American Unusual characteristics: Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 () United States Yes The US: - Northeast City? Yes City: - New York Century: - 1980's-Present Writing Style Book makes you feel? - depressed How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog |
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