Callous

A new girl checked into the institution, Alice Calias-Callous. All of the girls thought it was strange how normal she was, but soon enough she exploded like a volcano. She went on a rampage like most new people checked in; she slammed herself around and continuously screamed. Alice got moved to maximum security and after she was settled there all the girls went to visit. Everyone was amused by maximum security, the stalls had no doors, the toilets had no seats, and each room was actually just a cell. The girls were mortified by the people kept in maximum security and wanted to leave immediately.

Keepers

In the chapter Keepers and the following few tell of the different therapies each patient must go through. Different patients are diagnosed differently, so there are different therapies for certain people but for the most part everyone has the same therapies. The patients took none of this stuff seriously after the first few weeks of being put in. The hospital to them was much like prison and since they were considered crazy they felt they had no expectations anymore, and used that to their advantage in almost every situation. After long periods of time they all forget how to live like a normal person, this they were not proud of. They no longer had any rights, whether it was cutting bread or opening a window it all had to be done for them. If they felt sick or had a headache they had to be approved for medicine and were watched while taking it for precautions. Meal time had the same issues, whenever a patient wanted a certain food or drink the head nurse had to approve it for everyone. Nothing there was simple.

Velocity vs. Viscosity

The chapter Velocity vs. Viscosity was definitely one of the most interesting in my mind. Insanity was discussed and broken down, which made it very easy for me to understand. Insanity comes in two varieties; slow and fast. Insanity comes in all different forms, depression, mania, anxiety, and many more. The slow form of insanity is referred to as viscosity. Viscosity form is explained as perceptions being dulled and thickened with time dragging on. Velocity on the other hand is the opposite; everything is seemed to be sped up. Velocity causes stillness of fascination while viscosity is the stillness of disinclination.

McLean Hospital

The hospital was famous for housing many great poets or singers. Although it felt as a jail they did have some freedom. There was a system of privileges everyone was under in the ward. One started out with no privileges, then moved to one-to-one, next two-to-ones, and the top was full towns and grounds. One-to-one meant one nurse accompanied one patient, two-to-one was two nurses and one patient, and full towns and grounds meant you just had to call to check in but there was no need for a nurse. These privileges were for when leaving the central area of the hospital. They also used a check system, which meant checking up on each patient after a certain period of time. You started out at five minute checks, then to fifteen, and sometimes up to a half hour.

"Mistakes"

Throughout the next few chapters Susanna tells of each individual’s suicide attempts and the depth of their lives. She analyzes her situation wondering what exactly got her sent into a mental hospital. She signed herself in, but it was court ordered. She assumed it was because she was a danger to herself when taking fifty aspirin. Although in her mind it had a meaning, the fifty aspirin all stood for something different, so she felt it was okay. Every "mistake" she had made in her life she didn't feel was wrong. She always had good intentions; in her mind everything was perfect but the doctors told her otherwise.

The beginning

The beginning of Girl, Interrupted immediately caught my interest. The author jumped right into telling about slipping into a parallel universe. Susanna Kaysen, the main character, tells how she was evaluated for more than 3 hours and immediately sent to McLean Hospital. She was diagnosed with severe depression, hopelessness and suicidal ideas. Susanna goes on to tell about her new friends, from her mental hospital, suicidal stories along with her own stories. The detail of this book intrigued me and kept me interested.