Gracefully Insane (pgs 217-244)

Summary
Walter Jackson Freeman published a book called Psychiatrist: Personalities and Patterns. The final chapter is called "Mortido: The Death Instinct" and in this chapter eight psychiatrists committed suicide. Freeman looked up his own research on psychiatric suicide and he reported that 203 America  psychiatrists commited suicide. This report caught many people's attention. The question is raised as to why psychiatrists would want to kill themselves. Many have said that they wanted to become psychiatrists to "wrestle wit their own demons". They wanted to find out what was wrong with them. Continued research also showed that one in every three psychiatrist suffered from mania or depression. This research suggested that psychiatrists are either depressed from practicing their profession or that some people become psychiatrists because they suffer from a disorder. Depressions and mental illness is infectious, so sometimes nurses, therapists, and psychiatric aides break down themselves because they are surrounded by a depressing environment.

About twenty five years later, it seems that the world has given up on mental health care, or at least taking care of the expenses for it. Insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid programs, and health maintenance organizations have cut back immensely on reimbursements for the mental health of patients. Those in the health care field are just hoping for the best despite there being quick diagnoses and also fast drug prescriptions. Brief, fifteen minute visits are made explaining the different side effects of these medications. This new order of things has been hard on the psychiatrists as well as the patients. The patients were concerned about being diagnosed with the wrong disorder when the visits made to them are not long enough to determine them.

At the end of the day, being at the McLean, despite its weaknesses, was a source of refreshment for many patients who were there. One former patient named Susanna Kaysen mentioned that she loved being a patient at the McLean hospital because after she left she felt good. She also mentioned that she enjoyed the Manic-Depressive and Depressive Association during her tour because she felt relief because she was understood. At the end of rhe day, the McLean hospital was a nice journey to many of the patients and workers there.

Quote
"It is not uncommon for psychiatrists to check themselves into a sanitarium or hospital, although they usually seek shelter outside their practice area to avoid the possible embarrassment of meeting patients or students inside the hospital" (Beam 219).

Reaction
It was strange to read that there are also many psychiatrists and therapists that need psychiatrists and therapists of their own. I mean it makes sense when you think about it because they have weaknesses just like the patients they are helping, but people don't always think about that. A therapist to many people is almost considered like a superhero or whatever you want to call it, trying to help the lives of others, but people don't always think about the fact that they have things in their life they find hard to deal with too. In the end no matter what your profession is, even if its helping other people, those helping others still are human and need help themselves.