Psychological Disorders and their Treatment in Literature

Biography and Autobiography

Anonymous. (1971). Go ask Alice. New York: Avon.

A teenage girl's journal describing her overwhelming difficulties with coming of age, her experimentation with drugs and relationships, and life on the streets.

Axline, V. M. (1964). Dibbs: In search of self. New York: Ballentine.

A case history by a prominent client-centered child psychotherapist that reads like a novel.

Balter, M., & Katz, R. (1991). Nobody's child. Menlo Park, CA: Merloyd Lawrence.

Hospitalized for most of a 20 year period, Ms. Balter went on to graduate from Harvard and become a leading advocate for the mentally ill. An amazing story!

Barron, J., & Barron, S. (1992). There's a boy in here. New York: Avon.

A mother and son recount their struggles with his autism.

Barthe, J. (1967). The end of the road. New York: Doubleday.

A novel describing one man's existential crisis and its resolution.

Behrman, A. (2002). Electroboy. New York: Random House.

Behrman has it all: talent, unbelievable energy and drive to work, sex, drugs, alcohol, success, prison time, friends, anxiety, mania and fierce depression. What else can I say?

Casey, J. F. (1991). The flock: The autobiography of a multiple personality. New York: Fawcett Columbine.

An interesting description of her personalities and the reintegration process. Notes from her therapist's diary are included throughout and are an interesting look at an unusual therapy approach.

Colapinto, J. (2001). (2001). As nature made him. New York: Perennial.

A fascinating description of the attempt to raise a boy, whose penis was amputated during circumcision, as a girl. Colapinto's description of the scientific controversy this raised is at least as interesting.

Crimmins, C. (2000). Where is the mango princess? New York: Vintage.

The author describes objectively, yet imtimately, her husband's (significant, albeit not complete) recovery from traumatic brain injury and her emotional responses to this process. A "must read" for people who want to work with this population.

Dudman, M. T. (2001). Augusta, gone. New York: Perennial.

Amazing book about parenting a teenager who is dangerously spiraling out of control and a mother's efforts to save her daughter (some successful, some not so). Parents of teens, expect knots in your stomach throughout. The rest of us (including some parents) may gain some empathy for their parents.

Duke, P. (1992). Brilliant madness. New York: Bantam.

The actress Patty Duke writes about having bipolar disorder and how it both destroys her as well as allows her a measure of "brilliance."

Fling, E. R. (2000). Eating an artichoke: A mother's perspective on Asperger's Syndrome. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

As the title says, a mother's view of parenting, teaching and advocating for a difficult child. My daughter (not completely flatteringly) described its writing as like a magazine article.

Francisco, P. W. (1999). Telling: A memoir of rape and recovery. New York: HarperCollins.

A first person account of rape and recovery. Similar to, but perhaps an easier read than Raine's book.

Grandin, T. (1995). Thinking in pictures: And other reports from my life with autism. New York: Vintage Books.

A woman diagnosed with autism, who is now a successful animal scientist, writes about her struggles with autism and how she has learned to function in the world.

Hayden, T. (1980). One child. New York: Avon Books.

A teacher's heart-warming account of her work with an abused (and abusive), gifted six-year-old.

Hornbacher, M. (1998). Wasted: A memoir of anorexia and bulimia. New York: HarperPerennial.

An autobiographical account of a gifted (and often annoying) girl's struggles with eating disorders, anxiety, alienation, fantasy, and growing up in America.

Jamison, K. R. (1995). An unquiet mind. New York: Vintage.

A fascinating memoir by one of the leading researchers of manic-depressive illness based in her experiences as a researcher, clinician, and as a person ravaged (and enriched) by the disease. This is a beautiful book both in informing us of the humanity of a person with this disorder, but also why it is necessary that clinicians (and friends) also have this humanity while talking to/working with someone in pain.

Kaysen, S. (1993). Girl, interrupted. New York: Turtle Bay.

A woman's autobiographical account of her psychological decompensation during her late teens (depression, some psychotic symptoms, diagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder), her subsequent psychiatric hospitalization for two years, and her later understanding of this process. She includes xeroxes of many of her (often confusing) hospital records.

Kettlewell, C. (1999). Skin game: A cutter's memoir. New York: St. Martin's Press.

A woman's description of her history of self-injurious behaviors -- and her recovery.

Luria, A.R. (1972). The man with a shattered world. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

A description of the aftereffects of a head injury incurred during WWII that left distant memories intact, while devastating recent memories, destroyed significant parts of his field of vision, interfered with speaking, reading, and writing. Luria, one of the foremost Russian psychologists of his time, does a beautiful job of examining the facts of this incident and also helping us understand the implications this has for the workings of the brain.

Mah, A. Y. (1997). Falling leaves: The true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Mah's memoir about her abusive and neglectful childhood in a wealthy home -- and how this experience damaged or transformed her and her siblings.

McBride, J. (1996). The color of water: A black manŐs tribute to his white mother. New York: Riverhead.

A beautiful book and, although about pain, sexual and physical abuse, depression, and existential anxiety, is more importantly a book about survival, race and religion, about running away from pain and coming to terms with life.

Michener, A. (1998). Becoming Anna: The autobiography of a sixteen-year-old. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

An often scathing memoir of a teenager's experiences in a physically and emotionally abusive family -- and the mental health system's unwillingness to believe or help her.

Nasar, S. (1998). A beautiful mind. New York: Touchstone.

Nasar's biography of John Nash, Nobel laureate in Economics, also suffering from a serious psychotic break. Fascinating description of his life, work and symptoms, but long and dense.

Raine, N. V. (1998). After silence: Rape and my journey back. New York: Crown.

An autobiographical account of a woman's recovery process after being raped.

Rapoport, J. L. (1989). The boy who couldn't stop washing: The experience and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. New York: Dutton.

The author, a psychiatrist with National Institute of Mental Health, writes about the patient's experience of obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as her treatment of it. She discusses evidence that some medications are efficacious, as well as therapies that have proved useful.

Rogers, A. G. (1995). A shining affliction. New York: Penguin Books.

An enchanting and empathic look at her work with a severely disturbed child and her own therapy to deal with her history of abuse. This book provides a beautiful look at how both therapist and client are affected by therapy, as well as struggles with the question of what good therapy is.

Sacks, O. (1984). A leg to stand on. New York: Harper & Row.

Following an accident which severely damaged his leg, Sacks noted that he no longer felt as though the leg were his. He uses this experience to explore the roles of patienthood, health and illness, and physical identity.

Sacks, O. (1985). The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales. New York: Summit.

Sacks, a neurologist, writes of the experience of a number of people suffering from disparate kinds of brain damage, inferring function from the type of interference.

Sanchez, R. (2000). My bloody life: The making of a Latin King. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press.

Definitely bloody, but also connects his membership in the Latin Kings with family dynamics and his early physical and sexual abuse, clearly describing the role that being a member filled. Also describes the psychological symptoms that resulted from his involvement with violence.

Schiller, L., & Bennett, A. (1994). Quiet room: A journey out of the torment of madness. New York: Warner Books.

An autobiographical account of a woman's struggles with schizophrenia and her (largely) successful treatment.

Schreiber, F. R. (1973). Sybil. Chicago: Henry Regnery.

Written about a real woman diagnosed with multiple personality disorder with the assistance of the woman and her psychoanalyst.

Shaw, F. (1998). Composing myself: A journey through postpartum depression. South Royalton, VT: Steerforth.

Shaw describes her post-partum depression, then her search to make this period make sense. She does this sensitively and empathically in a well-written, literary description.

Slater, L. (2002). Lying: A metaphorical memoir. New York, NY: Penguin.

A fascinating exploration of epilepsy and its related disorders. Are her seizures real? magnified for attention? sometimes malingering? Her description of epilepsy and the psychological issues perhaps related to itare at once interesting and frustrating. What is the answer? Were they real?

Steele, D. (1999). His bright light: The story of Nick Traina. New York: Delta.

Steele describes her struggles (and rewards) of parenting a brilliant and gifted child -- who was also very depressed, angry and difficult from an early age. She includes both some of her own writings to him from that period, but also some of his own journal entries and poems which clearly describe the pain he was in.

Styron, W. (1990). Darkness visible: A memoir of madness. New York: Vintage Books.

The author of Sophie's choice and Lie down in darkness writes about his own depression and near suicide. Literary, very short, very positive about the respite that the hospital afforded him.

Thigpen, C. H., & Cleckley, H. M. (1957). The three faces of Eve. Kingsport, TN: Kingsport.

A readable case study of a woman diagnosed with multiple personality disorder written as though a novel.

Vonnegut, M. (1975). Eden Express. New York: Praegar.

An autobiographical discussion of schizophrenia as a chemical imbalance by Kurt Vonnegut's son. His more recent edition diagnoses his problems as bipolar disorder.

Weinberg, G. (1992). Nearer to the heart's desire. New York: Grove.

Weinberg describes his work with a series of clients as though his writings were short stories, describing his thought processes as he tries to understand his clients and help them change.

West, C. (1999). First person plural: My life as a multiple. New York: Hyperion.

West, both a psychologist and a person diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, gives an insightful description of his struggles with these problems, as well as his growth in therapy.

Wurtzel, E. (1994). Prozac nation. New York: Riverhead Books.

Wurtzel describes her adolescence and adulthood, almost wallowing in her descriptions of her depression and her frantic attempts to avoid it. Amazing how she was able to be so professionally successful even when she was extremely depressed!

Yalom, I. D., & Elkin, G. (1974). Every day gets a little closer: A twice-told therapy. New York: Basic Books.

A journal of the therapeutic process written by one of the foremost existential psychotherapists and his client (previously diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder). The process as seen by each, especially their discrepancies in identifying the important parts of therapy, is fascinating.

Fiction

Barthe, J. (1967). The end of the road. New York: Doubleday.

A novel describing one man's existential crisis and its resolution.

Burgess, A. (1963). Clockwork orange. New York: W.W. Norton.

A novel examining society's right to control its members through psychological treatments, in this case a violent antisocial and aversive conditioning to control his behavior.

Green, H. (1964). I never promised you a rose garden. New York: Holt, Rhinehart, & Winston.

A novel describing an adolescent girl's successful struggles with depressive and psychotic symptoms in a psychiatric hospital.

Hamilton, J. (1994). A map of the world. New York: Anchor.

A wonderful book about the tremendous range of reactions (both positive and negative) of a bright and insightful woman following the death of a child left in her care. A friend described the narrator's personal conversational style as "like a talk with your best friend."

Kesey, K. (1962). One flew over the cuckoo's nest. New York: Viking.

The fictional account of a mental hospital and the healing effects of a newcomer who fought for the rights (and psychological health) of its patients -- to his own detriment.

Lamb, W. (1997). I know this much is true. New York: ReganBooks.

A novel about a pair of identifical twins, one of whom is institutionalized with psychotic symptoms. While this book is very long, it's also a fascinating look at the influences of family on each other.

McInerney, J. (1984). Bright lights, big city: A novel. New York: Vintage.

A man's struggle with "coming of age" and an exploration of his experimentation with sex and drugs in this process.

Morris, M. M. (1991). A dangerous woman. New York: Penguin.

Fiction, but a moving account of a woman's attempts to deal with a hostile and confusing world. This is a beautiful description of the impact a personality disorder may have on a person and her life, with an empathic view of gender, class, abuse and other contextual issues.

Nabokov, V. (1955). Lolita. New York: Berkley.

The fictional viewpoint of a perpetrator of child sexual abuse.

Piercy, M. (1976). Woman on the edge of time. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

A fictional account of a woman's account of insanity, deviance, and mental hospitals. Comparisons with a utopian society of the future highlights cultural assumptions related to gender roles and insanity. Particularly sensitive views of hispanic culture, life in poverty, and a woman's response to physically abusing and losing her child are present.

Plath, S. (1971). The bell jar. New York: Harper & Row.

A semi-autobiographical novel of a woman's struggles with gender roles, creativity, and depression.

Reach, J. (1967). David and Lisa. New York: S. French.

A play of Rubin's (1961) book.

Rubin, T. I. (1961). Lisa and David. New York: Macmillan.

A case study of two teenagers diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder and the healing aspects of their relationship.

Rubin, T. I. (1986). Lisa and David today: Their healing journey from childhood and pain into love and life. New York: Macmillan.

An update of his previous book.

Shepard, E. (1995). H. New York: Penguin Books.

The letters between an emotionally disturbed 12-year-old and his imaginary friend, family and support system. Interesting reading, probably a difficult "case" to diagnose.

Smiley, J. (1991). One-thousand acres. New York: Fawcett Ballentine.

A novel examining the psychological sequelae and familial dynamics resulting from incest in one family, as well as the process of regaining memories of these events.

Tan, A. (1995). One thousand secret senses. New York: Bantam.

A Chinese-American's struggle with her relationships with herself and her culture. I particularly enjoyed thinking about her Chinese half-sister who sees "ying people" -- what Americans would call "ghosts." (The ying people see the word "ghosts" as racist.) Is this an issue of us misunderstanding another culture or is Kwan "schizophrenic"?

Tan, A. (1991). The kitchen god's wife. New York: Ivy.

Two women, mother and daughter, look at the effects of domestic violence, secrets, and culture (Chinese and Chinese-American) on themselves and their families' dynamics.

Walker, A. (1992). Possessing the secret of joy. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

A novel examining an African woman's struggles with culture, gender, sex roles, and self subsequent to her clitoridectomy.