Summary
The text recounts a personal journey with mental health treatment, beginning in childhood and continuing through adulthood, challenging the notion of being labeled "crazy" and emphasizing the impact of trauma.
Abstract
The narrative opens with the author's first encounter with psychological evaluation in the first grade, initiated by their mother to demonstrate their intellectual capabilities to the school. Despite the diagnosis of trauma, presumably resulting from parental divorce, the mother holds the child responsible for not continuing treatment, which the author perceives as gaslighting. The author describes a life marked by repeated institutionalizations due to persistent trauma, yet they assert their sanity in contrast to their mother's behavior. The piece concludes with a cultural reference to a song by Suicidal Tendencies, which resonates with the author's experience of institutionalization, and a note of gratitude to Marla Bishop for a writing prompt that likely inspired the essay.
Opinions
- The author feels they were unfairly labeled with a psychological condition as a child, which they believe was a result of their parents' divorce rather than any inherent issue.
- There is a sense of resentment towards the author's mother for not only initiating the psychological evaluations but also for blaming the author for not continuing the treatment.
- The author rejects the idea that they are "crazy," instead suggesting that their mother's actions and the resulting trauma from their childhood are the sources of their mental health challenges.
- The reference to the song "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies implies that the author finds a relatable message in the lyrics, which reflects their own experiences with psychiatric institutions.
- The author seems to appreciate the community of writers or the specific prompt provided by Marla Bishop, indicating a sense of belonging or validation within that space.
