Catcher In The Rye Mental Illness

There are many mental disorders that can affect any given person at any given time. People may have it for part of their life and it could become dormant, or they could live their life not knowing you have a mental disorder and then, all the sudden you become mentally unstable. Some of these disorders can be dormant for long periods of time. There are so many mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). With certain mental disorders people may develop additional disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and problems with physical and mental health. Holden shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and flashbacks. Holden will act out whenever someone references his childhood

There is more to post-traumatic stress disorder than traumatic events. People suffering from PTSD can experience trouble sleeping or feeling on edge. It is often difficult to function normally. With the right care, the person can resume normal activities. It is also common for those suffering from PTSD to adopt a service dog to help ease their fears and stress. There is medication to treat most mental health disorders, however with post-traumatic stress disorder it is extremely hard to find ways to help with the reoccurrence of the event. The effects of the trauma are complicated when people “develop disorders such as depression” (Hamblen). There are so many other disorders that are complications of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as anxiety, nightmares, overwhelming guilt or shame, irritability, angry outbursts and substance abuse. The variations of PTSD make it more complex than any other disorder. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden feels guilty about Allie’s death which is why he is depressed at times. When Holden is reminded of Allie he would think about the BB gun game. Holden “wouldn’t let him [and] told him he was a child” (Salinger 99). Holden recounts this memory every time he “[gets] very depressed” (Salinger 99). He thinks that he would be better off not getting as close to Allie so he doesn’t feel so bad for what he did and that

Post-traumatic stress disorder is caused by a highly stressful, frightening event and could occur at any time. Post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated in some cases, however in other cases it cannot be treated due to the severity of the trauma. As demonstrated through Holden’s story, he will act depressed and more mature so he doesn’t have to face his fear of getting close to anybody or facing change in his life. At the very end of the novel, Holden is at the carousel in the zoo with Phoebe. Holden enjoyed every minute watching Phoebe go around and around on the carousel. Holden soaked in her joy while tuning out everything around him. As Holden recalls some of his story and realizes he still cares for those people in his life, even the bullies, Holden reveals that he became ‘sick” and goes to California. The details are scarce, but one can assume that Holden was finally ready to accept the help that will help him to heal from the