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Holden Caulfield Ptsd

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Holden’s Diagnosis In The Catcher in the Rye Holden tells us the story of how he got into a mental institution. The 17-year-old is presented as an anti-phony, anxious, and an angry teenager. Holden deals with a lot in the novel like being kicked out of school, getting beat up, and struggles with the death of his brother Allie. It is clearly shown in the novel that Holden is dealing with some serious mental health issues. These issues that he goes through spiral him into a downwards slope later on in the novel. Holden Caulfield shows signs of PTSD and anxiety throughout the novel, the first sign being the death of his brother. The loss of his brother led Holden to display many traits of someone suffering from PTSD. Some of his …show more content…

An example of this was when Holden had a panic attack in chapter 25. “Every time I'd get to the end of a block I'd make believe I was talking to my brother Allie… And then when I'd reach the other side of the street without disappearing, I'd thank him. Then it would start all over again as soon as I got to the next corner. But I kept going and all” (Salinger #). A panic attack is a massive red flag of anxiety. Other symptoms that Holden displays is having gray hair, telling the reader how he is nervous, and wanting to commit suicide. Anxiety can eventually lead to a worse mental health state. “It's also common to have depression that's triggered by an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or separation anxiety disorder. Many people have a diagnosis of both an anxiety disorder and clinical depression”(mayoclinic.org). However, there are solutions to help with anxiety. Holden would recover best if he sees a therapist and spends time at home, instead of boarding school. He will be able to have multiple people talk to about his struggles. The therapist can help him learn different ways to deal with anxiety and PTSD. The New York Times explains how talking about personal issues to others will help them cope with the problems they are dealing with. “Sometimes you just need to let out how you’re feeling with no real plan for a solution”(nytimes.com). Overall if Holden follows those two recommendations, he is more likely to improve his mental and physical

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The main character, Holden from “The Catcher in the Rye” is presumed to be suffering from PTSD due to him going through a traumatizing event and later showing symptoms. PTSD is a serious medical condition that the person suffering from it, can not help, however there are treatments for it. PTSD stands for “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”, It can affect anyone at any age. Most people who get it have lived through a traumatizing or dangerous even that damaged their mental psyche. Holden’s brother, Allie died and that affected him very negatively because him and Allie shared a very close bond with each other.

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Holden Caulfield is the victim of several traumatic events. In a short amount of time, he loses his younger brother and witnesses the suicide of a classmate. It becomes difficult for him to remain positive. He develops extreme anxiety. “Everytime I came to the end of a block and stepped off the goddam curb, I had this feeling that I’d never get to the other side of the street.

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At the end of the novel, when Holden is finished telling his story, he says that he could probably tell us about how he got sick. He also acknowledges “the one psychoanalyst guy they have [there]” who asks if he is going to start applying himself (234). The fact that there is someone analyzing his behavior is a clear indicator that he shows signs of mental illnesses. Holden dodges any questions about his feelings of what happened to him because he does not know how to feel. The psychoanalyst also asks Holden if he is going to start applying himself in school more, but Holden does not fully answer the question.

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Sickness comes in many forms, but perhaps the most misunderstood form happens mentally. All of the events that happen to the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, are caused in some way or another by his mental illness. Holden Caulfield is a boy who drops out of school and travels to New York City. Holden makes irresponsible decisions like when he travels to New York City by himself without permission which affects him mentally. Holden’s mental illnesses affects his decision making,specifically his decision to stay in school and his inability to connect with people.

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