How Is Holden Caulfield Mental Illness

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Holden Caulfield struggles with mental illnesses, which puts him in a mental institution talking to a psychoanalyst in the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”. Holden being in a mental institution is necessary for him to recover. People with serious mental disorders are admitted into mental institutions for various amounts of time. Mental institutions are necessary and helpful to people, such as Holden Caulfield, with many types of disorders and are effective for a majority of people and result in patients being grateful for their time spent at mental institutions. Depression, anxiety disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders are all examples of reasons people are admitted into mental institutions. A few symptoms of depression …show more content…

I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would've done it, too, if I'd been sure somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn't want to bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was on gory” (Salinger 117). The hopelessness Holden feels, by wanting to commit suicide, is a serious sign of depression. Depression can be caused by trauma, which Holden has experienced. “When people experience, and early age. It can cause long-term changes to these green she just needs more likely to when people experience, and early age. It can cause long-term changes how brains respond to fear and stress. These brain changes May explain why people who have a history of childhood trauma are more likely to experience depression”. (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Holden frequently talks about his brother Allie who died at an early age, which was a very traumatic experience, therefore playing a role in his depression. Depression can be treated effectively through different types of therapy which can be even more helpful through mental institutions, which is what Holden ends up doing in order to …show more content…

From depression to eating disorders, depending on the severity, mental hospitals are helpful to struggling people of all ages. Holden Caulfield’s decision to be admitted into a mental institution was a big step towards recovery. Holden was alienated for almost his entire life, and he dwelled on Allie’s death which sent him into depression. Holden is now missing the people who were in his life before the mental institution. Holden still is uncertain of where he is going in his life, but he is still making progress. As The Washington Post, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Dena Kleiman describes, mental institutions are strict, but they also give the patients what they need. Some patients can be in a mental institution for their whole life, but others can get out if they aren’t a danger to themselves or others. Many patients know they will never leave, but Holden will because everyone is asking questions about what he is doing for school next