Mad, Bad, And Sad

I just finished reading "Mad, Bad, And Sad: A History Of Women And The Mind Doctors" by Lisa Appignanesi.

In "Mad, Bad, And Sad"  Appignanesi uses letters, diaries and articles of sources ranging from Betty Friedan to Marilyn Monroe to show how women's ability to live creative lives has been controlled by culture, and how their unsuccessful attempts have lead to mental illness.  She begins the book with writer Mary Lamb's 1796 matricide, an early case that was the beginning of the notion of a link between "childhood experience and the deformations of the adult." From there, Appignanesi charts the lives of women in different eras, demonstrating how various forms of "madness" surfaced and tracing the evolution of treatments from early sanatoriums to newer diagnoses (such as postpartum depression) and increasing pharmaceutical options.

It's not surprising that Appignanesi's findings reveal that with new treatments come new problems; she touches on early Prozac recipients Lauren Slater and Elizabeth Wurtzel to show how a generation's "drug-charged highs too often descended into the terrifying and recurring lows of depression, which themselves became the target of more drugs."

What I liked about this book is that Appignanesi doesn't offer solutions, rather than blame men, parents, or media, her case studies contribute to the ongoing conversation about what constitutes mental illness and the ways it's treated.  Lately I've been getting into books that explore the history of psychiatry and this was a fascinating read.  I think you'll enjoy this book if you're into feminist issues or psychology.