Monday, September 2, 2013

Killing My Body to Save My Mind


This article is about the author, Lauren Slater, who has taken a drug called Zyprexa, an anti-depressant drug that has a side affect of diabetes. Lauren Slater is an American psychologist and writer, having written Opening Skinner’s Box, a critically acclaimed book that is a book about psychological experiments, however they are explained through a narrative. The author explains that she was facing severe depression and that she wanted to do anything that would help end her depression. One day her doctor says that a drug called Zyprexa, a dangerous drug that has a side effect of gaining weight leading to diabetes. The author understood this but was desperate on ending her depression, so she took the drug and soon she gained fifty pounds. Shocked the author tried to cut back on eating however the drug makes her hungry and as she gets better she eats more food. She is finally diagnosed with diabetes and knows that she will die, however she still has to take Zyprexa to stay away from depression and is taking the measures to not die of diabetes. The author uses her personal narrative as well as ideas from philosophers to convey her emotions in the essay. She explains that she is killing her body, the diabetes, to save her mind, the depression. The author is primarily addressing people who are depressed; there is no specific age. The author wants to explain to them that with this deadly drug that she is taking she cherishes life much more and wants them to understand that they do not have to go through this pain. The author uses her past experiences; however, they are in the modern world and can be used to help people who are depressed today. The author’s purpose for writing this essay was to tell readers that the body and mind do not work together, and that one should cherish life and not be depressed, or get into a situation like she has. I believe that the author has successfully been able to convey her purpose by using famous philosophers and her own experiences.

No comments:

Post a Comment