Prozac Nation chronicles a brilliant 19-year-old woman's struggle with depression. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Wurtzel is an aspiring writer and freshman at Harvard University. With a childhood plagued by divorce and abandonment, Lizzie has a history of depressive episodes and self-confidence issues. The book is set in the 1980s, when mental illness was a taboo subject and medications for psychiatric disorders were rarely prescribed. Lizzie definitely meets the criteria for abnormal behavior and major depressive disorder and tries to address them throughout the book. Even if his efforts are misguided, they are certainly typical of a person suffering from his disorder. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Lizzie, who suffers from a major depressive disorder, exhibits many common symptoms of depression. The book is mostly set in the present day, but includes flashbacks to his childhood, where he also displays many significant symptoms, such as social isolation. Currently, she describes feeling empty, hopeless and pessimistic. Even though he doesn't admit it openly, it's clear that he feels extremely guilty about his condition. She cries in her mother's arms as she screams over and over how sorry she is. Lizzie also suffers from a lack of energy, evident when she is unable to get out of bed in the morning. This affects his schoolwork and his passion, writing. On the other hand, he also has difficulty sleeping and at some point even goes several days without rest. She can't concentrate on work or writing, which frustrates her and makes her even more irritable. Irritability is a common symptom of depression, especially in adolescents who are unsure how to regulate their emotions (NIMH, n.d.). He also turns to drugs and alcohol to ease the pain, which is very common for people with any mental illness. Perhaps the most alarming symptoms of Lizzie's depression are her suicidal ideations and self-harm. A flashback shows a young Lizzie cutting her leg, while a present-day shot shows her cutting her wrists. He admits to having suicidal ideation towards the end of the story. All symptoms mentioned are in line with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, n.d.) guide to depression. The author did a great job portraying someone with depression; Lizzie is shown suffering from almost all of the common symptoms of depression and talks about how her life experiences have led her to her current state. It is tremendously common for depressed people to be able to identify causal factors for their illness, although some people may not be able to find any reason. Lizzie has experienced many traumatic and heartbreaking events in her life that have led to her current state. Her parents divorced when she was only two years old; it was a bad breakup and led to many tumultuous years. Her father disappeared when she was fourteen, causing a lot of abandonment issues for Lizzie. Major life changes, trauma, and overwhelming stress are common causes of depression (NIMH, n.d.). Furthermore, she describes her mother as overly involved and overbearing, which leads Lizzie to place unrealistic expectations on herself. All these events from her childhood definitely trigger her depressive episodes, as do present-day events like breaking up with her boyfriend and fighting with her best friend. These types of interpersonal conflicts can certainly lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, guilt, and ultimately depression. During a flashback, it is revealed that Lizzie was put into therapy at a young ageage. However, she stopped treatment and is now totally against it. When her mother suggests it again after finding out that Lizzie is isolating herself, Lizzie is combative. Eventually she agrees and begins seeing a psychiatrist every week. Participate in individual talk therapy and eventually start Prozac, an antidepressant. This is a common course of action according to the National Institute of Mental Health; usually, talk therapy is used at first. If this is not completely effective, a drug regimen is often added. If these treatments still do not help the client, then, rarely, electroconvulsive therapy is considered (NIMH, n.d.). This is the path Lizzie also followed. First, she tried talk therapy, and when she was still very symptomatic, her psychiatrist started her on Prozac. At the end of the book, Lizzie admits that she is starting to feel better. She says she is recovering the same way she fell into the disease: “Gradually and then suddenly,” which is very common for people suffering from depression. Depression often has an immeasurable impact on the family and friends of the person suffering. It can put a strain on relationships and cause family and friends to think they are to blame for the other person's illness (Croft, 2016). This certainly rings true for Lizzie and her loved ones. His mother appears to be the person most affected by his depression. Sometimes she blames herself, sometimes she even dares to blame Lizzie for her own illness. This is common for people trying to support someone suffering from depression; they may feel helpless and angry at the same time (Croft, 2016). The portrayal of Lizzie's mother is very realistic and heartbreaking. She just wants to see her daughter return to her former self, to be able to write and make her dreams come true. When Lizzie isn't at that point in her recovery yet, it's frustrating for the whole family. It cannot be ignored that Lizzie is particularly difficult to manage during her depressive episodes; he lashes out at his family, behaves irresponsibly, and excludes others. However, these are all characteristics of someone who is in deep pain. The portrayal of her best friend and boyfriend is also perfect. At first, they try to be supportive and loving, but they grow tired of providing for Lizzie and eventually cut off contact altogether. This is unfortunately common among friends and family who do not understand depression (Croft, 2016). Prozac Nation is a deep look into the life of someone suffering from depression. Lizzie suffers from many of the most common symptoms of this disease, which are successfully described throughout the book. As someone living with major depressive disorder, it's refreshing to read literature that isn't afraid to show the ugly side of mental illness. Lizzie tends to act out when she's in trouble, lashing out at family and friends, experimenting with drugs, sex and alcohol, and arguing with her therapist. I tend to "act out" and experience the symptoms internally, without giving others any idea that I'm struggling. Although Lizzie and I are different in this regard, the underlying disease is still the same. It's exhausting to live with depression and battle your mind. There are few other illnesses that feed on themselves like depression does. It's difficult to ask for help because of the overwhelming stigma, an unfortunate truth that was relevant both in the 1980s, where the book is set, and in the present day. While reading the novel, we may find ourselves saddened, shocked, and intrigued by many chapters. Reading about how Lizzie lashes out at her loved ones and then apologizes profusely was painful to digest because it shows the true reality of depression.