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“No amount of serotonin will bring Darcy to the door.” Understanding mental illness in contemporary autobiogra- phical writing in English

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Szmigiero K.

Świat i Słowo

2017

vol. 15

issue (1) 28

69-84

Autobiographic writing about the experience of illness is becoming increas- ingly popular in English-language literature. Among many subjects addressed in patographies, the origin and treatment of mental disorders is a recurrent theme. Authors who have received a psychiatric diagnosis analyse the nature of their men- tal suffering, attributing it to biology, upbringing, traumatic life events or cultural stressors. Their opinions make an important contribution to contemporary discus- sions about mental health issues, gender roles and medicalisation of everyday life. The aim of this article is to present various approaches to mental illness and the brain-mind dichotomy voiced in many narratives. Although contemporary psychiatry tends to see mental disorders as brain diseases, some patients find this view reductionist as it robs them of agency. Others, on the other hand, support the biomedical model of madness and seem fascinated with neurological and bio- chemical explanations of their own moods and emotions. The third group com- prises individuals who try to find an eclectic explanation, combining biology and socio-cultural factors.

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1 Świat i Słowo

1 Szmigiero K.

1 2017

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“No amount of serotonin will bring Darcy to the door.” Understanding mental illness in contemporary autobiogra- phical writing in English