The IVC Borderline Literary Journal

Elton John: Bulimia Breaks Rock Icon - by Isac Ponce - English 009

When we read Susanna Kaysen’s memoir Girl, Interrupted in English 009, many of my students strongly react to one of the characters on the ward, Daisy, who clearly suffers from an eating disorder.  The details of her condition are not necessarily spelled out, but it opens up a classroom discussion of bulimia and anorexia.   We talk about self-esteem and self-image.  In Daisy’s case, we look at the effects of drug abuse: Colace, Ex-Lax.  In his mental illness research paper, Isac draws a connection between Daisy and Rock Icon Elton John’s struggles with weight loss.   Isac paints a powerful, disturbing, and often intense  picture of a man we thought had it all.

To read Isac's complete essay, please click onto the following link: https://www.ivcborderline.org/2018/09/elton-john-bulimia-breaks-rock-icon-complete-essay-by-isac-ponce-english-009.html

To see Elton talk about the struggles of  his recovery with Oprah,  please click on the following video:

 

Brooke Shields: Depression Rains Down on Her Star - by Oscar Garnica - English 009

When Hollywood Icon Brooke Shields gave birth to her first baby, nothing could prepare her for the feelings that followed.  First, she came home from the hospital totally exhausted, but what really brought her down was a sense of panic that she hand never experienced before.  Let’s remember this: For most of her life Brooke had lived the pressure and anxiety of being a major motion film star, but once she made it to her bed, she could hardly move. In this excerpt from his English 009 research paper, Oscar explores the phenomenon of post-partum depression. He writes this sadness is  shockingly common, but because young mothers feel strapped with guilt, they are reluctant to come forward and seek help.  According to Oscar we need to remove the stigma associated with the condition.  He lashes out at critics like Tom Cruise.  We need to give voice to women who suffer in silence.

To read Oscar's complete essay, please click on the following link: https://www.ivcborderline.org/2018/09/brooke-shields-depression-rains-down-on-her-star-complete-essay-by-oscar-garnica-english-009.html

To see Brooke Shields share her post-partum depression experience in a live press conference setting, please click on the following video:

 

 

Marilyn Monroe: Woman Split in Two - by Lynette de Leon - English 009

In one of our research workshops this summer, we read about the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe.  In 1962, the famous movie star was found face-down dead in her Brentwood apartment from an apparent barbituate overdose.  For many reasons, we will never know the real truth of Marilyn’s untimely death, but here Lynette has chosen to write about the struggles Marilyn experienced in her short, but complicated life.  From an early age, Marilyn was separated from a paranoid-schizophrenic mother and placed in an orphanage.  Her grandmother also suffered from mental illness – she died in an asylum.  It was just a matter of time, Marilyn may have feared, before she would suffer the same fate.  In her English 009 research paper, Lynette focuses upon Norma Jeane, the woman off the screen we barely knew.  Lynette explores a lifetime of depression and drug abuse.

To read Lynettes research paper in its entirety, please click on the following link: https://www.ivcborderline.org/2018/09/marilyn-monroe-woman-split-in-two-complete-essay-by-lynette-de-leon-english-009.html

To see one of Marilyn's best on-screen performances, please click on the following video:

 

Schizophrenia: A Mental Puzzle - by Sergio Cota - English 009

To research our mental illness topics, we often read things we find difficult.  Maybe the language is full of jargon.  Maybe the writing seems really boring.   Often it is our lack of familiarity with the subject that slowed us down.  But, that didn’t stop Sergio from developing a fine paper about schizophrenia and the famed mathematician John Nash.  Sergio was guided by a strong sense of purpose.  Once he began developing a working knowledge of his topic, he delved deeper below the surface.  His writing introduces the complexity of schizophrenia and its treatment.  More importantly, he writes in glowing terms about a man committed to live a normal life.

To read Sergio's complete essay, please click on the following link: https://www.ivcborderline.org/2018/09/schizoprhenia-a-mental-puzzle-by-sergio-cota-english-009.html

To see a John Nash portrayed in a short clip from the film Beautiful Mind, please click on the following video:

 

 

Princess Diana: The Pressures of Living Life Under the Microscope - by Janet Baxter - English 009

In our English 009 reading of the Susanna Kaysen’s memoir Girl, Interrupted we came across a character named Daisy.  Susanna had been committed to a mental hospital for her borderline personality disorder. Daisy had an eating disorder. The two developed a friendship through the exchange of valium and laxatives.  It didn’t take long for Janet to identify comparable behaviors between Daisy and her research paper subject Princess Diana.  In the following essay, Janet details the overwhelming pressures many young women struggle with to maintain or lose weight.  She also writes of Princess Diana’s courage to open up about her eating disorder in public.  Because of her admission, many other people have since confronted their problems and sought treatment. Sadly, too little and too late for Daisy.

To read Janet's complete research paper, please click on the following link: https://www.ivcborderline.org/2018/06/princess-diana-the-pressures-of-living-life-under-the-microscope-complete-essay-by-janet-baxter-engl.html

To see Princess Diana speak for herself on bulimea nervosa, please click on the following video:

 

 

Postpartum Depression Strikes Celebrity: Adele Talks About Her Experience - by Mildred Renteria - English 009

I didn’t know this until I read halfway through Mildred’s mental illness project research paper, that Mildred’s own mother had suffered from post-partum-depression.  In her writing, Mildred compares her mother’s experiences  to what she read of Adele on the college databases.  According to Mildred’s research, approximately 70% to 80% of women will experience post-partum depression, and in 2018 there were 4 million cases in the U.S.  Some day, in the not-too-distant future, Mildred says she will begin planning a family herself, and when she does, she will now have the insight, knowledge, and self-awareness to provide better care both for herself and for her baby.

To read Mildred's complete research paper on post-partum depression, please click on the following link: https://www.ivcborderline.org/2018/06/postpartum-depression-strikes-celebrity-adele-talks-about-her-experience-complete-essay-by-mildred-r.html

To find out more about Adele's personal struggles with the birth of her child, please click on the following video:

 

 

Kevin Love's Greatest Achievement - by Jose Meza - English 009

When you watch an NBA game, you may think you are watching some extremely well-paid people living out their dreams, but there is a part of the game you will never see. In English 009 Jose has based his mental illness research paper upon the clinical depression of Cleveland Cavelier forward Kevin Love.  For all the money he makes, and all the adulation he receives, Kevin has battled with darkness and demons and struggled with loneliness and confusion.  In his research paper, Jose details an illness that is more common than we think.  Jose admires Kevin Love’s courage to come forward about his condition.  We hope Jose’s writing will open up important discussion both inside and outside the classroom.

To read Jose's complete essay about Kevin Love, please click on the following link: https://www.ivcborderline.org/2018/06/kevin-loves-greatest-achievement-complete-essay-by-jose-meza-english-009.html

To watch an interview where Kevin speaks to his depression and anxiety, please click on the following video:

 

Elon Musk: The Rise and Fall of a Billionaire - by Elijah Ramos - English 009

When you read Elijah’s research paper about entrepreneur Elon Musk, you just might think of Vincent van Gogh.  Both were visionaries in their respective fields, but at the same time, their realities were a mixed pattern of incredible “highs” and devastating “lows.” Despite their successes, they both suffered from extreme bouts of depression.  Elijah’s writing conveys a complex relationship between what we read of Elon Musk and a difficult human being.   From his leadership role, Elon may have wanted us to think he was impenetrable, but recently he has began to share his mental health issues in a series of public tweets.  Elijah captures what the man has kept bottled up inside of him all of these years.  Our  hope with these essays is readers may gain a greater compassion for themselves – It’s never too late to open up our hearts and release our pain and sadness.

To read Elijah's complete essay on Elon Musk, please click on the following link:  https://www.ivcborderline.org/2018/06/elon-musk-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-billionaire-complete-essay-by-elijah-ramos-english-009.html

To learn more about the Titan of the Tech Industry, please click on the following video: 

 

Drew Barrymore: Cycle of Addiction - by Leiah Vega - English 009

For the subject of her mental illness research paper, Leiah chose a story with a happy ending.  Drew Barrymore was born into a sordid environment.  Her parents were hippies and drug users.  At age nine Drew was already smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.  At age 11, she was smoking weed, and cocaine was soon to follow.  Drew was thrust into what is commonly referred to as the “cycle of addiction.” For the rest of her life, she has worked steadfast to get off and stay off it.  Luckily for her she was able to find the support and treatment she needed.  Below, Leiah examines what could happen to a young child exposed to drugs at an early age.  When drugs and alcohol are normalized,  addiction may be soon to come.  Drew's life could have ended in tragedy, but she didn't allow her childhood traumas to define her.  Right in front of us - in the public eye -  she has shown that recovery is very possible. 

     To read Leiah's complete research paper on Drew Barrymore, please CLICK on the following link: http://www.ivcborderline.org/2017/12/drew-barrymore-cycle-of-addiction-by-leiah-vega-mental-illness-research-paper-english-009.html

     To see a glimpse of Drew before the drug use, please CLICK on her interview below with Johnny Carson:

 

Emma Stone Greatest Role: "To Be Bigger than Her Anxiety" - by Marla Valdez - English 009

When Emma Stone was only seven years old, she suffered crippling bouts of anxiety. Every day she worried about everything she would have to do and everyone she would have to see.  Often she couldn’t calm down enough to leave the house -- she missed a lot of school time.  But, when her parents were able to get her help, everything changed.  Below, Marla’s research paper explains how Emma learned to cope with her emotions through performance art.  By acting in youth theater, Emma learned how to focus upon what was in front of her:  “That’s the antithesis of anxiety,” she once said.  Marla sees Emma as an excellent role model for young people who  struggle to control their fears.

     To read Marla's complete essay, please CLICK on the following link: http://www.ivcborderline.org/2017/12/emma-stone-greatest-role-be-bigger-than-your-anxiety-by-marla-valdez-mental-illness-research-paper-e.html

   To see Emma share her thoughts about anxiety with kids, please CLICK on the video below: