Holden Caulfield 's Mental Disorder

When a person hears the phrase, post traumatic stress disorder, most of the time they imagine soldiers returning from war to their families. However, people are not always aware that this disorder occurs in seemingly normal people. In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield seems to deal with this disorder. Looking at the surface of the novel, this is unclear. Therefore, this is an inferred trait in the novel. The reader must figure out for themselves that the protagonist retains the disorder. Holden Caulfield suffers from post traumatic stress disorder as he fits the description of symptoms and causes for his issues. Before pursuing Holden’s condition it is important to understand that the disorder can be extremely serious in some and less dramatic in others. This is determined by the cause of the disorder and how the person copes with it. There are several symptoms that clearly display this disorder and once again, it depends on the cause.

From January to July 16th under observation Holden Caulfield has been diagnosed with PTSD and Recalling of Old memories. Holden has shown signs of stage C of PTSD which is known as complex trauma disorder. Holden has said before that he is doesn’t really care for school thinks that it is a waste of his time but particularly care what his teachers care about him. Also Holden has been expelled for not putting his best work into his work he says to his teachers that he put effort into his work but in his thoughts is a different though he doesn’t care. "When I was all set to go, when I had my bags and all, I stood for a while next to the stairs and took a last look down the goddam corridor. I was sort of crying. I don't know why. I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, 'Sleep tight, ya morons!'" (Chapter 7, pg. 52) When it comes to Holden’s Future Holden tends to see himself as having no

Throughout the novel of Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is on his own psychological journey. This journey tells a lot about who Holden is as a person and the problems he is dealing with. It all starts when Holden has flunked out of Pencey Prep. His psychological struggles are triggered by the traumatic event of his brother, Allie, dying 4 years prior. The death of Allie has affected Holden in all aspects of his life, including friends, school, actions, and thoughts. This causes concern in Holden’s parents. They are concerned with his health and well-being, therefore send Holden to a rehab center. His parents fear that Holden may have Post - Traumatic Stress Disorder, and have him psychoanalyzed. So, Holden struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder because he shows the causes, symptoms, and effects of the chronic disorder.

How can one receive help if they do not know they require it? JD Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye, demonstrates through the iconic protagonist, Holden Caulfield, the struggle of mental illness. As Holden quite literally runs away from his problems, making impulsive decisions from the start, though ultimately ending up back home, there is room to infer that Holden is more than an average teenager, even to the untrained eye. Salinger depicts Holden as a good candidate for clinical depression and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The way Salinger shows Holden’s struggle shows us that if young students are screened for mental health issues early on, it can prevent destructive behavior to oneself and the others around them.

Mental illnesses plague the minds of the young and old. The causes of these illnesses vary among each individual and do not require severe instances of trauma to trigger these psychological conflicts. Salinger’s purpose in writing Catcher in the Rye is to portray an example of a psychologically troubled teenager through his memories.

For decades, Salinger has been an influence on contemporary authors who strive to question, challenge, and emulate the struggles of a society. Holden Caulfield is an interesting character that slowly falls into the world of insanity as we follow his story when he leaves his Boarding School. Salinger’s writing makes you question what our world is really like and how each generation may view his/her own world. Being caught up in Holden’s story is like a roller-coaster because he is constantly thinking of ways to proceed with his life. There are moments where we catch glimpses of his true insanity and moments were your heart catches. The Catcher in the Rye is a classic that will appease to almost anyone. Plus, come on, it was/is banned in many

I actually bumped into Mr. Caulfield’s father a corporation lawyer that informed me information about his son about Depression. When Holden Caulfield had introduced himself to me he seemed a bit mentally ill, he had this weird impression and expression like he was just uncomfortable about himself. Precisely when he illustrates,

Adolescents often experience many personal changes as they transition towards being an adult. As teenagers are in this unstable phase of life, they may experience strong feelings of sorrow and hopelessness that they are unable to manage. Depression has become a common threat to the lives of these teenagers, because of the inability of themselves and others to help. Many cases of depression can lead to the adolescent facing life-threatening problems, and becoming an outcast from society. An example of a teenager experiencing depression is Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye, a novel about a teenager fighting the idea of becoming an adult by J.D. Salinger. Throughout the novel, Holden demonstrates numerous signs that indicate he is suffering from depression. Indications of his

14.8 million Americans are affected by major depressive disorder. Around 20% of teens will face depression before reaching adulthood. Depression in adolescents may be hard to detect however, Holden experiences undeniable symptoms. Holden Caulfield’s depression is proven by his lack of a plan for his future, detachment from society, and his traumatic childhood.

The Psychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield THE SITUATION: Throughout our extensive conversation with Holden Caulfield, we have come to know him quite well, as he has revealed to us many of his most intimate thoughts and feelings about family, friends, relationships, and society. Knowing Holden on this intimate level enables us to further our understanding of his problems, concerns, and anger with people and society as a whole. We must look at and care for Holden as if we are the counselors who are responsible for diagnosing and prescribing for his current predicament. YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

We learn how a 16 year old boy named Holden Caulfield survives two days battling for his life. He is not having such a great childhood, he was recently expelled from his prep school. Holden struggles to find his inner-self and finding his sex life. He tries to find out who phonies really are in the world. Holden through out the book expresses his feeling about women and phony people in the world and he goes into great depth to talk about his mental breakdown. When we first start reading we find out that he is in a rest home "psychiatric hospital" after suffering a mental breakdown. He wasn't place at a psychiatric hospital for fun but he was placed their to recover and be put back into society. At the end of the novel he talks about how his

Psychoanalysis is a psychoanalytical theory and therapy that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the conscious and unconscious elements in a human mind by bringing fears to the conscious mind. According to Sigmund Freud, “The unconscious silently directs the thoughts and behavior of the individual” (Freud 95). Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is sixteen years old and does not act his own age for he is stuck in his own private world, filled with pain and suffering. In the novel, Holden can be observed through a psychoanalytical view, which provides the reader a clear understanding of his unconscious mind. Holden is displayed as a troubled and foolish teenager who is flunking

Holden Caulfield exemplifies many symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, with one of those being self-destructive behaviors. According to the National Center for PTSD, “many people with PTSD only use aggressive responses to threat. They are not able to use other responses that could be more positive.” People with PTSD tend to display their self-destructive behaviors in a form that is primarily aggressive, angry, or impulsive. Individuals with PTSD act calamitously in order to protect themselves from the dangerous situation that frequently triggers their PTSD. Moreover, since these individuals are behaving in a way that is alleged to protect themselves from harm, their behaviors tend to be more severe and dangerous, like the fight

Although it’s not explicitly said, I can infer that Holden suffers from a mental illness.

Psychoanalytic is a theory that emphasizes on analysing an individual’s actions based on their conscious and unconscious mind. The Catcher in the Rye is a novel written by J.D. Salinger that talks about a character named Holden Caulfield dealing with acceptance of him growing up to be an adult. The novel is better understandable from a psychoanalytical perspective than an existential view because Holden’s behaviour and actions are be better comprehensible based on his mental state and how his mind reacts to different sections in the book. Holden has a strong train of thought of the world he lives in as being phony, so he pictures the world differently, as well as keeping himself isolated from it. His character and way of thinking shows him as a person who refuses weakness, however he does show sympathy and caring to those who are weak or vulnerable. Holden is in a battle within his mind on whether to grow to be an adult or to stay innocent, but to everyone he meets, he aspires to protect their innocence.