Playing the Zone Summary and Analysis

In "Playing the Zone," Goolrick discusses his time in a mental hospital. He notes that there were two wings, one for alcoholics and drug addicts and the other for the mentally insane. He was in the mental wing, after spending months severely cutting himself. He was also addicted to Afrin. He gained weight while in the hospital, and went through several therapy sessions a day, where he discussed his painful life. The only other thing he did, he now recalls, was participate in gym, where they were led through calisthenics and forced to play the drunks and drug addicts in volleyball. They were mean, aggressive, well built, and always beat the mental patients without a single point against them. When a young man came to the ward who was severely depressed, the others found themselves filled with...