Chapters 18 & 19 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 18 begins with a reproduction of a document titled "MCLEAN HOSPITAL NURSE'S REPORT OF PATIENT ON ADMISSION," with a 1:30 PM time stamp. The brief chapter then discusses Kaysen's initial psychiatric visit, which led to her commitment. She states that her interview lasted only fifteen to twenty minutes and that no professional could possibly have diagnosed her within that short period of time. The psychiatrist, however, maintains that their initial and only encounter lasted approximately three hours during which time Kaysen was often catatonic. Kaysen reconstructs a timeline, which indicates that the doctor was probably correct based upon the timestamp of the nurse's report. The chapter ends with a reproduction of a document titled "BELMONT MASSACHUSETTS HOSPITAL ADMISSION NOTE," with an 11:30 AM timestamp. Kaysen wonders whether she was admitted at 11:30 AM or 1:30 PM; if the earlier time is correct, it would...