Depression

The main focus of the book and the reason behind Wurtzel's behavior, depression and its many forms takes center stage throughout the novel. At times, it is as if Wurtzel is only a puppet and her actions are not her own simply because of the influence of her depressive disease.

One of the biggest hurdles for Wurtzel with her mental illness, especially in her adolescent years, is a misunderstanding of exactly what she is dealing with. Depression is not a widely talked about topic during her childhood as it is today (a fact she attributes largely to the impact and help of Prozac to millions). For this reason, her depression is seen as a problem that she needs to "just fix." There are numerous people in her life, including her mother, that treat Wurtzel's sickness as if this were behaviors that she could simply "fix" as if it...