Mad, Bad, and Sad

Exploring the evolution of mental health understanding over two centuries, the narrative examines how perceptions of madness, badness, and sadness have shifted. Key figures, including notable women like Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath, are highlighted as both patients and therapists, revealing their significant impact on psychiatry. The author controversially suggests that while women have transformed mind-doctoring, they have also inadvertently brought attention to emerging patterns of mental illness, reflecting a complex interplay between gender and mental health.