Who should I write about for a therapy class?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I have to write about a historical figure or celebrity for my online psychotherapy class. I am wondering if anyone has any ideas of someone who is noted for needing therapy that I could obtain his or her writings or interviews or anything else. I have some ideas, but I thought it would be fun to get more ideas. What do you think?

[barbszy]

DeBora, there is a lot of flap about Angelina Jolie at the moment. Someone has decided that people who have many children really have deeper personality problems. You can read a response to that here.

Then again, there's always Lewis Carroll

[DeBora4BobbyL]

That is very interesting about Angelina Jolie. I know she had a troubled childhood and she broke off with her father.

Can you believe that I don't know who Lewis Carroll is? lol

Brittany Spears would be perfect because she is a danger to self or others and she has to get therapy, whether she wants it or not. I believe her to have Bipolar I with psychotic features. But, I could be wrong. I am not going to write a paper on her because she is so popular that I bet several others write about her.

I am trying to find someone who is suicidal or has committed suicide. Someone mentioned Shirley McClain yesterday. I will have to look her up later. The person has to be someone that any educated person knows. I thought about Leif Garrett, but I doubt young people would know who he is, but he is a piece of work.

Anther one I thought about is Brian Keith. His DD committed suicide and he committed suicide 10 weeks later while battling emphasema.

Then I thought about more historical people such as presidents or even further back in history. I want a knock your socks off person.

[barbszy]

Well if you're looking for suicidal then your classic literary choice would be Sylvia Plath.

[ajrsmom]

Phil Hartman's wife, Brynn Hartman would be interesting to me. Then again, not a lot of people probably remember when she shot him and then killed herself.


I had a huge crush on Leif Garret when I was younger. Talk about being a troubled person. He fits the bill.

Kurt Cobain would be another one that the younger people could relate to.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Kurt Cobain would be another one that the younger people could relate to.

Ding, ding, ding!!! I don't know why he didn't enter my mind. I talk to his aunt all the time. She could also give me information that I could not get in books or anywhere else. Kurt Cobain would be the perfect person! I will get in touch with Mari and hopefully she will get back to me soon.

[Joy]

Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland.
I was actually going to suggest Sylvia Plath also. I have recently read a fictional account of her last months of life, but they were based on her writings and diaries.
Hope the Kurt Cobain angle works out. It is nice to know someone who was actually close to him.

[barbszy]

Joy, I don't know if I could handle a book like that! It must have been very depressing to read. Even just reading her poetry is depressing.

Glad you found a subject for your paper, DeBora!

[Joy]

Barb---The book was called Wintering and you are right it was very depressing. I only read it because it was the selection for my local book discussion group. If I remember right, there wasn't one of us who enjoyed the book. I did however do some research on Slyvia Plath after reading the book and found her and her life to be quite interesting.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Joy, it is a plus that you work in a library and have such a wealth of knowledge.

I am waiting on Kurt Cobain's aunt to respond to my email. She sometimes answers very quickly. Other times, it is forever before she answers. She is such a busy woman. If she doesn't answer after too much time, I will pick someone else. But, if she is close to home, I should hear from her in a reasonable amount of time. She has told me so much in the past, but I didn't take notes or even think a whole lot about it since I wasn't a fan of his. When she and I do talk, it isn't about her nephew.