A Disillusioned College Professor

Abstract

In this article, the author discusses the double-bind situation of being an educator in a college setting, but reluctant to disclose that which could enlighten her social work students the most—at 14 years old she experienced a complete psychotic break (catatonic-type), but completely recovered within a few months and largely without medication. Here the author acknowledges the shameful nature of contemporary controversial issues in mental health some 37 years after her own experience and includes an excerpt from “An Absence of Concern,” a work in progress, to illustrate the dynamic inner processes that remain intact during a break, but largely denied by an ignorant society.

Keywords:

• psychotic break
• catatonia
• recovery
• social work
• controversial issues
• severe mental illness

Acknowledgments

This article is an excerpt from “An Absence of Concern,” a work in progress.