DSM and the Family

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Reading 9

Felsenthal, C. (1983). Portrait of a marriage. Vanity Fair. February, 1983, pp. 142-177.

This article describes the life of Phil Graham, the publisher of the Washington Post and Newsweek, who suffered from Bipolar/Manic-depression disorder. This article was written through the eyes of his wife, Kay (Katharine Meyer/Graham]. She suffered throughout his depressive withdrawals, and erratic manic episodes. Phil’s mania got him to publicly demean Kay, and have tirades in public about public figures [i.e. grabbed a microphone in a news-conference to speak about people’s private lives]. He used to call the president to tell the US president [Kennedy] that he is in the middle of having sex [i.e. an affair, which was pretty much extremely public]. Only much later was Phil get hospitalized. When he got better, his wife took him home, on discharge. Phil committed suicide that day.

End of Reading!


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