Therapy (Reader Response 6)

I wouldn't call myself a fan of Lena Dunham's work.  I just don't feel passionately about it.  Some days I find certain works interesting, other days I just don't invest my time.  That's all.  I do other things.  Watch and read other things.  "Difficult Girl" is one of her stories I did find interesting, particularly because although it reveals a very personal experience, which I don't fully identify with, its candor and voice is still captivating and makes for a good bit of reading.
Lena's story drew us into her experience with vivid imagery that took the reader by the hand and showed us the way she grew up perceiving the world, the kinds of things she noticed and the things she got stuck on.  In many ways it is one of the better representations of mental illness that I've read in a long while.  She also captures emotions without definitions in beautiful ways.  A particular favorite of mine came when she stopped working with Lisa.

I miss her the way I missed our loft after we moved in seventh grade: sharply, and then not at all. There is too much unpacking to do. 

I said I didn't fully identify with her story, although I'm certain a few would, but little bits and pieces reminded me of moments I've experienced and feelings I've shared.  Her hypochondria and self-diagnoses spoke to me not only measures about what she went through, but also how I see the world and the things I am afraid of.  I could count on one hand the number of times I've sat down with a psychologist - a fact that makes me feel both regretful and satisfied - but I can understand the sentiments Lena shares about her therapists.  Her descriptions are raw and revealing and it's difficult not to feel like you understand her experiences, when it is laid out so clearly and openly.
So I guess you could say I liked this one.