Ellen West
Encyclopedia
Ellen West was an anorexia nervosa
patient who became one of the most famous examples of existential
analysis. Her troubled life ended in suicide
by a lethal dose of poison
at age 33.
In 1944, her Swiss psychiatrist, Ludwig Binswanger
(1881–1966), published a disturbing report of West's life. Her private diary and poetry, which contained explicit details of her emotions and psychological state, were used in the account.
wrote a poem called "Ellen West."
Alternative rock band Throwing Muses
recorded a song called "Ellen West" on their 1991 album The Real Ramona
.
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
patient who became one of the most famous examples of existential
Existential therapy
Existential psychotherapy is a philosophical method of therapy that operates on the belief that inner conflict within a person is due to that individual's confrontation with the givens of existence. These givens, as noted by Irvin D...
analysis. Her troubled life ended in suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by a lethal dose of poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
at age 33.
In 1944, her Swiss psychiatrist, Ludwig Binswanger
Ludwig Binswanger
Ludwig Binswanger was a Swiss psychiatrist and pioneer in the field of existential psychology...
(1881–1966), published a disturbing report of West's life. Her private diary and poetry, which contained explicit details of her emotions and psychological state, were used in the account.
In popular culture
Poet Frank BidartFrank Bidart
Frank Bidart is an American academic and poet.-Biography:In 1957, he began to study at the University of California at Riverside and went on to Harvard, where he was a student and friend of Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop...
wrote a poem called "Ellen West."
Alternative rock band Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the...
recorded a song called "Ellen West" on their 1991 album The Real Ramona
The Real Ramona
The Real Ramona is an album by Throwing Muses. Released in 1991, it was the last album recorded by the band before the departure of founding member Tanya Donelly....
.