In the Instructor's Manual for the Kosslyn & Rosenberg text, I included songs for each of the chapters. Here are the songs from the Disorders and Therapy chapters. Marcia Psychology Mount St. Mary's University
Disorders: â The Ballad of Charles Whitman, by Kinky Friedman, recounts the true story of August 1, 1966 when former Marine Charles Whitman went to the top of the University of Texas bell tower, opened fire, and killed thirteen people and injured far more. (For more details, see http://www.geocities.com/Texas080166/.) Lyrics from the song include âThere was a rumor about a tumor nestled at the base of his brain.â In fact, the autopsy report said there was evidence of a tumor, but the role of this tumor in Whitmanâs homicidal tendencies are not clear. â Bother, by Stone Sour, is about someone who doesnât want the help of others because he has given up on himself. He explains his feelings and ends each statement saying, âyou donât need to bother; I donât need to be/ Iâll keep slipping farther/ But once I hold on/ I wont let go âtil it bleeds.â â Anaâs Song, by Silverchair, is about a guy who loves a girl who is caught up in the world of Anorexia. He sings about the girl he loves and desires and another girl, Ana (Anorexia), that he wishes would die. â Thereâs a Tear in My Beer, by Hank Williams, is about a man who is very depressed about a love he lost, and is determined to drink until he cannot think or move. â Theyâre Coming to Take Me Away Ha-haa, by Jerry Samuels, is about a guy who claims heâs gone nuts due to a girl leaving him. He says that âtheyâ are coming for him to take him to the funny farm. â Dead Set, by Sevendust, is about dealing with depression everyday. Through the song, he talks about âdodging the grave.â At the same time, however, he realizes that death isnât the way to solve the problem. Therapy: â Basket Case, by Green Day, is the song of the neurotic narrator who says, in part, âI went to a shrink to analyze my dreams. She says it's lack of sex that's bringing me down.â Consider asking your class to identify what type of therapy this would be. â Motherâs Little Helper, by the Rolling Stones, is about a mother who medicates herself to get through her days. â Normal Like You, by Everclear, discusses the singerâs use of Prozac to try to feel normal. â Rumbleseat, by John Mellencamp, details the narratorâs struggles with depression. He considers various coping mechanisms, one of which is seeing a âshrink.â Lyrics include âWell, I could have a nervous breakdown but I don't believe in shrinks.â â Toe to Toe with the HMO, by Four Bitchinâ Babes, discusses the narratorâs struggles in getting her insurance company to provide medical coverage for the removal of an ingrown toenail. Although the medical problem is clearly different than a psychological disorder, many of the difficulties with the medical insurance company are the same. For example, the insurance company wonât cover the removal of the toenail because the toe is a pre-existing condition; rather, it insists that the entire toe be removed. It includes the lyrics âThis managed care is managing to drive me crazy.â Useful in discussing the impact of managed care on treatment.
