Men Have Called Her Crazy

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussions of self-harm, mental illness, emotional abuse, and suicidal ideation. 

David invited Tendler to a concert, even though they were broken up. Tendler agreed to go, partially because she missed David but also because she wanted to seek help for her relapse into self-harm. The past two years weighed on her heavily, between her relationship with Sam, failing her cosmetology boards, her parents’ divorce, and her father’s remarriage, Tendler felt unmoored, though she did not know how to ask for help. Instead, she cut herself visibly before the concert so David would see it, hoping that he would make good on his past promise and help her talk to her parents. When David saw her cut at the concert, he was angry but agreed to talk to Tendler’s parents with her.

Tendler and David returned to Tendler’s childhood home to meet with her parents, who both awkwardly sat across from them. Tendler told them about her anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Her parents were upset that she was suffering, but her father’s first concern was how much therapy and treatment for Tendler would cost. Her mother tried to mitigate his concerns, promising Tendler they would help her, but her father reiterated his concerns about the price.