Conner (Depression & Sexual Abuse)

Conner is the type of guy that everyone thinks has everything. However, his past life has caused him a lot of harm. At first he has a lot of sexual thoughts. He feels like there is a sexual connection with him and his therapist that is a woman. He thinks that every girl in the treatment center wants him. Before he came to Aspen Springs he had developed a relationship with an older woman that was one of his teachers. She broke it off because of the pressure and he felt like his world was over. His controlling mother doesn't think that Conner should be on medication. She says that people who take medication are freaks; they have no future. Well this statement is NOT true. Conner therapist prescribes him Valium and Ativan to help him sleep. However, because of his mother's comments he decides to take himself off the medication. This is NOT a good thing. Someone canNOT take themselves off their own medication. It can cause the person to become even more depressed and this is exactly what happened to Conner. At the end of the book we find out that Conner's nanny touched him at the age of 12. He thought that this was the real way to show love because his mother never hugged him or showed him any physical love. He says, "woman in my life Dr. Boston, Leona, Emily--tried to please them--because of wanting attention from my mother." Conner was taught the wrong way about love because of his nanny. This sexual abuse caused him to become insecure which is why he had a lot of sexual thoughts about a lot of different woman. Conner kills himself at the end of the book because he was so depressed. This is why people should NOT take themselves off their medications. It's dangerous!