Craig Gilner Character Analysis

I have read two-thirds of, It's Kind of a Funny Story. I was supposed to stop at half way, but it is so good that I lost track of time. Craig Gilner is such an intense character with many difficulties trying to manage his stressful life. He has support from numerous people, including his family and his friends. One goal Craig is approaching, is to be a better Craig. Checking himself into the hospital for having suicidal tendencies was already a big step in trying to reach this goal. That shows how much he wants to change, when things could have very easily went a different way. The actions that Craig took that night when he called the suicide hot line demonstrates the kind of person he wants to be. Craig realizes that he needs to get better, which makes me think his motivation for completing this goal is fantasizing about how great his life is going to be when he
The most obvious conflict he faces is having depression. He has a hard time coping with everything going on in the world and struggles to manage his stress. He has something that he calls "anchors", which is things in his life that he looks at positively. They occupy his mind and the anchors make him feel good, but only temporarily. He also has something he calls his "tentacles". Which in his words are, "[...] the evil tasks that invade my life." (Vizzini, 14). Another term he uses often, especially when talking to his doctors, is a shift. Craig is waiting for this shift to occur and by his definition, the shift he is talking about is when he finally feels like his depression has diminished and he is happier. All these things are a constant battle in his head, which leads me to his next conflict. In his mind, he has made himself out to be a solider, which motivates him when he is at his low points. This conflict symbolizes the internal war that is literally ongoing in Craig's