--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When she walks in that first Monday, of…" description: "\"“When she walks in that first Monday, of course I am awake - I am always up these days - I decide to lay it down. “Look”, I say, “I snort Ritalin. That..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/elizabeth-wurtzel-1275_addiction_when-she-walks-in-that-first-monday-of-c_2538300.png" --- # When she walks in that first Monday, of course I am awake… ![“When she walks in that first Monday, of course I am awake - I am always up these days - I decide to lay it down. “Look”, I say, “I snort Ritalin. That’s what I do. I snort it all day long. I crush up the pills and inhale them like cocaine. I’m up to about forty a day. I can’t stop. I am planning…” quote by Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/elizabeth-wurtzel-1275_addiction_when-she-walks-in-that-first-monday-of-c_2538300.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/elizabeth-wurtzel-1275_addiction_when-she-walks-in-that-first-monday-of-c_2538300.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/elizabeth-wurtzel-1275_addiction_when-she-walks-in-that-first-monday-of-c_2538300.png) > ““When she walks in that first Monday, of course I am awake - I am always up these days - I decide to lay it down. “Look”, I say, “I snort Ritalin. That’s what I do. I snort it all day long. I crush up the pills and inhale them like cocaine. I’m up to about forty a day. I can’t stop. I am planning to get help, to check into rehab or something like that, as soon as this book is finished. In the meantime, I can’t stop, and I am not going to.” She looks at me impassively. “I don’t care what you think about it. So you have a choice. I can sit here and do it in front of you, or I can keep running into the bathroom so you don’t have to see. Either way, it’s going to happen, so it’s just about how bad it’s going to make you feel to watch.” She doesn’t seem to know what to say. She stares. I think she is going to cry. I think she wants to give me a hug, maybe, but there is an invisible cage, a delicate netting of glass, an ice sculpture surrounding me that no one can walk through. I’m cold. I’ve frozen into someone who just can’t be touched. I dare you to try.”” [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator confesses compulsive Ritalin abuse, feeling trapped in a self‑destructive cycle while yearning for help and connection. **In simple terms:** She admits heavy Ritalin use and feels trapped. Key Takeaway Seek help before the cycle deepens. Themes addiction despair self‑harm hope Mood desperate vulnerable Type personal cautionary When to use this quote - therapy session - emergency intervention - support group - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology substance abuse rehabilitation loneliness Questions to Reflect On - What steps can someone take to break such a cycle? - How can loved ones respond without judgment? A Different Perspective The vivid confession may glorify the struggle, risking triggering readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Ritalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritalin/) ## Related quotes > [“I can’t quite shake this feeling that we live in a world gone wrong, that there are all these feelings you’re not supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/i-can-t-quite-shake-this-feeling-that-we-live-in-a-world-gone-wrong/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“I start reading every Elizabeth Wurtzel essay with optimism, like maybe finally she put her talent to writing about something than herself, and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-crispin/i-start-reading-every-elizabeth-wurtzel-essay-with-optimism-like/) Jenna Crispin > [Ritalin abuse is a big issue in the US.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/ritalin-abuse-is-a-big-issue-in-the-us/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“She was warm and silky. 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You could bottle that stuff up and sell it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-lauren/your-voice-is-a-little-like-cocaine-you-could-bottle-that-stuff-up/) [Kimberly Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-lauren/) > [The reason I didn't like cocaine is it made me do stupid things, have stupid conversations, and stay awake until 11 o'clock in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/the-reason-i-didn-t-like-cocaine-is-it-made-me-do-stupid-things-have/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) ## More by Elizabeth Wurtzel > [Belief is a good thing in principle, but an annoying thing in human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/belief-is-a-good-thing-in-principle-but-an-annoying-thing-in-human/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [I myself am hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/i-myself-am-hell/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [I can see that I imagine all kinds of rejection that never happens. 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That’s what I do. I snort it all day long. I crush up the pills and inhale them like cocaine. I’m up to about forty a day. I can’t stop. I am planning to get help, to check into rehab or something like that, as soon as this book is finished. In the meantime, I can’t stop, and I am not going to.” She looks at me impassively. “I don’t care what you think about it. So you have a choice. I can sit here and do it in front of you, or I can keep running into the bathroom so you don’t have to see. Either way, it’s going to happen, so it’s just about how bad it’s going to make you feel to watch.” She doesn’t seem to know what to say. She stares. I think she is going to cry. I think she wants to give me a hug, maybe, but there is an invisible cage, a delicate netting of glass, an ice sculpture surrounding me that no one can walk through. I’m cold. I’ve frozen into someone who just can’t be touched. 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