She began to self-harm and was admitted to the hospital for electroconvulsive therapy.
After a series of disappointing experiences in New York, (which would later inspire The Bell Jar) Plath was sent down a dark path. She began to self-harm and was admitted to the hospital for electroconvulsive therapy. Plath was likely suffering from some form of bipolar disorder. There were no effective medications to treat this disease during her lifetime. She was nineteen when she first attempted suicide.