Hello :3
Mental Health has always been a large issue not only in reality, but in the world of literature as well. By saying this, I don't mean that children's literature has an underlining message portrayed with a cute little bunny 'playing' in the middle of the woods, but stories of men and women criticized by society for an illness they can't control. Mental Health is the largest reoccuring theme in the book One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, beginning with the main character Chief Bromden hearing air raids while he sweeps. The theme of Mental Health relates to the text as a whole as every character in the novel has a mental illnes they are being 'treated' for. Prime examples of these characters are McMurphy with his "Pyschopathic Tendencies", Billy Bibbit with his stuttering problem, and the main character, Chief Bromden, being deaf and dumb (mentally underdeveloped). Some may say that these patients are completely sane, however they are unique in some way deeming them unfit to survive in a normal society. That being said, they are then removed from society and placed in a mental institution, which could possibly do more harm than good.
I connect with the theme of Mental Health in a variety of ways. Throughout my family, there are distinct members who fit the description of a "Mentally Unfit Citizen" in the 1960's. My grandfather, who suffered from dimentia, continiously forgot who my family, including myself, were. In the time period of this book, my grandfather who have been sent to a mental institution on the belief that he would not be able to function in society. In modern day, people are only sent to an insitution if they have a serious illness that needs to be monitored 24/7. Therefore, my grandfather would not be sent there because he could be monitiored less often as say someone with major depression and suicidal qualities. However, for the other side of the spectrum (the people with major disorders), are sent to these insitutions for days on end. Nowadays these places are commonly referred to as a Psyche Ward of a hospital, which brings me to my second personal example. My cousin, since birth, has had traits that are frowned upon in today's society; he lies, cheats, steals, and enjoys the highs of tobacco and cigarettes. This has been a growing issue upon our family, but has always been played off as a joke. (FOR THE RECORD: my family does not make fun of mentally unstable people, my cousin just happens to be the person who is dumb enough to continue playing with the bear after he has been bit 3 times.) He would be sent to a mental institution in both the 1960's and modern society because he is classified as 'mentally unstable' by the government. That being said, how does the government deem soneone mentally unstable? Do they have a pin-up chart or something?
That last point brings me to how Mental Health connects with society. The sad truth is in our society, everyone is a little mentally unstable. Whether it be OCD, Depression, or Multiple Personality Disorder, everyone is a little crazy. Perhaps if we were living in the 1960's, we'd all be in a mental instition, which would end up just hooking us on drugs and making us all crazy.
Or you could be philosphical about this and say:-
I have to admit I could really relate to this blog. My grandma is suffering from Dementia and she needs monitoring 24/7 because she can get aggressive physically and emotionally. It’s horrible to see someone go through it, I work at a retirement home and we have long term patients in the building because they are waiting to be sent to long term. It takes about 2-3 years of wait to get into a long term care. I honestly agree with you in this blog because that the crazy now, is nearly the normal in our society! I honestly had a conversation with Brett saying I talk to myself saying to remind myself what I have to do at work! HAHA Brett said if it was 1960’s I would be put in a mental hospital... I told him since its 2012 it’s considered normal to talk to yourself I believe that the doctors know that people can overcome these mental illnesses to a certain extent. Till the day someone actually hurts themselves and lose total control of them.... Majority of the time I see so many people just be given medicine to help the illness out... I can’t imagine how much it would cost the government to shove everyone in the mental hospital now since everyone is going through depression about not having a job, no money to keep care of themselves, family and etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks :) I feel that if we were all in the 1960's we'd all be in a mental institution for one thing or another :P Also it's nice that you work in an reitrement home because when people reach that age alot of them want to see a friendly face constantly :)
DeleteI one hundred and ten percent agree with your point when you said “That being said, how does the government deem someone mentally unstable? Do they have a pin-up chart or something?” how does the government do this? Depression, Alzheimer’s, A.D.D, and A.D.H.D runs in my family. How is it that our doctors can diagnose us with these “disorders” they give my brother Shane anti-depression pills and I find that he does much better without them. When really instead of these drugs, he just needs to become more social and not trapped in his room; so I made a deal with him! It’s kind of an experiment he signed up for school, he is now working 2 days a week and he is supposed to try and eat healthier and work out! Every Sunday I go over and we have a movie night; this is supposed to keep his mind busy and not stuck on his computer in his room all day every day. We have been doing this now for 3 weeks and we have made some progress. He hasn’t taken his pills and he seems happier, but who knows maybe the drugs is what he needs and were crazy for thinking he doesn’t. I supposedly have A.D.H.D and I’m supposed to take Adderall but I stopped taking it when I was 13 because it was making me loose so much weight I was literally skin and bones. And after I stopped taking it my mood swings went down my weight came back and I seem to be normal just always hyper. I personally would rather be hyper then mellow and never in the mood to do anything. So my point is that I agree and that I think that the drugs is actually what enhance the fact that people are crazy, and that we really don’t need to have drugs for certain things.
ReplyDeleteThats good what you do with your brother :) Personally I think that if you take an illness seriously to the point where you behave differently with the person, then you are not helping them, you are making it worse.
DeleteHey Ali, I think you did a very good job on your blog. I enjoyed that you didnt take your cousins “illness” too seriously because i think that if someone has an illness of some sort. They are bound to get worse by feeling worse about having an illness. I can definetly connect to your blog because my great grandmother had alzheimer's disease, and it was so difficult to not get frustrated because she would never remember anything. HAHA at my sisters wedding she couldnt figure out why everyone was dressed up, and why we were all there. Heck she couldnt even remember whose wedding it was. And shed get upset when people would remind her of things, because she knew something was wrong with her, she just couldnt figure out what. Her alzheimer's got to a point where she’d randomly remember people and then 2 minutes later shed forget them. The saddest part was, that she only really remembered her teenage years and early 20’s. And those my friend were not good times, that was when the wars happened and the slavery and the killing of women. She remembered it like it was the time of her life. Unfortunelty she was so old that she died last year in January.
ReplyDeleteI’m kind of offended that you put OCD into a mental health category because I an very OCD. Well I guess it is kind of a mental illness, im just embarrased to edmit it. If we were living in the 1960’s we’d all be shot because we were too depressed. ( might as well put and end to their misery).
and you quoted it sister, drugs make us normal.
Thanks :) When I said OCD was a mental illness, I was referring to major Obessesion Complusive Disorder, like washing your hands until they are raw or switching the light switch on and off 6 times.
DeleteAli, excellent blog! I like how you have taken the time to raise thought provoking ideas that generated comments from your peers and that you responded back to all their comments. That is really what blogs are all about - raising questions or ranting, in order to get a dialogue going. It is also important to remember that for dialogue to occur, you need to respond back :) Good connection to literature in general rather than a specific book. I like how you talked about a common theme in a more general sense - this is something different compared to other blogs that looked at one specific idea from the text more closely (ie: fog).
ReplyDeleteMichelle - your comment about cost is important. Right now, there are debates in the media and government about labeling all food that causes diabetes, etc. because the majority of citizens are "unhealthy" and a "drain on OHIP". You have taken this one step further - what will the cost be in the future when nearly everyone is medicated or in counseling. And what a scary thought that the majority of the society will be! What does this say about our society?? Why are we unable to cope??
Sammie - thanks for sharing such a personal post. You sound like an amazing sister trying to help your brother out :)
Safia - again, thanks for the personal connection. OCD is actually listed as a mental disorder in the DSMV by the American Psychological Association. Like any other mental disorder it has varying degrees of severity and people can experience either one or both of the symptoms (obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviour). I think your connection to OCD is important - we often label ourselves as having something such as OCD (I did in class the other nigh when describing my closet, etc.). However, it is important to note that all people have OCD type behaviour but not full fledged OCD. Does this mean only a small fraction of society actually has the illness, or does it mean the majority of society does??