You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
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Janice wrote: "Is it a good place to hide their own illnesses?Lets say that the job can be a perfect fit for their personalities. If a psychiatric ward is meant to warehouse patients and not cure them, then complete control would be an essential element. Empathy would be less important and sadism would be called "treatment."
I think that there was a time when the mentally ill were helped tremendously. That was when they were allowed very long stays on psychiatric wards and a combination of medication, a structured environment and talking therapy were used. That's all gone now.
I agree with you about Chief Broom. Being paranoid, he would naturally hide from someone like Nurse Ratched who would want to control him. A rather smart defense of his part not to speak out with her around. As NR became less powerful, the fog lifted, as you say, and he began to show himself, to speak. He wasn't cured, but there really isn't a cure for Paranoid Schizophrenia.
In terms of other "mental illness," the way I see it is that some people can be helped some of the time. It depends on the fit of the therapy and the patient's support system and a lot of other things.
Western Medicine and the medical model can be helpful some of the time. But different treatments help different people. One size does not fit all.
Western Medicine and the medical model can be helpful some of the time. But different treatments help different people. One size does not fit all. Excellent point. A lot depends on a person's attitude and willingness to get better too.
One of the things that I thought about was how these men were there voluntarily and, even though they hated the place and the nurse, they stayed because they were too afraid to go back out into the world. I think this happens quite frequently. People stay at jobs or in relationships out of fear of the unknown.
Yep. I agree with everything you say. It's so much harder to change, even if it's for something better like good health or freedom, etc.. Change (the unknown) scares the sh*t out of people. As for psychiatric patents who have been discharged, there is a certain percentage that will stop taking their medicine so that they will be readmitted. They get used to the 3 square meals, medical care, having people around and the structured day. Same things happens with people who are let out of prison. They will re-offend in order to go back. No longer able to make it in the world.
What did you think of the nurse in Disturbed? She seemed to be the polar opposite of Nurse Ratchet. It seemed ironic that she was the nurse of Disturbed, while NR was nurse of a "regular" ward.To me she seemed to be one of the more likeable characters in the novel. For some reason, Chief Broom was the other notable character that I liked. How about you? Who were your likeable characters?
I've known a few people like Mack, and while they are the life of the party, they are a bit draining.
That's funny - the nurse in Disturbed didn't really register with me. Maybe that's as aspect of listening? I think there might have been a problem with the recording. A couple times I felt like I missed the end of a part. Not sure about that. Anyway, Chief was a favorite of mine. I liked Mack in the book, but you're right, in real life he would have been a pain in the neck. And he would have taken us for whatever he could.
What would you like to discuss about the novel, Anne?
I'm drawing a blank. I promise you, if I had anything else to say I wouldn't hold back. :) I think we covered the most important points, in terms of what Kesey had to say about pscyh. wards.
I agree. Shall we say the dicussion is finished for now, to be resumed if Pragya joins in?
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Of Mice and Men (other topics)Of Mice and Men (other topics)
If you have any discussion questions you want to include, please do so.
One of the questions I came upon was about Chief Broom's illness and whether or not he was ill. In the same vein, the question was asked if a person can be cured of a mental illness.
In my opinion, Chief wasn't cured although he appeared to think more coherently at the end. The fog had cleared. He came out of his self imposed isolation and started communicating with others.
As for whether or not mental illness can be cured, I really don't know. I would think that some types are not curable. Others, like depression, may go into a remission so to speak.
I do know people who think the medical model used in the west for any type of health issue is geared to keeping people sick even though medical practitioners intentions are to cure.