One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest

As medical advances are being made, it makes the treating of diseases easier and easier. Mental hospitals have changed the way the treat a patient's illness considerably compared to the hospital described in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

" Please understand: We do not impose certain rules and restrictions on you with out a great deal of thought about their therapeutic value. A good many of you are in here because you could not adjust to the rules of society in the Outside World, because you refused to face up to them, because you tried to circumvent them and avoid them. At some time - perhaps in your childhood - you may have been allowed to get away with flouting the rules of society. When you broke a rule you knew it. You wanted to be dealt with, needed it, but the punishment did not come. That foolish lenience on the part of your parents may have been the germ that grew in to your present illness. I tell you this hoping you will understand that it is entirely for your own good that we enforce discipline and order." (Kesey 188).

This comment made by the " Big Nurse" in the story implies that she is telling the patients that the reason they have this disease is that they want to receive punishment when they did wrong or to attract attention to themselves. In no way is this the case with schizophrenia. The patients did not develop this illness because of lack of discipline from their parents or because the wanted attention. This dreaded disease is one that is unexplained and a cure is has yet to be found, although there are ways to treat the illness at the present time.

Every year one hundred thousand young Americans are diagnosed with the disease schizophrenia (Carman Research). Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that is associated with unnatural behavior or thinking . The disease usually affects people during the late adolescence stage or early adulthood, typically during this time they develop the symptoms linked to the disease.

The most typical symptoms of schizophrenia are things such as, hearing things that others cannot, such as voice of people whispering, having a feeling that someone is going out of their way to make sure they harm you, having visions of things that people around you cannot see, receiving special messages from the television, radio, and other appliances, felling that you posses special powers that cannot have, having the feeling of strange sensations in or on your skin, having trouble expressing your self verbally to people around you. In addition, when a person feels compelled to withdraw themselves from social meetings, family situations, and the work place. (Carman Research).

Despite the severeness of the disease, there are ways of treating it today. A psychiatric professional stated, "Schizophrenia is not the dreaded disease it was about thirty years ago. Now, with early diagnosis, speedy initiation of treatment, careful monitoring of medication, regular follow-up, proper residential, vocational and rehabilitative support systems in place, the long-term outcome is quite favorable."

Treatment for the disease involves three main areas that are focused on to suit each individual patient's needs. The patient must be hospitalized, medication, and awareness.

Hospitalization and regular check ups are necessary when a person first becomes ill with schizophrenia. Usually, they are admitted into a hospital. This allows doctors to observe, and diagnose a patient so that the proper medication can be given under the supervision of a trained staff

Medication is the major treatment; the drugs are used to keep the patient's illness under control, although this can have its down sides. There is no way a doctor can be sure a medication will be the correct one for a certain patient. This means the medications must be experimented or played with until the right drug and dosage is found. If the wrong medication was to be administered side, effects such as dry mouth, drowsiness, stiffness, restlessness or even send a patient in to depression.

Educating the patients and their