Examples Of Stigma In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

The Power of Stigmas: Effects of Mental Illness

From our early childhood years through adulthood, being different from others is viewed as eccentric and not consistent with societal ideals. Not fitting into a traditional group opens the door for stereotypes and stigmas to arise. False accusations and perceptions segue into a harmful societal path, which is particularly true regarding the topic of mental illness. Once general stereotypes and stigmas begin to form it leads to isolation. The effects of mental illness and the treatment of patients in institutions are explored in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Kesey’s examination reveals the root of the stereotypes and the reinforcement that is built around them. In One Flew over

The continued oppression between these groups leaves the exploited group feeling a sense of helplessness. The exploited group wants to be able to control what they do and have a sense of power over their own lives. The same is true for Ratched. She yearns for a sense of power and control, which leads her to control these men so intensely. Ratched wants to keep her slightly elevated position in society. As a woman she may be oppressed, but she doesn't want to fall below the mentally ill in the societal rung. She uses her power over the mentally ill as a means of elevating her position in society and thus provide a sense of control. Furthermore, during a group meeting Ratched attempts to make the men feel worse about themselves through confessions: “When twenty minutes had passed, she looked at her watch and said, ‘Am I to take it that there's not a man among you that has committed some act that he has never admitted?’ She reached in the basket for the log book. ‘Must we go over past history?"’ (Kesey 68). Nurse Ratched uses her position to make these men turn on each other and feel worse about themselves, which in turn makes her feel superior. The power struggle for societal and controlling power is a prevalent theme throughout the novel and Ratched versus McMurphy takes center

In an article from the Huffington Post, a mentally ill writer describes the progress made and the retractions from that progress due to mainstream media coverage. Stating that although medicine and therapy in the mental health field have helped the mentally ill make considerable advancements, social stigmas against the mentally ill remain prevalent. People are hesitant to talk about the mentally ill and media continues to reinforce these ill-founded stereotypes (Huffington Post). Society has made large scientific achievements which have led to greater care reform for patients. While the scientific advancements are a large step in the right direction, the article goes on to cover the impasse that social change is at regarding mental illness. He attributes the impasse to the media and its effect on the social standards and biases people have through constant negative reinforcement of the mentally ill. Mark Easton, a mental health researcher, delves into the effect of media on the social prejudice against the mentally ill: "I looked at the BBC news coverage of mental health since 1998 and there were well over 100 stories on their website about dangerousness, but hardly anything about innovations such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which has been a really extraordinary development in treatment for anxiety and depression" (The Guardian). Through his analysis Easton