Friday, December 12, 2008

Reading 578-594 & Cuckoo's Nest

After reading about anxiety disorders and mood disorders, try to connect any one character from the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to a particular disorder. Provide as much detail from the text to highlight why your chosen character may have had that disorder.

Due on Tuesday, December 16.

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19 comments:

lovejonas91 said...

After reading through the various disorders, I realized there were several that I had never heard of.

Billy Bibbit seemed to have a "specific phobia" formerly known as a "simple phobia".

When Nurse Rached found out Bibbit had some "fun" with Candy, she was quite disappointed.

For the very first time, Bibbit didn't studder when the Nurse asked him if he was ashamed.

Nurse Rached then told Bibbit that she would tell his mother what he did.

Showing a specific phobia, Bibbit freaked out and said she couldn't do such a thing.

Because of the nervousness, he committed suicide because he panicked that his mother would find out and he would get into trouble.

Bibbit was "terrified of a particular object or situation (his mother) and went to great lengths by avoiding the situation (he committed suicide).

It was not so much that Bibbit feared his mother, he feared that by her finding out that he "had fun" with Candy that he feared what she would think.

Poor Billy!!!!

~Natalie

Anonymous said...

The character in which I would like to blog about is McMurphy.

McMurphy may have the pathological anxiety: disruptive. Which as stated in the text book, carries into relationships, your job(which was mentioned in the movie that McMurphy doesn't enjoy doing.) Academic performance or everyday activities.

When first in the office with the psychologist, we find out that McMurphy is very lazy at work. His idea of a relationship is a prostitute. It could be that McMurphy has low morals, but there must be a reason for having low morals. He was distracting and disruptive in group meetings.

Although, he did speak his mind, and stand up to Nurse Racthed. I don't find any disorder in that. There is a time when you should and should not speak your mind though.

I'm not too sure of how McMurphy acted in school, but if he doesn't do well with working at a job, them I'm pretty sure that he didn't work in school... low motivation? I don't believe so. I think that he just didn't see why he should be working on anything that won't benefit him in any way.

~Nunes

lovejonas91 said...

Also, I think Charley Cheswick went through a manic episode when he was asking Nurse Ratched for his cigarettes back. Cheswick wanted his cigarettes so badly and Nurse Ratched was not being nice about the situation. She was just waiting for him to flip out. And he wanted HIS cigarettes; no one elses. When he flipped out, I think it was seen as a manic episode-- a symptom of a Bipolar Disorder.

~Natalie

Unknown said...

i belive that billy bibbet doesnt have a mental diaosrder but has a problem in which he doesnt want to disapoint his mother and like mr. yip stated hes a walkin skinner box his mother and other sticker women are in charge of him. his mother especially seems like she would never let her son disspoint her and it sounds like an inferiorty complex he feels or is inferior to his mother and nurse ratchet because hse also has the power to tell his mother everything and he hates that . this is what makes billy have his tics

MLRoxYourSox said...

Well since Billy is the hot topic right now i will talk about him.

I'm not quite sure if Billy really has a mental disorder but if i had to diagnose one it would be posttraumatic stress disorder...maybe that seems like too much? Well something must have happened in the past for him to be so scared about his mother finding out he did something bad that he had to kill himself....

I'm not sure if that diagnosis is too extreme or not but thats my opinion..

And natalie, I definately agree with you on the fact that Cheswick had a manic episode...

-Michaela L.

Unknown said...

I wanted to talk about Cheswick’s meltdown over his cigarettes before Natalie had done so, but of course she beat me to it. Anyways, I have to agree about Charlie experiencing a manic episode. Because McMurphy was there, Cheswick had been feeling empowered to make his personal feelings known. I think it wasn’t so much about getting his cigarettes; he wanted to make a scene in front of everyone and let them know just how strong he could be. This suddenly irritable mood which quickly elevated to a temper tantrum is an ideal example of a manic episode. A manic episode is a part of being bipolar, something I think is highly possible for Cheswick to possess. Bipolar disorders aren’t highly recognized by people and it’s difficult to prove whether or not someone truly has it. I think it’s difficult to tell for sure whether or not Charlie suffers from this disease, but his impulse behaviors and over-the-top emotions are suggestive of it. I’m really not too sure though. It’s just a thought.

- Katherine Gannon

Marissa Mardo said...

After reading about all the different types of disorders, I discovered that Billy Bibbit suffers from a specific phobia, also known as a simple phobia.

This disorder became evident following Billy's "fun" with Candy. When nurse Rached found out, she became very upset with Billy, and told him that she was going to tell his mother what he had done. Throughout the movie Billy would constantly but uncontrollably studder, but he didn't for the first time when nurse Rached asked him if he was ashamed of what he had done. This shows that he gained a great amount of confidence in himself.

Since nurse Rached told Billy that she was going to tell his mother on him, Billy panicked. As a result, he unfortunately committed suicide. He did this as an escape because he was terrified that when his mother found out, his reputation would be ruined.

Previously mentioned by others, I also agree that Cheswick experienced a manic episode when demanding his cigarettes back.
-Marissa

Wynne said...

I know it’s already been discussed a couple times, yet I feel a need to talk about Cheswick. He’s probably the most likeable of the mental patients in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and possibly the easiest to define in terms of saying he has a specific mental disability – a very serious anxiety disorder. His countless random attacks during the group meetings clearly represent this along with his incredible outburst about the cigarettes and the scene that followed. He screams and cries, putting his arms over his head to cover his ears and eyes. Mouth open in a saddening, childlike shriek. It could be the smallest of arguments or situations and yet he freaks out with no reason. He worries about everything. Cheswick s probably the text book definition of this type of mental illness.

One could very confidently state that he suffers from a panic condition as well – especially with his massive panic attack as he was being dragged into the electroshock room. Although I’d probably react similarly if I was being forced to suffer what Cheswick was about to endure. Yet, I surely wouldn’t cry and try to hold onto McMurphy. I’d be more liable to start a fist fight.

Bottom line: Cheswick represents a classic case of various anxiety disorders. He worries about everything and takes unease to the highest degree. He suffers from panic attacks and emotional problems. He is always trying to make friends and is extremely loyal. In physical form he is a balding, overweight, middle-aged man, yet inside he is like a nervous kid – with fears comparable to the monster in the closet. So, could he have a phobia too? I’m not sure, yet he definite has some neurotic/ anxiety issues.

Ted Wynne

Ben Pickering said...

Howdy yall,
I would like to talk about Cheswick, as i believe he exhibit the most clear signs of disorder. Cheswick certianly suffered from some form of an anxiety disorder. This is evident in his random outburts, specifically during the meetings. Another good example is when he started flipping out over the cigarettes. This shows that this hit him quick and all of a sudden he went crazy, suffering from the anxiet. Therefore, CHeswick clearly shows signs of suffering from anxiety.
Stay true,
Benjamin Miguel

Ben Pickering said...

Howdy yall,
I would like to talk about Cheswick, as i believe he exhibit the most clear signs of disorder. Cheswick certianly suffered from some form of an anxiety disorder. This is evident in his random outburts, specifically during the meetings. Another good example is when he started flipping out over the cigarettes. This shows that this hit him quick and all of a sudden he went crazy, suffering from the anxiet. Therefore, CHeswick clearly shows signs of suffering from anxiety.
Stay true,
Benjamin Miguel

dirkdiggler said...

im going to talk about little billy i think that he had a really bad anxiety disorder brought on by his mothers overbearing tendencys

Leslie said...

I don't think that Billy Bibbit had a fear of all women. I think he had a fear of women with power. If he did have fear of all women he wouldn't be able to do what he did with Candy.
In the case of his mother, he's just afraid of losing her love. As with Ratched, she had the power to use that against him. On top of that she was really good friends with Billy's mom, so that scared him even more. So I guess he had a simple phobia of women that have power.
Billy is also sucidal. He tried to take his life many times and by the end of the story he did succeed in ending his life.

mishy91 said...

I think that Billie's panic episode when Nurse Rached told him that she would tell his mother that he had sex, definfitely shows his very rocky and unstable relationship she has with anywoman. We learn about that girl that he had asked to marry a while ago, then his reaction when McMurphy said he should tell Candy he liked her. I believe that Nurse Rached is almost like a "substitute mother" to Billie, and instantly freaks out when he realizes his real mother is going to find out.

-Michelle :)

McCall Theriault said...

During the movie I thought that the main person that felt these symptoms of anxiety, was Billy Bibet!
He was very upset at the end of the movie when Nurse Rachket was going to tell his mother about the insident with McMurry's girl!
This really made him upset because of the mother issues that Billy had when he was younger. This and the added preasure from Nurse Racket and her suposuide treatment really made him go over trhe edge!

Chris said...

Mr. Yip,

After looking through the reading, I believe that, as we discussed in class, I believe that Billy had anxiety and parnoia. He would constently worry about breaking any rules in the institution. Nurse Racthed basically had him under a spell or his own Skinner box, becuase he would watch everything he would do. When he was caught with the girl, he felt that he did something wrong, becuase of the anxiety he lives with.

- Chris Esper (Period 1)

Taozoo4u said...

The person i would like to diagnose with a certain mental illness is Cheswick, I believe strongly that Charlie Cheswick has Generalized Anxiety Disorder, the way he is always worrying about what is going to happen especially when Macmurphy takes them on the fishing trip and has Charlie steer the ship, that was when i could really tell that he has GAD.

Roberto said...

Charlie Cheswick suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder is probably the easiest disorder to pick up on of the whole bunch. Like Mat said it's clearly evident that he worries about things excessively such as when he was driving the boat. I also agree with Ted on Cheswick maybe suffering from a Panic Disorder due to the Panic Attack he had experienced while being dragged off to the electroshock therapy.

Matt L said...

I feel that there is a possibility that Chief suffers from Agoraphobia. I think it is possible that he fears being caught in a social situation, so he chooses to isolate himself and pretend he is unable to speak. In doing this people do not try to approach him and just leave him alone. I think he chooses to speak with McMurphy because he feels comfortable around him and has no anxiety.

Anonymous said...

I think Natalie is wrong, Billy, CETAINLY did not have a simple phobia, Billy most likely had an Anxiety Disorder, cupled with Avoidant Personality Disorder, those two, when coupled together, fit and explain his systems.