I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg Essay examples -

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg Schizophrenia has long been a devastating genial illness and only tardily have we begun to see an improvement in our capabilities to treat this disorder. The development of neuroleptics such as, Haldol, Risperidal, and Zyprexa have given psychiatrists, psychologists and their patients great hope in the battle against this mental disease. However, during the 1960s, drugs were not available and psychologists relied upon psychotherapy in order to treat patients. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, is a description of a sixteen-year-old girls battle with schizophrenia, in the 1960s. Deborah Blaus illness spanned three years, in which she spent her life in a mental institution. The book itself is a semi-autobiographical account of Joanne Greenbergs experiences in a mental hospital during her own bout with schizophrenia. She presents her experiences by relating them to Deborah. The legend was written to help fight the stigmatisms and prejudices held against mental illness. In the late 1960s, reactions to mental illness generally devolve between two polarized attitudes. One, popular with the counterculture generation, romanticized mental illness as an altered state of consciousness that was rich in artistic, creative inspiration. The protagonist of this myth was the hurt artist who poured out his or her soul in writing or art between periods of mental breakdown Sylvia Plath, Vincent Van Gogh, and Virginia Woolf are only a few such individuals whose artistry is practically inseparable from the idealized myths of their mental instability. Often their periods of mental breakdown were a source of inspiration, but before unmatchable romanticizes their mental illnesses, it necessary to remember that all three committed suicide.On the other end of the spectrum, mental illness was stigmatized as a weakness or fatal flaw on the part of the sufferer. Even today, many uninformed people regard mental illness as a stigmat ized condition, shrouded in fatal secrecy and negative stereotypes, to be described with frightening or belittling euphemisms. In the late 1960s, when Greenbergs novel was published, mental illness was even more be amiss and feared. The reading public had absorbed centuries of inaccurate information about mental illness, all based on prejudice, ignorance, and fear.Because of he... ... is sufficient to treat schizophrenia. Still, these new findings certainly do not invalidate the importance of empathy and understanding in the treatment of schizophrenia. Greenbergs desire to garner sympathy, respect, and understanding for sufferers of mental illness is still a valid concern, and her novel remains valuable as a sympathetic portrayal of mental illness. Although this novel uses outdated treatment methods, it does succeed in allowing the reader to see into the sound judgement of a mentally ill person. Greenberg portrays the problem of mental illness from different perspectives. She de tails Jacob and Esther Blaus struggle with self-doubt, blame, and the stigma of their daughters sickness. The novel also portrays the difficult, stressful work take of the medical professionals and the staff who work with mentally ill patients. However, most importantly, Greenberg portrays the experience of mental illness from the patients point of view. Struggling with mental illness is not glamourous or easy. The road to recovery is lined with setbacks, doubt, and fear. It takes a great deal of courage and perseverance on Deborahs part to face her illness and fight it through with(predicate) treatment.