ABSTRACT
“Horror stories” can happen in any hospital, but they are the exception, not the rule. Where do most people get their ideas about mental or psychiatric hospitals? They get them from movies, television documentaries, television news, and newspapers. But many people think hospitals are like those depicted in movies such as “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” where people in white suits run around saying “you’re not going anywhere” or trying to provoke the patients. For the people who watch these kinds of TV shows, I suggest that they think about how Hollywood portrays their own professions. You’ll find that Hollywood has much more of a need for drama and sensationalism than for reality. Have you ever watched a TV show about a topic where you really knew the facts? I’m sure you saw some distortions and artistic license in the program. When the same kind of thing is done to hospitals and the mentally ill, it scares people; this is a real disservice to the mentally ill. Those actions promote stigma, and stigma prevents people from getting help.
