In the treatment of mental illnesses, I believe that medications, while should not be only option, can be used if it is the best option. Also, the pros and cons of the drug must be observed. Are there side effects to the drugs? As long as a drug is effective, and does not inhibit the mental well being of the patient, I support the use of medication. If at all possible, conventional, non-medicinal treatments should be tried first (cold-wet-packing, etc...). If a majority of the population is worried about side effects, the solution is not to stop using the drugs, thus taking it away from patients who excel with it. Rather, newer drugs should be researched and put into use for old, harmful ones.

4. I really did not understand, or appreciate mental illness and the hard life such people must face. In high school they were known as the sub-losers, and the freaks. I have a relative Mike who is a schizophrenic, and obviously when I was little, I could not understand his actions. He was convinced he was under the surveillance of the FBI, and displayed erratic behavior. Mike lived across from my father's hardware store, and he would buy massive amounts of random items. He once ordered 20 sheets of glass, and they just sat in his front lawn for years. I can remember making many jokes at his expense. But they have no control over the illness, so should they be made fun of? This book also makes you think about taking things for granted. Lori had everything in her life until the day the illness started to set in. This could happen to anyone at anytime. I feel that his book has made me open minded, and has enabled me to understand more people.

dent on drugs and alcohol. To describe the suffers of schizophrenia, common terms like "mad' and "insane" are used by the outside world

6. At first, Lori's family as in denial of her illness. Even a psychologist father let it slip. Understanding how the perfect girl, who went so very bad, was impossible. She was the All American girl, who was living an active, happy life. Her father felt ashamed that his child was sick, and demanded his wife tell no one could find out about her condition. This illness seemed to challenge his ability to raise a child. Another part of his concern was how the illness would effect her maturation into an adult. He attempted to protect her future, by hiding the problems from the public. Lori's mom unwillingly agreed with her husband's decision. The lives of her two brothers were also affected. Steve was scared to bring

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lastly Lori, , Lori Lori's, Convulsive Therapy, Lori CWP, Driving Lori, Dr Dollar, mental illnesses, mental illness, outside world, calm relax, voices head, shame doubt, drug effective, anti-psychotic drugs, memory loss,
Approximate Word count = 1701
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)