A Beautifully Broken Mind
Amanda Hutchison
Stark State College
NSG 141
April 3rd, 2018
A Beautifully Broken Mind
The electricity has just gone out, the lighter can’t be found, thunder is rumbling and no one else is home. Although the surroundings are familiar, the unpredictable ramifications of the dangerous external conditions have ignited fears that aren’t usually present. Emotions heighten and negative physical symptoms start to occur, panic is starting to set in. It’s hard to conceptualize having control, when so many things are out of your control. In these times, senses increase and a “hyperarousal” type of effect kicks in. This type of situations is scary but typically ends in a pretty consistent manner; the storm stops, the electricity is fixed and emotions are quickly reregulated to baseline for that person. Try to imagine living in a state of unpredictability and fear on a continual basis, with the addition of: trickery, deception, paranoia, hallucinations, anger, confusion, chaos and discomfort. Schizophrenia, a disorder effecting beautiful minds, making them beautifully broken. Mr. John Nash stars in the movie A Beautiful Mind; he is both brilliant and broken. This movie tries to depict the life of Mr. Nash, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Although the movie is engaging and captures the viewers’ attention, it lacks in complete accuracy; some of the symptoms and experiences experienced aren't congruent with the actual course of illness. This incongruence, in my opinion, stems from an attempt to portray thoughts in a visual manner, as auditory experiences are hard to replicate. As seen in the movie, there was a slow progression into the nightmare that Mr. Nash would start living, one that he couldn’t just open his eyes and end. It was said that he was always “a little different” but it was thought to be his baseline normal, so to speak. During the conversation on the roof, Mr. Nash mentioned that he “don’t like people much and they don’t much like me.” Later in the movie he spoke to the fact that he had no close family or friends, as he lacked “personal connection.” Sadly, decline in interpersonal relationships often occur when an illness like schizophrenia strikes, as people don’t know how to respond to the preoccupations, withdraw, agitation, delusions and paranoia that accompany the illness Those with schizophrenia have a hard time articulating what is being experienced, as reality is intertwined with a false reality; it is a reality that is genuinely secret, removed and displaced from that which …show more content…
The mind tries as hard as it can to remain organized in the most disorganized of ways; a mind of many overlapping and self-concealing layers. It is an illness that no one can relate to, where senses skip over logic and reason and somehow create this realm of thinking/living that no one else will ever encounter. Mr. Nash knows all of the above far too well, as do many others who struggle with this illness. Treatment is crucial for the management of schizophrenia. After running out of the building during a research presentation (as a result of his delusions) treatment was initiated for Mr. Nash. He spent time in the hospital where he underwent insulin shock therapy and the start of a medication called Thorazine. As a clearer reality set in, a sense of shame and embarrassment presented (this happens for many with this
Amanda Hutchison
Stark State College
NSG 141
April 3rd, 2018
A Beautifully Broken Mind
The electricity has just gone out, the lighter can’t be found, thunder is rumbling and no one else is home. Although the surroundings are familiar, the unpredictable ramifications of the dangerous external conditions have ignited fears that aren’t usually present. Emotions heighten and negative physical symptoms start to occur, panic is starting to set in. It’s hard to conceptualize having control, when so many things are out of your control. In these times, senses increase and a “hyperarousal” type of effect kicks in. This type of situations is scary but typically ends in a pretty consistent manner; the storm stops, the electricity is fixed and emotions are quickly reregulated to baseline for that person. Try to imagine living in a state of unpredictability and fear on a continual basis, with the addition of: trickery, deception, paranoia, hallucinations, anger, confusion, chaos and discomfort. Schizophrenia, a disorder effecting beautiful minds, making them beautifully broken. Mr. John Nash stars in the movie A Beautiful Mind; he is both brilliant and broken. This movie tries to depict the life of Mr. Nash, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Although the movie is engaging and captures the viewers’ attention, it lacks in complete accuracy; some of the symptoms and experiences experienced aren't congruent with the actual course of illness. This incongruence, in my opinion, stems from an attempt to portray thoughts in a visual manner, as auditory experiences are hard to replicate. As seen in the movie, there was a slow progression into the nightmare that Mr. Nash would start living, one that he couldn’t just open his eyes and end. It was said that he was always “a little different” but it was thought to be his baseline normal, so to speak. During the conversation on the roof, Mr. Nash mentioned that he “don’t like people much and they don’t much like me.” Later in the movie he spoke to the fact that he had no close family or friends, as he lacked “personal connection.” Sadly, decline in interpersonal relationships often occur when an illness like schizophrenia strikes, as people don’t know how to respond to the preoccupations, withdraw, agitation, delusions and paranoia that accompany the illness Those with schizophrenia have a hard time articulating what is being experienced, as reality is intertwined with a false reality; it is a reality that is genuinely secret, removed and displaced from that which …show more content…
The mind tries as hard as it can to remain organized in the most disorganized of ways; a mind of many overlapping and self-concealing layers. It is an illness that no one can relate to, where senses skip over logic and reason and somehow create this realm of thinking/living that no one else will ever encounter. Mr. Nash knows all of the above far too well, as do many others who struggle with this illness. Treatment is crucial for the management of schizophrenia. After running out of the building during a research presentation (as a result of his delusions) treatment was initiated for Mr. Nash. He spent time in the hospital where he underwent insulin shock therapy and the start of a medication called Thorazine. As a clearer reality set in, a sense of shame and embarrassment presented (this happens for many with this