A Beautiful Mind Schizophrenia

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When one thinks of schizophrenia, they are likely to imagine hallucinations and psychotic behaviour. This mental illness is often associated with violence and psychosis, with the cause often being attributed to media portrayals of the disorder. However, it is very complex and affects the lives of many people around the world. John Nash, the main character of "A Beautiful Mind," is a Princeton University graduate student whose passion lies in mathematics. He is socially awkward and spends a lot of time in isolation due to his struggle to connect with others. The movie illustrates the experiences that people who live with schizophrenia may have, including its impacts and the possible treatments on the road to recovery. In the film, many of John's …show more content…

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterized by symptoms including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and speech, and decreased emotional expression. The positive symptoms John experienced include hallucinations and delusions as described, as well as disorganized behaviour and thoughts shown in his incomprehensible writing and speech. His persecutory delusions lead him to believe that people are after him and result in his frequent paranoia, leading to his distress. Some of his hallucinations even involved instructions to carry out harmful acts, including when the agent told John to harm his wife. His negative symptoms are shown in his social withdrawal and lack of interpersonal relationships, consistent with asociality, a symptom of …show more content…

Medication is used to either increase dopamine or both dopamine and serotonin in the brain. They reduce hallucinations and delusions and control symptoms but do not cure the disorder. In regard to psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, social skills training, and family intervention training can also be used to treat the patient. These help in increasing quality of life and relieving both positive and negative symptoms, as well as the relationship between the patient and their family members through improving functioning and skills teaching. Finally, the support of those close to the individual makes a huge impact on the recovery process as social and emotional support is something that everyone needs in order to thrive. In the case of John Nash, the best course of treatment may be to combine medication and therapy. It is also important to have a good social support system to enhance resilience, prevent isolation, provide care, reduce the risks of relapse, and promote

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