Ansh Gupta
Schizophrenia is a peculiar mental disorder, piquing the interest and attention of psychologists and people around the world. The condition affects nearly 24 million people globally (about 1 in 300) (WHO, 2022). It is not as profound as some of the other disorders and is a rather rare condition. The condition severely affects the victim’s life, hampering basic functions and rendering the person helpless. The increasing interest in the subject is also highlighted through the depiction of schizophrenia in Hollywood movies. One such masterpiece is the movie adaptation of the real life story of acclaimed mathematician John Nash- “A Beautiful Mind”. This paper seeks to understand and analyse schizophrenia through a detailed analysis of the depiction of the illness in the film “A Beautiful Mind”.
John Nash is considered a hero among the economics fraternity for his contributions to economic theory. He made significant breakthroughs in economic game theory and mathematics. However, problems in his personal life caused his life to take a turn for the worse, as will be illustrated in subsequent paragraphs.
The movie begins with a younger John in college, tirelessly working on publishing an original idea. He also meets his new roommate, Charles Herman, who eventually becomes his closest friend. His genius eventually leads him to publish his idea and earn an appointment at MIT. By nature, John is shy, reserved, introverted and not very good at sympathising with others. He is a lonely person as his interpersonal skills are weak. This is a trend seen amongst many schizophrenics. Studies have found that schizophrenics report having a higher level of loneliness than non-schizophrenics (Eglit et al., 2018). Hence, loneliness might act as a contributing as well as maintaining factor in schizophrenia (Eglit et al., 2018).
However, we later discover that Charles is not actually his roommate but a figment of his imagination. Hence, Charles’ schizophrenic symptoms begin in his 20s, when he builds up the imaginary character of Charles in college. This is typical of schizophrenic males who begin to show symptoms in their early to late 20s (Schultz, 1997). These symptoms worsen and extend into his 30s, when John is recruited by the Pentagon to work as a codebreaker. It is here that his symptoms start manifesting in his behaviour. He starts believing that he has been recruited by a man named William Parcher to work on a secret mission for the US Department of Defence. This again is a figment of his imagination.
As his mental health begins deteriorating, John’s condition is noticed by a doctor and he is sent to a mental health facility. The doctors then administer ECT to John. ECT involves passing electric shocks through a person’s brain neurons. This was amongst the only treatments available for schizophrenia in the 1950s. The effectiveness of ECT in treating schizophrenia has been a major topic of contention among psychiatrists with many psychiatrists agreeing that the effect of ECT on schizophrenia is highly questionable and dangerous (Flink & Sackeim, 1996). Unfortunately, ECT was not effective in treating John’s condition.
John is also prescribed antipsychotic medication. His condition seems to start stabilising and he starts getting better. But he eventually gets frustrated with his dependence on the medication and secretly stops taking it. This leads to a relapse in his condition. He begins seeing Parcher and Charles again. It is very common among schizophrenics to relapse after stopping medication or treatment. Almost 52% of schizophrenics relapse after stopping medication or treatment (Emsely et al., 2013). The mean reported time for relapse is approximately 8 months which is about the time taken by John to relapse (Emsely et al., 2013).
During this time, one major incident changes John’s outlook towards his condition. John is alone at home, bathing his son. He leaves him alone in the bathtub, believing Charles is looking after him. Fortunately his wife reaches the scene and saves the son from drowning. In the process an altercation between John and his wife causes him to knock her and his son to the floor. This highlights the danger John poses to his own family and those around him. This violence was likely due to the involuntary labelling of John as he refused to accept his illness, which is a common reaction among schizophrenics (Arango et al., 1999). This violent episode finally makes John realise the true nature of his illness and he finally accepts his condition.
John is also not able to work or contribute to the university during the course of his condition. He becomes unproductive as he is not able to concentrate and think clearly. His wife chooses to stay home and support John through his illness. This shows how schizophrenia affects the productivity of the victim as well as those around them (Rice, 1999). However, over time John learns to live with his illness, ignoring his hallucinations of Parcher and Charles. He also resumes teaching at Princeton in the late 1970s. Hence, John is able to overcome his condition by learning to live with his hallucinations.
Although not shown in the movie, John’s son too develops schizophrenia. This points towards the presence of a strong genetic component in schizophrenia which may be reinforced by the environment one grows up in (Tsuang, 2000). The environment in which John’s son grew up was extremely fragile as John needed constant care from his wife and family. Furthermore, growing up around a parent with schizophrenia reinforces the schizophrenic tendencies of a child (Tsuang, 2000).
As has been illustrated, the debilitating effects of schizophrenia are plenty. The illness affects every aspect of a person’s life, including those around them. John’s case highlights the indispensability of medication and support in the path to recovery. However, John’s case also illustrates the importance of the victim’s acknowledgement of the illness in order to work on a path to recovery. The depiction of John Nash’s schizophrenic condition in “A Beautiful Mind” is an accurate testament to the daily struggles of a schizophrenic and the effect it has on a person’s personal and professional life.
References
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