symptoms, and these disturbing signs must be continued for at least 6 months; the patient during that time must experience at least 1 month of active symptoms; where over a long period of time, social and occupational deterioration problems occur, and these problems must not be attributed to additional illness. To cope with this brain disorder that disrupts people thinking, feelings, perceptions, there are antipsychotic medications, reducing the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and preventing relapses.
Also, there are therapies for cognitive, behavioral, and social skills and social cognition training as well. Medications, therapies, and training are all to accomplish the needs and goals of the patients; for example, there are four objectives to achieve patients’ reintegration into the community: few or stable symptoms, avoid hospitalization, be able to control medication, and integration in the community whether working or studying.
Unfortunately, many people died or put their life at risk cause of schizophrenia; according to the journal of neurology, the mortality proportions of schizophrenic patients are projected to be two to four times higher than the overall population; also, patients with schizophrenia experience a 20% shorter life expectancy than people in general. Nash’s indifferences in his social behavior, psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, and loss of executive functions are symptoms that embrace the term of schizophrenia.
In the movie, there are various scene where the audiences perceived how problematic and arduous schizophrenia can be for the patients suffering for it, and for the people who surround them. The first example that seem real to the viewers is when the outgoing roommate appears in Nash’s room; since then Charles accompanies John in all events giving positive and negative messages, and sometimes putting him in trouble. Nash’s fear and concern for finding an idea for his thesis may be the cause of his hallucination with his friend.
He was under pressure to come up with a unique, beneficial, and valuable theory. Finally, Nash passes that stage of his life, and he presents his thesis to his professor being a success and years later he won the Nobel Peace Prize for that theory. When he is presenting the thesis to the instructor, the anxious roommate is in front of the office moving around waiting for Nash’s thesis response, and the instructor does not realize that someone is at the front door; this scene is noticeable to the watchers.
The second example is more convoluted and traumatic since the Russians are chasing and shooting at Nash. At that time, Nash is working in secret for the government nobody know that even Alicia his wife. After a long day working and finding puzzling solutions, Nash puts all information in an envelope and put them every night inside a house; after Nash scans a barcode he has inside his forearm at the front door, it opens and very quickly he places the envelop inside a mailbox and goes out speedily.
One day he feels someone is chasing him, and he hurries more than normal; when he finishes, the agent (Willian Parcher) appears in a black car and save his life. Another car where hunting and shooting at them, but the astute agent knows how to get out of trouble. From that moment, Nash thinks that everybody was chasing him, and he send Alicia and his son to Alicia’s mother to protect them. Those days are very frustrated and annoyed to Nash; he has a huge torment in his head, and his delusions and hallucinations gets worse every day.
Nash mental disorder is so obvious, that Alicia seeks help for him, and he is admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Alicia is devastated by Nash’ illness, but she always supports him unconditionally. After that episode, she notices the house where Nash leaves all the envelop is an abandoned house; there is no such thing that it scans a barcode, and the mailbox is full of envelope that never were pick up. Nash is so sick that despite being in the hospital he thinks he is kidnapped trying to convince Alicia that the soviets are trying to get information from him.
Finally, he tells her the truth about “his secret job”. The third example is after Nash is supposedly under the effects of antipsychotic medication, but he does not. Nash goes to an exhausted and painful series of insulin shock treatment for more than a year, after that he come back home taking medications every day which prevent him from hallucinations, but also decreases his sexual desire, he could not have sexual relations with Alicia; he seems extremely down, and nothing around it seems to make much sense not even his child and his wife.
Despite the side effect of the drug, Alicia gives Nash everyday his medication. Nash is free of hallucinations no more roommate, no agent of the government, nor the sweet girl, they are all gone; what a such progress, but one day Nash hiding from Alicia decides to quick his schizophrenic treatment, and the astute agent reappears in Nash life; then Nash begins to work secretly for the government again.
Until one day, a storm was coming and Alicia goes outside to pick up the laundry, and Nash is in charge of bathing his son. The little one is inside the bathtub; Nash lives his son with uncle(Charles) to close a window that what he says to Alicia when she come back running to save his son life, he almost drowns; Alicia knows the boy is at risk because she sees near their home a little house; she curiously goes to see and what a surprise Alicia has, her husband had returned to his old patterns of behavior.
She became very frustrated and nervous and decides to call the doctor, and the agent is very upset telling Nash to kill his wife; Nash does not want to returned to the hospital; This scene is extremely impressive where all three Nash’s mind character surround and talk with him. Fortunately, Alicia leaves with his son to the car; Nash chases her, and said to her, “Alicia the little girl does not grow, she never gets old”. He understands that everything is in his mind.
This movie portrays many positive and nspiring messages to the viewers; for example, the courage and determination of Alicia toward her husband is unconditional; she fights hard to preserve her marriage and never give up focusing on Nash positive things. That’s what a marriage is about overcoming the perplexing situations that may happen in life. Nash’s will power to withstand this terrible schizophrenic disorder, and never pitied himself, it is an act of heroism, courage and commitment to have a better quality of life although he continues to have hallucinations but he learns to ignore them.
Another positive example is the reintegration of Nash into the community; he is able to teach math again at the university. Also, he has the pride to participate in the delivery on the Nobel Peace Prize given to him for his prodigious economic theory. On the other hand, there are some negative illustrations on the film regarding unknowledge and ignorance for a mental illness in this case schizophrenia. Mental illnesses in general are diseases that individuals make fun of it; in the 1980s Nash’ college friends mock him all the time, and nowadays in 2017 the same things happen, folk continue to mock and discriminate mental disabled people.
Beautiful mind’s writer did a fantastic job focusing all the time on the psychopathology disorder; the spectators observe and acquire more knowledge about schizophrenia because of the message the movie conveys. This film focuses more on letting know the consequences of the devastating disease than on emphasizing all the other qualities and achievements that Nash has. In addition, the film portrays the deterioration of the protagonist because of the disease, how difficult it is to deal with this type of disease, the painful treatment through which Nash must go (insulin shock), and the courage to overcome this process.
Life is not always colorful and bright, and the time comes when people must face difficult situation; life is not perfect, and obstacles are continuously present, but all depend on how individuals perceive and accept it. Courage, disposition, and hope are key factors to overcome circumstances. A Beautiful Mind is an spectacular movie to consider due to the high context in tolerance, commitment, courage, intelligence, and disposition to overcome a difficult mental disorder. In the case of John Nash, the main character in the movie, a brilliant and intelligent young man suffers from paranoid schizophrenia from most of his adult life.
Schizophrenia onset for men is between 15-35 years old, and for women is five years later approximately; a devastating mental disease to begin to suffer at such a young age. The symptoms of schizophrenia are impressive; delusions, perception, hallucinations, disorganized speech, irregular behavior, and so on are indicator of schizophrenia; on the other hand, there are antipsychotic medication which prevent relapses, but also, they have negative side effects as well; for example, loss of sexual desire, intellectual capacity, and motivation are some of them; as is the case of Nash, he has those symptoms while taking the antipsychotic pills.
Nash is blessing with a brilliant woman who always supports, cares, and respects him; Nash and Alicia overcome difficult moments in their marriage being an inspiration for all the people who in one way or another go through a similar situation. Unfortunately, there is a lack of respect, compassion, and love for those who suffer from mental illnesses; people stare at them and make fun of them rudely; this such an unappropriated behavior in which our society should be more conscious and have more knowledge about mental disorder.