A Beautiful Mind Reflection

Ron Howard’s highly awarded biographical film “A Beautiful Mind”  depicts the brilliant mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr. who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his early thirties.  This film follows Nash from when he first enters Princeton University as a young graduate student, to his late sixties when he accepted the Nobel Memorial Prize for his outstanding work in Economic Sciences.

Reality is a difficult subject to grasp for all.  Throughout this film Nash creates his own reality.  He lives in a complex world, full of abstract ideas and concepts, which only he can see.  These ideas may not be visible, however that doesn't mean they are nonexistent, especially in Nash’s mind.

Secondly, Nash’s complex world must be kept hidden from the rest of the world, as his “work” is highly classified.  Because of this Nash is not able to test reality, like a normal human being would. 

Eventually Nash’s life is filled with severe paranoia and hallucinations, both of which are positive symptoms.  This causes him to have many breakdowns which not only endanger himself, but his family as well.

Nash is encouraged to seek treatment, with the support of his loving wife.  He goes through a series of insulin-shock therapy lasting six weeks, followed by a series of medications.

This year in A.P. Psychology we learned about psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and the symptoms that are involved.  Schizophrenia involves disordered thinking, delusions, and hallucinations.  Delusions are beliefs that have no basis with reality and most commonly result in paranoia.  Hallucinations are perceptions in the absence of sensory stimulation.  These are all considered to be positive symptoms, which are excesses in behavior, thought, and mood.  Nash’s story is proof of these occurrences.

   

During class this year, we also studied the therapies involved in treating psychological disorders. In cases of schizophrenia somatic therapies are used. This includes drugs and medical procedures that aim to change the brain.  Electroconvulsive therapy, which was used in Nash’s case, is when an electric current is passed through the brain, to ultimately change the composition of the brain. This is the most effective treatment for schizophrenia, especially when paired up with medicine.  

A Beautiful Mind proves to show the effects of schizophrenia throughout.