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RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE

ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
MOVIE REVIEW

TUTOR: MS K.BOOTH

MARCH 17, 2015

RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

1)
Behaviours

Thoughts

Feelings

Antisocial

Disorganized Thinking
Disturbed Perceptions
Thought Insertion
Confused thoughts
Paranoid

Depersonalization

visual hallucinations
Shy
Paranoid Ideations
Grossly disorganized

Flattened Affect

Apathetic
Depressed
Anxiety

2) Based on the behaviours, thoughts and feelings listed above were abnormal based on his
behaviours and thoughts which were distressing with high level of stress , dysfunction which
impair his interpersonal relationships, danger was another item of abnormalities and his
behavior was deviant. During the height of John Nash symptoms he was also seen as abnormal
by the mathematics department and society as a whole.
3) During John Nash experiences of his thoughts, feelings and behavior he was negatively
affected in his occupational, where he stars to experience loss of function within his work and
interpersonal relationships which affect his reasoning and thinking abilities, and also his delusion
develops a more life stressors which had a impact on him. His experiences also affect his social
life where his antisocial behavior claim and think that everyone or someone is after him. While
he had experiences all these symptoms he did not show any emotion he had a flattened affect
where he withdrew from his family and friends emotionally. Based on the movie he had
experience negative emotion which leads to distort viewpoints and are accompanied by subtle
feelings of discomfort.

RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

4) In the movie we saw where the young man was being treated differently by his friends, family,
colleagues and also the medical personnels. His family was mostly affected. they encountered a
lot of conflicts due lack of communication which is a result of the disorder that he has. His
friends and colleagues knew that something was wrong but they did not treat him differently. As
for the medical personnel, they treated him as if he was an outcast and an experiment. They all
acted differently towards him based on how they were affected by him.
5) Yes a diagnosis was given in the movie and he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia,
which can be a serious mental illness characterized by incoherent or illogical thoughts, bizarre
behavior and speech, and delusions or hallucinations, such as hearing voices. Schizophrenia
typically begins in early adulthood (APA,2013).
7) Yes the diagnosis is correct based on the criteria of the DSM-5. According to the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, (DSM-5), to meet the criteria for
diagnosis of schizophrenia, the patient must have experienced at least 2 of the following
symptoms : Delusions; Hallucinations; Disorganized speech; Disorganized or Catatonic behavior
and negative symptoms. At least 1 of the symptoms must be the presence of delusions,
hallucinations, or disorganized speech. Continuous signs of the disturbance must persist for at
least 6 months, during which the patient must experience at least 1 month of active symptoms (or
less if successfully treated), with social or occupational deterioration problems occurring over a
significant amount of time. These problems must not be attributable to another condition.
Mr. Nash experienced more than one delusion about a best friend Charles and his niece, as well
as Parcher a secret agent. He also experienced, hallucinations which include auditory (hearing

RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

voices and gunshots) and visual (military solider guarding his office) hallucination throughout is
illness.
8) My further questions that I would seek while doing this review are ,is John Nash able to
reason his way out of psychosis and did he received any other treatment from the ones that were
shown in the movie.

RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

9. What are the possible causes of this disorder?


Scientists are still not clear about the specific causes of schizophrenia; however research has
demonstrated that people with schizophrenia have different brains than those who don't have the
illness. Schizophrenia is like many other illnesses such as cancer, and diabetes, it is caused by a
mixture of problems such as genetic vulnerability and environmental factors that happen while a
person goes through development. A recent study shows that specific genes increase the risk for
schizophrenia. The genes do not cause the illness but they increase the percentage up for
developing it (NAMI, 2007).
Other researchers believe that a combination of genetics and environment contribute to
development of the disease.
Environmentally, scientists believe that it takes more than just genes to cause schizophrenia.
Exposure to viruses or malnutrition before birth and potentially psychosocial and socioeconomic
factors all interact with the way a gene's influence develops over time, interfering with the
natural process. Early childhood trauma is one factor that researchers think might affect how a
gene develops (National institute of mental health, 2014).
According Mueser 2004, most researchers do not believe that substance abuse causes
schizophrenia, however some people who abuse drugs show symptoms similar to those of
schizophrenia, and therefore, may be mistaken for people who are affected by drugs.
Additionally, people who have schizophrenia are much more likely to have a substance or
alcohol abuse problem than the general population.
Brain chemistry and structure is another possible cause of this disorder. Blanchard 2000, states
that scientists believe that an imbalance involving the neurotransmitters (substances that allow

RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

brain cells to communicate with each other) dopamine and glutamate, and possibly others, plays
a role in schizophrenia.
Also, brain imaging technologies, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and
positron emission tomography (PET), which provide a detailed map of the brain, have shown
that individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have changes in both brain structure and
chemistry. For example, fluid-filled cavities at the center of the brain, called ventricles, are larger
in some people with schizophrenia (National Alliance on mental health, 2013).
10. Based on the movie, what if any, treatment modalities were used?
Mr. Nash, after being diagnosed with Schizophrenia, received 10 weeks of Insulin shock
therapy, and prescribed anti psychotic medications as his treatment modalities
11. How did these treatment modalities affect the individual (positively and negatively)?
The treatment modalities had both a positive and negative impact on the individual. Positive in
the sense that it suppressed the visions however it negatively affected his ability to think, to
reason and to do his work. Nash also suffered the side effects of drooling and sexual
dysfunctions while under antipsychotic drug treatment, also suffered from the emotional flatness
produced by antipsychotic medication and left him unable to emotionally connect with his infant
son. The medication also affected his response to his wife emotionally and sexually.
12. In your estimation were the treatment modalities helpful or harmful? Give reasons to
support your answer.
The treatment modalities were both helpful and harmful. The DSM operates on the biological
aspects of the illness, whereas the medical model focuses on the medication side of the illness.
Neither the DSM and/or the Medical model work in tandem with the social aspect of a persons

RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

life to help identify causes or courses of treatment and recovery, as shown in the case of John
Nash. While antipsychotics have been shown to improve the symptoms of schizophrenia, they
are not a cure for this mental disorder. It is argued that reducing dopamine levels constitutes a
chemical lobotomy, where the patient looses spontaneity, interest in the environment and
passion (Bemak & Epp, 2002). This "chemical lobotomy and other adverse side effects often
lead to patient's discontinuance of medication. The aversive side effects of antipsychotic
medication include an exacerbation of symptoms, mental fog, weight gain, metabolic effects,
sedation, movement disorders, heart problems and sexual dysfunction.
In short, the limits of the DSM\Medical Model were not helpful because the opportunity to have
Nash involved in his own treatment was not present to begin with. The area of Nashs strengths
was not taken into account and the illness was the focus of his treatment and not the whole
person. Medications had adverse effect on the chemical makeup of Nashs mind. Although the
antipsychotic drugs helped in the short term there were no long lasting positive effects of using
drugs. The DSM, although comprehensive, is not 100% reliable.
13. What treatment would you suggest for this individual?
A combination of medication and therapy would be suggested for this individual.
Medication is one form of treatment recommended for this individual. Medlineplus (2014),
stated that, antipsychotic medications are the most effective treatment for schizophrenia. They
work by changing the balance of chemicals in the brain and can help control symptoms.
However, antipsychotics can cause side effects, such as persistent muscle spasms, tremors and
restlessness
Apart from medical intervention, the individual needs to undergo behavioral therapies such as
training in social skills in order to function normally in their daily lives. Behavioral therapies can

RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

help patients understands their disease and provide illness management, which can help them
learn how to take medication correctly and manage side effects, notice early signs of a relapse
and what to do if symptoms return and cope with symptoms that occur even while taking
medication. Therapy can also help improve social and work functioning. Programs that offer
outreach and community support services can help people who lack family and social support
(National Institute of Mental Health, 2014).
Another treatment suggestion is family support. Family members and support groups must
encourage patients to follow through with their treatment and get check-ups done regularly.
National Institute of Mental Health (2014) states, that people with schizophrenia are often
discharged from the hospital into the care of their families. So Therapists can help family
members learn coping strategies and problem-solving skills in order to be better able to help
ensure their loved one continues treatment and stays on medication.

References

RUNNING HEAD: MOVIE REVIEW

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
(5th ed., text revision). Washington, DC.
Bemak, Fred & Epp, Lawrence. (2002). Transcending the Mind-Body Dichotomy: Schizophrenia
Reexamined. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 41, 14-27.
Blanchard J, J, Brown S. A, Horan W. P, Sherwood A. R. Substance use disorders in
schizophrenia: Reviews, integration and a proposed model. Clinical Psychological
Review. 2000;20:207-234
MedlinePlus(2014). Schizophrenia. Retrieved March 6, 2015, from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000928.htm
National Alliance on Mental Illness (2013). The Causes of Schizophrenia. Retrieved March 6,
2015, from http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=schizophrenia9.
National Institute of Mental Health (2014). How is schizophrenia treated? Retrieved March 16,
2015, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/schizophrenia/how-isschizophrenia-treated.shtml.

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