A Beautiful Mind (2001) portrays the real-life drama of John Nash, an outstanding mathematician, covering the years of his life when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and describing how he dealt with his illness. Apart from being a brilliant piece of art, the film is particularly attractive to scientists in the areas of mathematics and medicine.
Nash suffers from schizophrenia—a serious mental disorder characterized by “hallucinations, delusions, reduced social drive, apathy, and cognitive impairment” (Mueser & Duva, 2014, p. 476). This disease affects 2% of the world’s population (Cuesta, Ugarte, Goicoa, Eraso, & Peralta, 2007). Schizophrenia combines obsessive and psychotic compulsive syndromes (Guillem, Satterthwaite, Pampoulova, & Stip, 2009). John Nash has hallucinations of three people: his roommate Charles, the U.S. government agent Parcher, and Charles’ niece Marcee. Nash develops symptoms of paranoia as he thinks that Parcher is trying to kill him.
When people become aware of Nash’s mental problems, they are supportive and sympathetic but scared at the same time. Nash’s wife Alicia is especially devoted to her husband, although she admits that his condition is troublesome. His former Princeton colleague Martin Hansen, now the dean of the mathematics department, allows Nash to work in the library. When John has hallucinations again, Hansen supports him and does not make him leave. Such a reaction gives Nash the strength to fight his illness.
The portrayal of the main hero and his relationships seems realistic. Nash’s character illustrates typical schizophrenia symptoms: He cannot distinguish reality from delusion and he has difficulties communicating and sustaining relationships with people. The actor’s performance is convincing.
While John received excellent emotional treatment from his wife, his medical therapy could have been stricter. Nobody controlled his pill consumption, and he hid the pills instead of taking them. Such behavior led to new complications, which could have been prevented if he had been kept in the hospital. In that way, he could have been cured earlier and would have had the possibility to live a normal life and make a bigger contribution to science.
The filmmaker’s show scenes depicting Nash’s treatment in the hospital to make a significant impact on the viewers and to demonstrate how serious the illness is and how painful the methods of treatment are.
Insulin shock therapy is one of the established treatments for schizophrenic patients (Doroshow, 2007; Shorter & Healy, 2007). Insulin coma, as well as electroconvulsive treatment, is considered dangerous because of its side effects (Shorter & Healy, 2007). However, it has a positive effect on patients suffering from schizophrenia and has even been called “a key moment in the development of American psychiatry” (Doroshow, 2007, p. 213).
To lead a successful lifestyle, Nash needs further medical and emotional support. The people surrounding him should treat him with understanding and not make him feel embarrassed about his hallucinations or panic attacks. In that way, he will feel more confident, and it will be easier for him to fight the illness. Regular check-ups and medical treatment are also necessary.
John Nash’s story as portrayed in A Beautiful Mind (2001) is an example of how the combination of emotional support and medical treatment can bring a person back to life. Owing to these factors, Nash was able to succeed in his career and make a profound contribution to the world of science.
References
- Cuesta, M., Ugarte, D., Goicoa, T., Eraso, S., & Peralta, V. (2007). A taxometric analysis of schizophrenia symptoms. Psychiatry Research, 150(3), 245–253. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.01.019
- Doroshow, D. (2007). Performing a cure for schizophrenia: Insulin coma therapy on the wards. Journal of the History of Medicine, 62(2), 213-243. doi:10.1093/jhmas/jrl044
- Guillem, F., Satterthwaite, J., Pampoulova, T., & Stip, E. (2009). Relationship between psychotic and obsessive compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 115(2-3), 358-362. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2009.06.004
- Howard, R. (Director). (2001). A beautiful mind [DVD]. USA: Universal Studios.
- Mueser, K., & Duva, S. (2014). Schizophrenia. In Barlow., D. (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of clinical psychology (pp. 476-481). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Shorter, E., & Healy, D. (2007). Shock therapy: A history of electroconvulsive treatment in mental illnesses. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press.