Presentation of the Film Character and His Disorder
Psychological disorder is a severe condition that might critically affect an individual’s life. Although it might be characterized by atypical behaviors, there is a critical need to understand that defining abnormality might be complex. For this reason, there are specific criteria for a disorder, such as disturbances in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that reflect a particular dysfunction (Spielman et al. 541). It might be either biological, psychological, or developmental and lead to impairment of a personal’s life (Spielman et al. 541). For instance, John Nash from the movie “A Beautiful Mind” can be suspected of meeting the criteria outlined above.
Signs of the Disorder Exhibited by the Person
The selected character reflects specific signs of the disorder. First, Nash has paranoid ideas and thoughts that impact his daily activities and prevent him from leading a normal and happy life (A Beautiful Mind). Second, he communicates with people no one sees and follows their advice. It becomes a serious challenge for Nash and others. As a result, the character’s daily functioning is altered; he follows orders and solves a complex task for a project he thinks might save the USA.
Impact on Personal, Social, and Professional Life
The family and social life domains are also influenced by the changes in Nash’s behavior and thinking. He remains functional and practical at work, but people notice his strange behavior. As for the personal relations, although his wife is supportive at the start, it becomes more difficult to accept her husband’s psychological abnormality. Nash almost kills their child by accident, which becomes an event that impacts his understanding that treatment is needed (A Beautiful Mind). For this reason, the character agrees to be treated by professionals and goes to the hospital.
Treatment Seeking and Current Approaches
He is treated by using insulin shock therapy and antipsychotic medication (A Beautiful Mind). Thus, it does not help, and Nash learns how to live and cope with the symptoms on his own, ignoring hallucinations. In such a way, these signs show that John Nash might be a person with some psychological disorder.
Works Cited
A Beautiful Mind. Directed by Ron Howard, Universal Pictures, 2001.
Spielman, Rose, et al. Psychology. 2nd. ed., OpenStax, 2020.