Running Head: DIAGNOSING JOHN NASH
Diagnosing John Nash: A Case of Schizophrenia Frank Zhou University of Toronto Toronto 1000492709
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DIAGNOSING JOHN NASH
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In the movie A Beautiful Min !"o#ar$ 2001%$ #e follo# &ohn 'ash from his enrollment in (rin)eton University in 1947 to his 'o*le (ri+e a#ar )eremony in 1994, Althou-h he #as fairly antiso)ial an re-are *y his .eers as #eir$ &ohn only *e-an to evelo. hallu)inations an elusions after evelo.in- his thesis on /ame Theory an movin- to #ork at MIT, 'ash #as ia-nose #ith s)hi+o.hrenia follo#in- his marria-e #ith Ali)ia are$ #here he #as taken in to a .sy)hiatri) .s y)hiatri) fa)ility *e)ause Ali)ia Ali)ia #as #orrie a*out his usual *ehaviours, From #hat is .resente in the movie$ I *elieve that the ia-nosis of s)hi+o.hrenia for &ohn 'ash is )orre)t an #ell *a)ke #ith evien)e, 'ash meets all the ia-nosti) )riterions of )hi+o.hrenia as .resente *y the M3, Unfortunately$ there there are very little .ro-nosti) ini)ators .resente in the movie for 'ash evelo.in- s)hi+o.hrenia, There #as no mention of -eneti) vulnera*ilities as his family #as almost never mentione an no ini)ation in i)ation that his .arents #ere mentally ill, Furthermore$ 'ash has state that he a)tually )ame from a #ell3off family an a -oo u.*rin-in- #hi)h im.lies a la)k of a*use urin- his early years, "is *irthay #as never mentione so #e are not a*le to ra# any )on)lusions of his mental illness .ossi*ly arisin- from season of *irth !5ushner$ 2016%, As te)hnolo-ies like MI an 8T s)ans have ye t to *e evelo.e urin- his time$ #e are una*le to fin out if his mental illness #as from a neurolo-i)al efe)t, "o#ever$ *ase on his .revious eu)ation an the environment of (rin)eton !an later MIT%$ #e )an assume that his -ro#in- u. in an ur*an )entre mi-ht *e a fa)tor to evelo.in- s)hi+o.hrenia !5ushner$ 2016%, ne malaa.tive feature #as his la)k of inter.ersonal relationshi.s, 'ash himself )onfesse to his -irlfrien at the time that he in:t really have an y )lose family or friens, This self3isolation mi-ht *e a risk fa)tor -ro#in- u.$ *ut more im.ortantly .revente any thera.y *ase on families
DIAGNOSING JOHN NASH
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an so)ial intera)tions$ #hi)h may have reu)e his treatment:s effe)tiveness effe)tiveness an #orsene his illness !o+ois$ 2016%, &ohn 'ash meets all the ia-nosti) )riterions for )hi+o.hrenia a) )orin- to the M3 !Ameri)an (sy)hiatri) Asso)iation$ Asso)iation$ 201;%, 'ash meets se)tion A sin)e he e<.erien)e *oth elusions an hallu)inations, In the movie$ the t#o are inter)onne)te as 'ash ha .erse)utory$ -raniose$ an referential elusions *ase off his hallu)inations, 'ash throu-h his hallu)inations met #ith a -overnment s.y an a-ree to #ork for him, "is referential elusions are seen as his =o* #as to e)i.her ussian )oes from ma-a+ines an ne#s.a.ers, ut of all the teilliam >illiam (ar)her$ tol 'ash that ?"e:s the *est )oe*reaker@$ #hi)h )an *e inter.rete that 'ash himself thou-ht he #as the *est there is$ an ha the s.e)ial a*ility to save lives, Furthermore$ he aske his #ife follo#in- his )a.ture into the .sy)hiatri) fa)ility to hel. him fin a #ay to es)a.e$ *e)ause he #as neee *y the -overnment for his a*ilities, 'ash:s .erse)utory elusions )an *e foun throu-hout the movie after his en)ounter #ith >illiam >illiam (ar)her, "e #as sus.i)ious of the .eo.le attenin- the *all urin- his first inner ate #ith Ali)ia$ sa# fi-ures in the ark follo#in- him an runnin- a#ay #hile he maile his )lassifie e)i.here )oes$ an thou-ht that the .sy)hiatrist ia-nosin- him #as a ussian s.y, 'ash:s hallu)inations in)lue the s.y$ >illiam >illiam (ar)her$ his *est frien frien an roommate 8harles$ an 8harles: nie)e nie)e Mar)ee as #ell as everythinever ythin- that ha to o #ith the -overnment$ in)luinthe s.e)ial .ass)oe evi)e em*ee in his left arm, 'ash also meets se)tion B of the ia-nosis sin)e his inter.ersonal relations #ere affe)te ne-atively, "e is seen as slo#ly istan)in- himself
DIAGNOSING JOHN NASH
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from his #ife$ as #ell as makin- her an
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References
Ameri)an (sy)hiatri) Asso)iation, !201;%, Diagnostic !201;%, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. >a >ashin-ton$ shin-ton$ ,8E Ameri)an (sy)hiatri) Asso)iation o+ois$ ,&,A, !2016%, )hi+o.hrenia, )hi+o.hr enia, In ', Ammai$ , "artman$ >, "einri)hs$ , Muhari*$ F, (inno)k !s,%, Abnormal !s,%, Abnormal Psychology Perspectives Fifth dition DSM-5 !pdate dition, dition, !.., 20632;2% TorontoE (earson 8anaa, /ra+er B,$ "o#ar , !(rou)ers%$ "o#ar , !ire)tor%, !2001%, A !2001%, A "eautiful Mind GMotion (i)tureH, Unite tatesE Universal (i)tures ream#ork tuios 5ushner$ , !2016%, )hi+o.hrenia .e)trum an ther (sy)hoti) isorers G(o#er(oint sliesH, etrieve from htt.sE.ortal,utoronto,)a**)s#e*av.i34J61;1J3t3)ontent3ri3 2JJ41622K2)oursesFall320163(L240"13F380101(L24038A0C,.f
