A Beautiful Mind: Schizophrenia at a Glance

By Rheyanne Weaver HERWriter

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Schizophrenia got its spot in the limelight with "A Beautiful Mind" in 2001, but this mental disorder goes further than meets the eye.

This brain disorder causes many complications that affect daily life for those who have it, including hearing voices that others can’t hear, extreme paranoia, agitation and isolation, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

The cause for schizophrenia is unknown for now, according to schizophrenia resources on EmpowHer.com. However, some guesses are that schizophrenia may be caused by brain structure and chemistry problems, as well as the genetic factor. Environmental factors may also contribute to later schizophrenia.

Some symptoms of schizophrenia not mentioned before are hallucinations, delusions, thought and movement disorders, according to NIMH. A few more specific symptoms are listed on EmpowHer.com: lack of emotion, disorganization (thought and speech), inappropriate laughter and poor hygiene and self-care.

Although there is no cure at the moment for schizophrenia, there are many medications and psychosocial treatment available to improve the functionality of a schizophrenic’s life, according to NIMH. There can be side effects to the drugs, like in many other medications, so patients should discuss these possibilities thoroughly with their doctors.

Though many schizophrenics need support from family and friends and can’t easily take care of themselves, this is not the case for all. There are many examples of successful people who have schizophrenia. For example, even though John Nash from "A Beautiful Mind" had a bout with schizophrenia during a certain period in his life, with old age his schizophrenia dissipated and he learned how to control it better, according to www.successfulschizophrenia.org. This was without medication. He was a mathematical genius and professor.

More examples can be found on www.successfulschizophrenia.org, where the site is dedicated to success stories of schizophrenics. What could be more hopeful than that?

Even if medication is necessary, that doesn’t mean a person is unsuccessful. Many mental disorders and even health problems require medication. The most important thing is to be able to function within society and even use a mental disorder as a benefit. Personally, I think that people who have mental disorders learn to be stronger and generally have to work harder at life. This can create a better work ethic and resiliency that others may not have.

Benefits can especially be seen later on, when a person with a mental disorder learns to control aspects of the disorder more. Also, other people sometimes give more respect to a person who is successful when it is known they have a disorder. It probably takes a lot more for someone with so much against them to be successful than for a “normal” person.

Sources:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/schizophrenia/complete-index.shtml#pub1
https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/schizophrenia#causes
http://www.successfulschizophrenia.org/articles/beautymind.html

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.