In Your Head
Imagine a world where a person cannot differentiate between what's real and what's not. Although it's hard to believe it's a real brain problem which effects a good portion of today's people, “Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts thinks and sees the world” (“Schizophrenia” 1). Most commonly in schizophrenics they feel and experience things that aren't really there and alter the way they hear and see things. In a fiction book, “ The Hitchhiker” written by Anthony Horowitz the main character Jacob does many things that lead the reader to have inquiries about what his problem is. Jacob obviously has schizophrenia because he has insane delusions and vivid hallucinations.
To begin, weird delusions are very common in schizophrenics, “ Occurring in more than 90% of all those who have the disorder” (“Schizophrenia” 1). Sadly, people with the disorder are incapable to think for themselves and can’t control what they see. Since this is the case a person might have been watching a scary show then the main villain shows up and begins trying to harm the schizophrenic. No matter how far fetched a schizophrenic may be thinking the patient's delusions are almost always going to be “Involving illogical or
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bizarre ideas” (“Schizophrenia” 1). Clearly, any sane person would be very frightened of a person with such a disorder because they could be thinking about anything or thinking someone is trying to harm them at any time… even ones they are very close too. In this context, a who has persecution delusion for a schizophrenic has a strong, “Belief that others, often a vague “they” are out to get him or her” (Schizophrenia 1). Similarly, Jacob in the beginning of the book was a lovable boy who seemed nothing less than normal but as it progressed we realized he had some type of problem. Right off the bat his first odd act was when his family was driving and he claims “ He didn’t even turn as we approached him… Suddenly his hand shot out”(Horowitz 225). Therefore, he must actually think from the second the hitchhiker was brought into his life Jacob was most likely thinking that the man had been planning on picking his family's car to harm him. Also, not only did he suspect that Mr.Rellik (The Hitchhiker) was waiting for that car but he also began to think he was trying to kill him, “He just mouthed them to me making sure my parents couldn’t see “You’re dead””(Horowitz 231). Not only was Jacob having a delusion but also beginning to hallucinate as well. Just by really thinking clearly, the reader can identify that Jacob is just being delusional and that there's no way a random hitchhiker is going to kill him in particular for no reason. Continuing along, Jacob’s schizophrenia is very rare for someone his age meaning all the delusions he is having will be much more severe for him and it will serve as a large problem to him especially as he grows as a person. Thus, these insane delusions Jacob is undergoing serve a large problem for him as a teen and forever since he will never be able to view the world normally. Furthermore, Schizophrenic patients such as Jacob have another major symptom known as hallucinations. Hallucinations are, “Sounds or other sensations experienced as real when they exist only in the person's mind” (“Schizophrenia” 2). Although similar to delusions the difference is that delusions for schizophrenic usually believe that someone is trying to harm them and is directly targeting them white hallucinations are things that the people see which aren't really there. These hallucinations are formed when, “People misinterpret… an outside source” which the people tend to do a lot since they have trouble relating to them” (“Schizophrenia” 2). Also, schizophrenics hallucinations can, “Involve any of the five senses, auditory hallucinations are most common...Visual hallucinations are also relatively common” (“Schizophrenia”). Correspondingly, in the story when the the hitchhiker “talked” to Jacob Jacob hallucinated and thought he said something else which was much worse and more dangerous to him, just as stated in the reading. To supplement this even more, “Most commonly, the voices are critical, vulgar or abusive” (“Schizophrenia” 2). Therefore when Jacob swears that “I’m going to kill you” Mr.Rellik said” he obviously did not hear him and was imagining this happen as the time went on and he grew more and more suspicious of the hitchhiker (Horowitz 233). Moreover, time and time again Jacob has made false accusations about a character and has hallucinated many times before making it hard to trust him when he said,“There was something glistening on his skin… blood!” (Horowitz 230). As of now the statement does not seem far fetched but with a schizophrenic such as Jacob even the smallest events could be false. Even though hallucinations are less scary to schizophrenics not all of them are some can haunt them just as badly especially when weapons are involved, “I didn’t have to see it to know what it was. A knife. A moment later his hand reappeared and I caught a glint of silver. I knew exactly what he was gonna do” (Horowitz 236).Obviously, he did not have a large blade on him but even when Jacob was informed the man was innocent he still stands with everything she “thought” she saw. With the hallucinations which Jacob is going through now there's no doubt about it Jacob has schizophrenia but even worse it's very sad since Jacob will always be living in fear. Within the story, “The Hitchhiker” Jacob went through a series of hallucinations and delusions which led the reader to believe he is schizophrenic.
This character is made up but schizophrenia does exist in the real world today and sadly with no cure the only way to separate schizophrenics from normal people is to control them and isolate although, “Hallucinations tend to be worse when the person is alone” (“Schizophrenia” 2). So in the actual article, “Schizophrenia” about what the disease is and what people go through it is not a joke and is affecting people harshly and in different ways everyday. Indubitably, the horrible brain disorder which Jacob obviously has is a very serious matter which can mess up people’s lives
completely.
The Soloist (Foster, Krasnoff & Wright, 2008), is based on a true story of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr. who develops psychosis and becomes homeless. In the film, Nathaniel is considered a cello genius who is discovered on the streets by Steve Lopez, a journalist from the Los Angeles Times. Steve was searching for a city story and he decided to write a newspaper article about Nathaniel. Nathaniel always had a passion for music. He was a child prodigy and attended Juilliard School of Music. However, he faced many complications at Juilliard, particularly hearing voices speaking to him. Unable to handle the voices, Nathaniel dropped out and ended up living on the streets of Los Angeles. Steve and Nathaniel develops an unexpected friendship, in which Steve tries to help Nathaniel to live a normal life; having a home, treat his mental disorder, and to fulfil his dream of being a cellist again.
“The Hitchhiker,” by Lucille Fletcher, narrates the unusual happenings Ronald Adams, the protagonist, experiences, while driving along the deserted and densely populated roads of the United States. Adams continually observes a hitchhiker, whom he first saw, having almost hit him, on the Brooklyn Bridge, and apprehends traveling on the highways, for fear this phantasmal man shall reappear. Struggling to grasp reality once receiving news of his mother’s breakdown after the death of her son, Ronald Adams, he reverts his attention to the hitchhiker, the realization of never having been who he thought he was, and being alone without protection from the traveler, both wrench his mind in two. Lucille Fletcher uses suspense to build the plot of, “The
Some of the most common symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions that a major catastrophe is about to occur and hallucinations, seeing or hearing something that does not exist. These traits were repeatedly shown in the novel and aid the reader
After experiencing a traumatic car crash, Michelle, the protagonist of director Dan Trachtenberg’s film 10 Cloverfield Lane, wakes up in an underground bunker owned by a man named Howard. Howard claims to have saved her from a widespread chemical attack that has contaminated the air, with his bunker being the only place to take refuge for the next couple of years. Yet as the film progresses, Howard’s controlling and threatening demeanor eventually brings Michelle to escape, allowing her to come across the actuality of the situation outside the isolated bunker. Throughout the production, Trachtenberg arranges close frames, manipulates the camera’s focus, and chooses specific lighting to create an ominous tone that mystifies and disturbs viewers.
This article seems to describe a man who had a psychotic break with reality, which could be attributed to schizophrenia. We can see that this man, Todd West, suddenly developed weird behavior as well as hallucinatory voices. As Joanne Greenberg explains schizophrenic people often interact in compulsive illogical thinking which going on a rampage would be constituted as. (Greenberg, 18) Their are two hallmark of schizophrenia that: false memories and beliefs that are all consuming and also hallucinations that can affect any of the senses. (Greenberg, 50) Although these symptoms always appear in a schizophrenic patient they can appear at different levels, some people are much more involved with their delusions then others. (Mendel, 273)
Schizophrenia is a group of psychotic disorders with major impairments in thought, emotion, and behavior; there is a constant prevalence rate of one percent with the occurrence being slightly higher in men. Though different psychologists have various theories on whether the disorder is linked to genetics or social economic status, schizophrenia in all
Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental disorder characterized by loss of contact with reality and disturbances of thought, mood, and perception. Schizophrenia is the most common and the most potentially sever and disabling of the psychosis, a term encompassing several severe mental disorders that result in the loss of contact with reality along with major personality derangements. Schizophrenia patients experience delusions, hallucinations and often lose thought process. Schizophrenia affects an estimated one percent of the population in every country of the world. Victims share a range of symptoms that can be devastating to themselves as well as to families and friends. They may have trouble dealing with the most minor everyday stresses and insignificant changes in their surroundings. They may avoid social contact, ignore personal hygiene and behave oddly (Kass, 194). Many people outside the mental health profession believe that schizophrenia refers to a “split personality”. The word “schizophrenia” comes from the Greek schizo, meaning split and phrenia refers to the diaphragm once thought to be the location of a person’s mind and soul. When the word “schizophrenia” was established by European psychiatrists, they meant to describe a shattering, or breakdown, of basic psychological functions. Eugene Bleuler is one of the most influential psychiatrists of his time. He is best known today for his introduction of the term “schizophrenia” to describe the disorder previously known as dementia praecox and for his studies of schizophrenics. The illness can best be described as a collection of particular symptoms that usually fall into four basic categories: formal thought disorder, perception disorder, feeling/emotional disturbance, and behavior disorders (Young, 23). People with schizophrenia describe strange of unrealistic thoughts. Their speech is sometimes hard to follow because of disordered thinking. Phrases seem disconnected, and ideas move from topic to topic with no logical pattern in what is being said. In some cases, individuals with schizophrenia say that they have no idea at all or that their heads seem “empty”. Many schizophrenic patients think they possess extraordinary powers such as x-ray vision or super strength. They may believe that their thoughts are being controlled by others or that everyone knows what they are thinking. These beliefs ar...
According to the Johns Hopkins Medicine Website , schizophrenia is “a mental illness that usually strikes in late adolescence or early adulthood, but can strike at any time in life” that is characterized by “delusions, hallucinations, bizarre behavior, [and] disorganized speech” among other symptoms. Schizophrenia is, at its core, the altering of a person’s perception of reality by some somatic means and when observed by a psychologically sound individual, can be quite unsettling. After all, seeing a person whose reality is fractured causes us to doubt our own reality, if only in a fleeting thought.
Another characteristic of the disorder is that schizotypes are often odd and eccentric. They often harbor absurd superstitions such as a belief in ESP and many other psychic or paranormal phenomenons that are outside the boundaries of accepted thought. In some cases Schizotypes believe that they possess magical powers, such as the ability to control other people with their thoughts. (Buss 2002)
WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA? The modern definition of schizophrenia describes it as a long-lasting psychotic disorder (involving a severe break with reality), in which there is an inability to distinguish what is real from fantasy as well as disturbances in thinking, emotions, behavior, and perception (Cicarelli, p. 557). SYMPTOMS Schizophrenia includes several symptoms.
Have you ever wondered what someone who has a mental illness goes through? Delusional Disorder can make a person believe in stuff that you can only image. This paper will tell you the symptoms, functional effects, duration. It will also show you a case study and the two main cause and two main treatments.
The Predator Next-Door The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols, is a 1967 film, which combines comedy, romance, and drama. Ben Braddock, played by Dustin Hoffman, is a newly graduated college student, who returned home for the summer. Like many, Ben is lost, worried about his future endeavors, and what he will do next. Anne Bancroft plays Mrs. Robinson, who is one of the main female characters, and “the desperate housewife and mother who ensnares Benjamin” (Kashner).
Unforeseen Conclusions in “The Hitchhiker” Are hitchhikers always out to hurt you? In the story “The Hitchhiker” by Lucille Fletcher, Ronald Adams goes on a road trip to Hollywood. Along the way, he passes the same person waiting beside the road. Adams comes to a conclusion that this man is hitchhiking in peoples’ cars to beat him to different locations. After a few weird incidents, Adams assumes the hiker is out to hurt him.
It's forlorn out in space for Jim Preston played by Chris Pratt in the romantic, action, and science-fiction film “Passengers”. In “Passengers” Jim is in a hibernation unit on the spaceship Avalon. He is a carpenter headed from Earth to help colonize a planet called Homestead II. A meteor shower hits the spaceship which causes it to experience malfunctions. The damage to the ship causes Jim’s hibernation unit to open which leaves Jim awake and confused in a ship filled with hibernating passengers and staff.
Schizophrenics are split from reality. They do not realize the consequences of their actions nor do they clearly understand what they themselves are doing. Schizophrenia is composed of a variety of symptoms, and as a result, the symptoms are separated into four categories: formal thought disorder, perception disorder, feeling/emotional disturbance, and behavior disorders.