Introduction to Psychology Nawinda Malikhao

Unit 3 Quarter Project ID 5761075

A Beautiful Mind (2001) Analysis

Part 1 Diagnosis

1.1 Identification of Nashs Psychological Disorders and Symptoms

Nash is a man who suffer with Schizophrenia since he was in college,Princeton, as a

college student.Schizophrenia is a term introduced by Bleuler,names a persistent, often chronic
and usually serious mental disorder affecting a variety of aspects of behavior,thinking,and
emotion. Patient with delusions or hallucination may described as psychotic.Thinking may be
disconnected and illogical. Peculiar behaviors may be associated with social withdrawal and
disinterest.This disease is usually happen with a stressful person. At first he does not notice that
he has this mental disorder problem,so he can not distinguish between reality and imagination of
hi mind. He has his imaginary friend whose name is Charles Herman. At that time he thinks that
this college is real. His symptoms became more advanced after he had graduated from the
Princeton University and worked as a professor in the same university he was studied. His
symptoms starts to develop by adding more characters such as Charless nephew and a detector
from secret organization. There are many symptoms that are shown in the film.For example, at
the scene where he is focusing on reading academic book and ignore Charles conversation due to
the patients of this disorder,they are selective attraction to only one thing at the time.Another
signs of Nash behavior is that his perceptual disturbance at the scene where he is teaching his
university class but the sounds of the construction near the building is very loud,and it distracted
him a lot so he decided to close the window. Nash also creates his own language as it can be seen
in the scene where he is staying in front of his room window writing scientific and mathematical
formulas on it,the window.He always paranoid with everything around him such as people. He
loses contact with reality as he think that he is a part of secret organization and think that there is
a identified code on his arm.
He also has everyday anxiety as he feel the embarrassment or self-consciousness in an
uncomfortable or awkward social situation at the scene he is playing chess with his colleagues
,and he lose which makes he feels bad and ran away from that area. He scares to be talking face
to face with other people not only his colleagues,but also people he does not know.

Not only everyday anxiety ,but he also suffer with depression at the scene where his
colleagues are all finish the final paper for graduation which makes him feel depressed because
he is the only one who does not finish it yet. This is a stressful event that occurs in his life which
brings to negative interpretation.For example, in the scene where he is trying to write the final
paper and he feels stress and depress whether he is right or wrong because he does not know why
he is wrong.After he met the professor in the scene and receive a comment that he is not ready
for the job,he feels depressed and immersed himself in finding why he is not accepted.After that
Nash starts to harm himself by hit his face toward the window several times which makes him
get injured because he feels bad about himself and try to find what did he do wrong. The
symptoms for this disorder are significant weight or appetite loss,feeling worthless and fatigue,
and recurring thoughts of death or suicide.
Introduction to Psychology Nawinda Malikhao
Unit 3 Quarter Project ID 5761075
The last psychological disorder that Nash has is bipolar disorder or manic-depressive
disorder, which Nash sometime looks so happy while sometime he feel sad and cry. For
example, in the scene that Nash are sitting in the restaurant solving mathematical equation and
suddenly his friend come and challenge him to flirt with a blonde hair girl. Nash suddenly come
up with an idea and feels very excited about it. He quickly runs to his room and write all those
new knowledge on his note or paper. Another example to show the hopelessness side of Nash is
when he got rejected by the professor, he feels worthless as he can not get a job. He spend most
of his time try to find the flaw of his work but nothing.

1.2 Two-dimensional Model of Nashs Emotions

For the connection between Nashs
emotions on two-dimension model,His
emotions contain relax,enthusiastic, anger,
and sad. Nash emotions develop throughout
the time as it can be shown in the movie
scene. At the very beginning of the movie
when Nash met Charles,his imaginary
friend,he feels relax when he has a small
Move to the top right corner of the
model is enthusiastic which is in the scene he
did a math calculation after talking with his
friends in the bar. He quickly ran to his room
and write all new formulas that came up on
his mind. This is a trigger of everyday anxiety
as he scares of interacting with other
people,thus he tries to find activities which
Introduction to Psychology Nawinda Malikhao
Unit 3 Quarter Project ID 5761075

conversation with Charles. From this he feels make him feel secure and get out from
comfortable talking about his life with his crowded area.
imaginary friend. Another example is when
he is focusing on his mathematical work.He
feels relax as he is in his comfort zone. This
shows that he has schizophrenia disorder
which he builds Charles to be his roommate
but does not notice that Charles is not real.

In the right down corner is anger
which Nash shows in the movie.It is in the
scene that Nash get mad at his friend after
playing chase because he thought that he will
definitely win this game. On the other hand,
the result came out that he is the loser which
makes Nash get mad as he thought he has
well plan to win this game. Another scene
which shows how his emotions change from
neutral to angry. It is the scene that Nash told
his wife that he is in a secret agent and he
needs her help.It is when he is in psycho
therapy.
The last emotion at the bottom left
corner is sad which is related to Nashs
disorder that is depression. It can cause by
stress that Nash feels he is inferior in the
scene that he can not calculate mathematical
equations any more after the psychology
therapy. He sad as he can not be able to do in
what he is specialist on. It is the side effect of
the therapy that Nash might lose calculating
skill.
Introduction to Psychology
Unit 3 Quarter Project
1.3 Connections between the Triggers and His Mental Problems
Relax
At the scene Nash met Charles as his
roommate, they talk with each other and Nash
told Charles about his life.He shows how
schizophrenia makes him can not distinguish
between imagination and realistic. The merge
between these two world.
Anger
This event builds up stress as Nash
expect he is the best but in fact he is not that
good so he cant accept it and try to find what
is mistakes in making him fail. This caused by
stress that Nash has ; he is angry as his wife
does not trust him that the story he tell is real.
This show bipolar disorder of Nash as he has
changed his emotion from happy to sad.
Nawinda Malikhao
ID 5761075
Enthusiastic
It builds up stress as he is not get use
to interact with other people.He spends most
of his time with himself doing scientific
calculation. He does not want to have appetite
as one of the sign that shows he has everyday
anxiety disorder.
Sad
The trigger that makes Nash has
depression is that after the therapy, Nash is
not be able to do mathematical calculation the
same as before he had the therapy. This is
trigger which leads to depression eventually.
Introduction to Psychology Nawinda Malikhao
Unit 3 Quarter Project ID 5761075

Part 2 Providing Therapies

2.1 Active Listening Skills Used by Alicia and Dr. Rosen

Alicia has an active listening skill in minimal encouragement as she does not interrupt
Nash when he is talking. Alicia also clarify any points that she is not completely understand. For
instance, at the scene she went to visit Nash at the hospital,Nash told her about his imaginary
thing and Alicia is trying to make sure that he thinks it is real. She shows Nash a clue which
shows that Nash make up everything by his own imagination. The last skill which is shown at the
very end of the movie that Nash told her that he can not work in the college anymore as other
people think he is weird and all of his imaginary friends always follow him every way and every
time. Alicia pause the next sentence Nash want to say and encourage him to try again and not
give up which is the most powerful influence that makes Nash go back to work as usual again.

Next is Dr. Rosen who is a psychologist that Alicia calls him to pick Nash up to the
hospital after she identified that he has mental disorder. At first when Dr. Rosa met Nash, he
talked to Nash nicely and not doing anything as he wants to observe Nash behavior. Dr. Rosen
clarify any points that he is not clearly understand.For example, in the scene Dr. Rosen asks
Nash what did he see at the back of him and Nash called Charles.

2.2 Analysis of Dr. Rosens Psychotherapy Office Design

In the office, the patient will feel safety with a comforting and calming environment. The
office also provide books on the shelf as an accessible therapeutic tools.The furniture
arrangement in Dr. Rosen room is wel full planing and well mange of space,thus patients feel
comfortable and also safe when they are in this room.
Dr. Rosen Psychotherapy Office Design has dim lighting as good psychotherapy office
should have. In the office also provides white noise machine in order to makes patient feel claim.
The wall color is light and smooth so patient will not feel terrify.
 Introduction to Psychology
Unit 3 Quarter Project
2.3 Alternative Thought Resolutions for John Nash
Alternative Thought Resolutions
His Unhelpful Thinking Habits
Mental Filter: He can do only one task at the
time which he can not be able to do multitask as
normal people did.
Mind-Reading: He thinks that other people think
that he is weird because he is too clever and also he
act to things around him strangely.
Prediction: Nash predict that the secret agent will He should try to evaluate which is true and not
come and kill his wife and child as his imagine make true. He also should ask his wife for advice.
up the story like that.
Compare & despair: When he met his old friend
who is the university director of the school which he
feels bad as all of his friend got a high position in
their job while he is just came back from the
therapy.
Critical self: He looks down himself as a weak guy
who can not be able to do anything. In the scene he
told his old colleague that he can not be able to
calculate any more.
Shoulds and musts: He expect himself that he can
control his imagination, thus he does not take a pill
for more than 2 days. Eventually, his schizophrenia
has activated.
Judgements: He judge that what he sees is real and
what other see is not real based on what he see such
Nawinda Malikhao
ID 5761075
Alternative More Balanced Thoughts
He should learn to do multitask such as write
mathematical equation and also talk with his
friend. He should reduce focus on only one
thing.
He should let oneself of in order not to care a
lot about those little problems in his life.
Eventually, he will get rid of it and be happy.
He should satisfy with what he got and be
happy with it. He can cheer himself up in
order to make him feel better.
He should some alternative activities which
might make him feel better and dont have to
keep thinking about skill that he has lost.
He should learn to evaluate the possibility how
much he can handle it.He should try to think
that what he is going to do is out of reality and
he can not achieve it or not.
He should ask other people to make sure what
he see is real not his imagination.
 Introduction to Psychology Nawinda Malikhao
Unit 3 Quarter Project ID 5761075

as his imaginary friend and secret detector.

Mountains and molehills: He can not do the final He should use this mistake to improve himself
paper for his last year of university. He tries to find next time and try not to think about it. Find
what he did wrong. Finally, he end up with harming something to do.It might helps him find
himself. inspiration.

Catastrophizing: He imagine that he might lost his He should think positively be stay with positive
wife and the detector might kill him. thinker who will encourage him and make he
feels better.

Memories: He think about what he has experience He should find interesting to do so he will
when he was studying in the college and also work forget all those trauma memories.
in Pentagon,secret government base.

2.4 Multimodal Treatment Plan for John Nash

Multimodal Treatment Plan

Modality Nashs Descriptions Plan

Behaviour He act differently from
normal people,colleagues
in the college. He dont
like to socialize with other
people,so most of the time
he will stay in his room or
bar alone doing the
calculation work.
Do less of, or stop: reduce work he always do a
little bit to balance.
Do more of, or start: Start to talk with his
colleagues and attend social activities with his
friend.

Emotions He sometimes happy and Do less of, or stop: stop looking down at
sometimes sad,which he himself.Control his emotion to be more stable.
tend to has bipolar
disoreder. Most of the
 Introduction to Psychology
Unit 3 Quarter Project
time in the movie shows
that he cries a lot and also
get mad at himself a lot
too.
Sensation/Imagery He builds up imaginary
characters in his life that
are secret agent,Charles,
Charless nephew. His
mind looks so fantacy.
Cognition His belief is he is one of
the secret organization,
thus he act strangely when
he walks in the hallway of
the university as he scares
that someone might notice
that he is one of the secret
agent member.
Interpersonal He rarely talks with his
colleagues as he does not
like socialize with others.
His relationship between
his wife is not strong as he
keep the secret about his
disease.
Nawinda Malikhao
ID 5761075
Do more of, or start: Start to appreciate himself and
stop look down on himself. Do more social
activities in order to make him get rid of his bad
emotions.
Do less of, or stop: Stop thinking about those
imaginary charecters.
Do more of, or start: Try to ask other people is
people he saw does exit. Find some clue that
indicate between his imagination and realistic.
Do less of, or stop: Stop aware of other people
looking at him. Stop thinking about this story.
Do more of, or start:
Start to find point that shows it is not real.
Do less of, or stop: Stop condem himself in his
room.
Do more of, or start: Start to talk with other people
and tell him wife what is happening, so his wife can
help him overcome with those problem.
 Introduction to Psychology Nawinda Malikhao
Unit 3 Quarter Project ID 5761075

Drugs/Biology He got electroconvulsive
therapy in order to stop
his mental disorder. The
side effect of this therapy
is that he lost some of his
everyday skill.
Do less of, or stop: Stop using drugs as his body
might wants it more and act violently.
Do more of, or start: Start to heal himself be
nature,without using drugs,as it might be more
effective if can stop his disorder by his own.

Part 3 Reflections

The nightmare of Schizophrenia is not knowing whats true.Imagine if you had suddenly learned that the
people and the places and the moments most important to you were gone,not dead,but worse,...had never
been.What kind of hell would that be ?

I think this words imply how bad it is when Schizophrenia patients lost their important moment and
everything crucial in his life turns worse than before. It hard for patients to adapt themselves through this tough
situation. I agree with this statement that when we lost something important to us,it like you throwing your
phone on the floor and make it cracks.

Its problem. Thats all it is..And what I do,I solve problems . All I have to do is apply my mind. I can do
this...All I need is time.

Everything takes time to recover and improve. Patients who suffer with mental disease also need time to
recovery themselves from those tragic disorder. They need to do it step by step and set our mind set that we
can overcome those problem. The best thing to encourage yourself is to think that you can definitely
accomplish it. Your mind will be better if you think positive,but if you think negative it will only harm you.
We should sometimes abandon some problem that we evaluate and notice that it is hard to solve it.
 Introduction to Psychology Nawinda Malikhao
Unit 3 Quarter Project ID 5761075

After watching the movie,do you think you can understand the feelings of psychological disorder
patients who share the same disorders,especially Schizophrenia, as John Nash better?

I think after I have watched the movie without noticing that Charles does not exist in real life. It is hard
for Nash to distinguish what is real and not real because he is the one who suffer with the disease and no one
see that he is talking alone until Dr.Rosen found out that he suffers with Schizophrenia. For instance, in the
scene he say goodbye to Charles nephew and one of the student saw Nash talking alone which makes them
think he is weird.Another scene is when his wife is going to call Dr.Rosen and Nash is taking to the secret
detector.Nash wife notices that there is no one in the house except Nash and herself.

How does Nashs quote relate to cognitive-behavioral therapy? (live with disorder until die like
Nash why or why not?)

Nash quote is overall taking about his disorder which is hard to cope with,but he can overcome it if he
wants. He learns to live with it for the whole life but not letting it invade and ruin his life. He wants to teach us
that the disease can not be completely cure but it can only reduce risk of it. What Nash says is related to the
cognitive learning as he learns to live with it but ignore it. It is one of the therapy but the hardest one as
patients themselves have to control themselves which is hard for some patients to do it. It is true as he said All
I need is time. Mental disorder also need time for petient to recovery themselves.

References

Howard, R. (Director). (2001). A Beautiful Mind [Video file]. Retrieved 2001, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7mJafYuqAk

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2007) Mental illnesses. Schizophrenia. Retrieved from

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedP
ageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=54&ContentID=23036
Introduction to Psychology Nawinda Malikhao
Unit 3 Quarter Project ID 5761075
Franklin. D (2004) Psychology Information Online. Treatment of Schizophrenia. Retrieved from

http://www.psychologyinfo.com/schizophrenia/treatment.htm

Myers, D. (2007) Psychology Eighth Edition in Modules. New York: Worth Publishers