The film Shutter Island depicts the story of a World War 2 veteran Andrew Laeddis and his experience with mental illness, specifically portraying the memory phenomena of repressed and recovered memories also known as dissociative amnesia and dissociative fugue (Kikuchi et.al. 2010). The illness is triggered by a psychologically traumatic event, which included discovering his wife had murdered his three children, and in response, he killing his wife (Kikuchi et.al. 2010). Additionally, the portrayal exhibits many of the criteria for a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Friedman et.al. 1994). The DSM-V now classifies dissociative symptoms as an additional subcategory of PTSD diagnosis, however, the film concentrates …show more content…
Conversely, this last ditch effort was being overseen by government appointed psychiatrists who believed the only way to treat Laeddis and remove the threat he presented of harming other people, was to lobotomize him. Subsequent developments in psychiatric treatment have proven that the destruction of brain tissue does not remediate this kind of mental illness or justify this barbaric and maiming procedure (Raz 2008; Johnson 2011). During the time period, this film is set, the illness Laediss was suffering would probably have been known as psychogenic amnesia, which is a broad term that covered a wide range of psychological mechanisms including dissociation, suppression and cognitive avoidance (Staniloiu & Markowitsch, 2014). The comorbidity of PTSD is not overtly explored throughout the film but is implicit in the story telling modality of flashback/flash forward and gives credence to the dissociative amnesia, firstly, from the perspective of altered memory of his experience of the Dachau concentration camp and secondly, and more relevant to the storyline in the film, his inability to recall his autobiographical information in relation to his wife and children. Staniloiu and Markowitsch (2014) define dissociative amnesia “as
Throughout history we have struggled with what to do with individuals who had a mental illness. Some tried to find a solution through surgeries, while others didn’t think twice about it and decided to incarcerate these individuals without observing their situation and think of how they can instead be helped. In class we were asked to watch two films: The Lobotomist and The New Asylums, both having to do with the treatment of the mentally ill. The Lobotomist is an interesting video following the life and work of a man called Walter freeman.
This paper explores post-traumatic stress and how it is seen as a disorder. Post-traumatic stress can manifest into post-traumatic stress disorder. According to Sareen (2014), Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5 as having 4 core features that are as follows. First, the person must witness or experience a stressful event. Secondly, the person or persons would re-experience symptoms of the event that include nightmares and/or flashbacks. The person or persons would also have hyper arousal symptoms, such as concentrations problems, irritability, and sleep disturbance. The final core feature dictates
Trauma, a severely distressing or disturbing experience, can lead to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is a type of anxiety disorder that results from experiencing extremely emotional trauma or situation in which the individual felt at risk of injury or death. According to Putts (2014), both trauma and PTSD are going unrecognized in clients experiencing psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorders although a majority of clients diagnosed with psychotic disorders experience symptoms that meet the criteria for PTSD (p. 83). Putts (2014) believes the phenomenon could be a result of the challenge a clients in a psychotic state presents
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can do a range of things to the brain. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder makes the victim continuously remember the event. It was originally known as “shell shock” where vets were struggling going through daily life. Finally after the Vietnam War Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was “identified and given its name.” When these discoveries were made, proper treatment was then given to the victims. Research shows that
Post-traumatic stress disorder abbreviated PTSD is a response to traumatic events in someone’s life. Traumatic events are events that provoke fear, helplessness or horror in response to a threat or extreme stressor (Yehuda, 2002). Soldiers and other military members are at a much higher risk to Post traumatic stress disorder due to combat and other stressful situations they are put into. People effected by Post-traumatic stress disorder will have symptoms including flashbacks, avoidance of things, people or places that remind them of the traumatic event. Also, hyper arousal which includes insomnia, irritability, impaired concentration and higher startle reactions. In this paper I will discuss post-traumatic stress disorder, its signs, symptom and effects on culture as portrayed in the movie, American Sniper.
We have come to a point where we are very susceptible to the things that we see in the media every day. We believe the things that are being told to us through media because we have been pushed to think this way. Social media has the ability to manipulate the way in which topics are viewed such as mental illness. We have come to a point where we are less likely to question the things that happen in films because we have become comfortable accepting the information we gather through media. However if you actually pay attention to the way things are portrayed in films, a lot of the time there is little truth behind it. For some reason it has become the norm to make mental illnesses more dramatic and seem way more dangerous than they actual are. Mental illness in films is very rarely accurately portrayed in films, a lot of the time they are made to be way more dramatic than they actually are solely for the purpose to make the film
Shutter Island portrays multiple mental illnesses in the main character as well as in supporting characters. One might call it an abnormal psychology “goldmine.” It takes place at a water-bound psychiatric facility, Shutter Island, housing the criminally insane. The plot is about a man who refers to himself as Teddy. He believes he and his partner are detectives, on the island, to investigate the disappearance of a patient. He is also in search of a patient named Andrew Laeddis, who Teddy believes murdered his wife. The detective becomes paranoid that the facility is treating the patients unfairly and performing experimental lobotomies. The delusion goes on for several months, Teddy never realizing he is actually a patient, until he is brought back to reality at the climax of the movie. His delusion ends. He realizes he’s a patient for a very short amount of time before he goes back to believing he’s a detective. The delusion starts all over again. Throughout most of the film, viewers see his delusion as a reality, until the twist at the end when it is revealed that he is actually a patient.
The two psychological interventions that were administered to McMurphy while in the mental institution were a lobotomy and shock therapy. A lobotomy is the removal of the portion from the frontal lobe of the brain. This procedure’s main goal is to eliminate aggressive or violent behavior. This invention took place in 1935 by Dr. Antonio Egas Moniz. However, by the late 1940s the realization those individuals undergoing lobotomy procedures took place without initiative became apparent. Although the methods of a lobotomy have changed the basic underlying idea of neurosurgery exists today in the form of “psychosurgery” (Encarta 2000). Shock Therapy uses electric current or drugs to control psychotic disorders. In 1933, Dr. Manfred Sakel used drugs and instituted insulin shock to control mainly Schizophrenia. In 1938, Drs. U. Cerletti and L. Bini used electroshock therapy to treat severe depression (i.e. manic depressive psychoses). Alternating current through the brain using parallel
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.
It was not until the 1980’s that the diagnosis of PTSD as we know it today came to be. However, throughout history people have recognized that exposure to combat situations can have profound negative impact on the mind s and bodies of individuals in these situations. But there are other catastrophic events that can have such profound impact on people resulting in PTSD…
In the film K-Pax, a a middle age man, claiming to be 337 earth years old, is brought into psychiatric institute after he causes a disturbance at a train station. Prott, the patient, experiences a delusion where he believes that he is from the extraterrestrial planet K-Pax and he will return back on July 27, taking one person with him. Prott is delusional, but very intelligent which makes many patients believe his stories, and the doctors question him even more. He shares unknown knowledge surrounding a star system that had never been figured out before. Throughout his time at the mental institute he gives tasks to another patient, each task is proven to be true and works. His psychiatrist Dr. Powell uncovers that Protts true name is Robert Porter, after looking
PTSD is a form of dissociation and involves two distinct parts that effect the consciousness and behavior of an adolescent. “One is numb and avoidant of traumatic memories, but more or less functional in daily life, and another is enmeshed in traumatic memories” (Diseth 83). These elements of dissociation cause attachment and adaptive disorders that will perpetrate further harm to the adolescent. Trauma is related to other behaviors in adolescents, such s numbing, social withdrawal, separation anxiety and new fears.
This is a film analysis of Shutter Island. Shutter Island is a 2010 film directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, this film is 138 minutes of psychological thrills and horror. Shutter Island covers the field of psychopathology. More specifically, it covers psychotic disorders, dissociative disorders, and treatment. Shutter Island is set in 1954 on Shutter Island, Massachusetts at the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane.
During the early to mid 20th century, not much was known about mental illnesses or what caused them, which was the way it had been for many years before. One of the somewhat common perceptions about mental illness was that these disorders were caused by possession or negative spirits. This can be most likely be attributed to the wide influence of the catholic church and the belief that exorcisms or psychosurgery could possibly cure incurable or intractable mental illnesses. Psychosurgery developed into the more common procedure known as a lobotomy, where the connections between the prefrontal lobe and the prefrontal cortex are cut with the intention of freeing the patient from delusions and side effects of other mental illnesses. Lobotomies began as a surgical procedure which needed to be performed in an operating room, as it required holes to be drilled through the scalp and into the skull. This meant that though the procedure was seen to show some
The movie Shutter Island presents wrenching twists and turns from a psychological state of mind. The author of the story, Lehane, makes it certain that the psychic mind of the main character helps to enhance the plot of the story. The darkness of the story is based off of the year nineteen fifty-four to drive the setting of the story. Throughout the film, clues are given that eventually give way to the realization of reality. When the story begins in medias res, it helps engage the audience and jumpstart theories. Manipulation is a present factor used throughout the story with both the audience and the characters to create a thrilling story.