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The Deeper Meaning Of Illness In A Beautiful Mind

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Many people know what it feels like to be sick, but do they know what an illness is? Do they realize the deeper meaning? Illness is a frequently used word that by dictionary definition means, “A disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind.” This definition may be accurate, but people suffering from illnesses know there is so much more to it. It is like an emotional roller coaster providing several challenges that must be fought through and unfortunately, some people’s journeys do not have as happy endings as others. Inevitably, there will be positive moments, and there will be negative moments through any illness a person suffers. Although many people think they know exactly what an illness is, there is a more complex meaning to …show more content…

It is going from living a normal lifestyle to a lifestyle revolved around this illness. In some cases, illness can determine your schedule, your attitude, your diet, your personality, and even your outlook on life. Illness alters your way of living. In the movie “A Beautiful Mind”, the main character suffers from schizophrenia, a mental disorder in which one cannot decipher the difference between hallucinations and reality. The protagonist, John Nash, goes to Princeton University and is a member of a highly prestigious mathematics club. He receives acknowledgement for his academic achievement frequently, and he even meets a girl that he ends up falling in love with. Throughout this journey, Nash is under the allusion that he is a secret spy agent on a mission. This mission interrupts his social life causing conflict with his now wife. Eventually he is captured by who he thinks is his enemies, but they are actually psychiatrists. He is told that he has paranoid schizophrenia, and he must undergo shock therapy and other treatments. This is traumatic for both him and his family, and once he returns home he barely moves or speaks because of his medications. His wife must now accommodate to his every need while also working and taking care of their baby. He feels worthless, so he stops taking his medications which then causes the hallucinations again. Several events happen which almost drive him to divorce, but they work through it with the acceptance that they will never live a normal lifestyle. Because of John Nash’s mental illness, his every day events were altered and shaped around his schizophrenia. It made a huge impact on him and his family and changed his whole

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