Psy 101
Tuesday PM
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by poor thought processes and poor emotional responsiveness. It is said to mainly affect cognition, but someone with this disorder will also have problems with emotion and behavior. In the movie “Of Two Minds”, the character Elizabeth has schizophrenia. This movie portrayed the trials and emotional hardships that a person with schizophrenia has to go through on a daily basis. It also shows the social problems and family problems that are commonly found with someone struggling with this disorder. It is common for someone to start showing symptoms in early adulthood. The symptoms are experiencing hallucinations such as voices in their head. Social withdrawal resulting in isolation is also a sign. People with schizophrenia have a problem with having ordered thinking and ordered speech which may result from hearing voices. Elizabeth was diagnosed in high school. As she is telling her story, you are able to see the patterns of the symptoms forming. She was a happy, outgoing child. She was an extremely smart girl. As she got older, she started withdrawing from friends and family. All she did was stay in her room without socializing with anyone. The voices started but, no one knew about them. She kept them to herself. Many teenagers keep many problems from their loved ones. After a fight with her sister; when the yelling got too extreme and the voices started; she threw herself out a window. While in the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with this condition. There are many cases of teenagers not knowing what is happening to them, so they do not receive the treatment that they need to try to live a normal life. Even after medication and therapy, a normal life is still a struggle. There were many normal aspects of life that Elizabeth could not do. She did not like watching television. It made her hear more voices. She could not go shopping with her sister. She