A review of the Words on the Bathroom Walls

A review of theWords
on the Bathroom Walls

Introduction

Mental
health issues are increasingly becoming prevalent among the young people in
alarming rate. The paper will analyze the movie that focuses on paranoid
schizophrenia. The paper will give a detailed description of schizophrenia-symptoms,
prevalence, causes and costs of the disease. Besides, the paper will describe
and analyze three scenes inWords on the
bathroom wallconcerning schizophrenia disorder.

Overview of the
Disorder

The
as a severe mental disorder characterized by
psychosis (APA, 2015). A person exhibits psychotic symptoms such as extreme
disruption of the thought processes, perception, emotions, and relations. A
schizophrenic patient encounters hallucinations, delusions, and lost touch with
reality. Other symptoms of the disorder include hearing voices that are not
real, having strange beliefs, misplaced emotions, and thinking in a confused
way.

There
are three types of schizophrenia: paranoid schizophrenia, catatonic
schizophrenia, and disorganized schizophrenia. This paper mainly will focus on
paranoid schizophrenia, where an individual falsely believes that someone aims
to persecute them. Also, patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia
perceive themselves as divinely sent to earth to complete a specific secret
mission.

According
to the National Institute of Mental Health [NIH] (n.d), schizophrenia is
commonly diagnosed in early adulthood and mid-adulthood. During the late
teenage stage, schizophrenia is more common in males than in females. Nevertheless,
the prevalence of schizophrenia is higher in adult females than in males. The
prevalence of schizophrenia in the United States is estimated to be between
0.25% and 0.64% (NIH, n.d). The estimated global prevalence of the disease is
0.33% to 0.69%.

Although
the exact cause of schizophrenia is not yet known, some factors are believed to
trigger this mental disorder. These factors include but are not limited to
genetics, defects in personality development, deficiency in chemicals
responsible for thinking and understanding, and drug abuse. In addition, stress
can trigger or worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Despite
having a low prevalence rate, schizophrenia causes severe social, economic, and
health burdens. According to NIH (n.d) schizophrenia is among the top 15 causes
of disability in the world. Also, people with schizophrenia have reduced life
expectancy due to elevated risks of premature death. The situation is worse for
individuals with other concurring conditions such as heart disease, cancer,
diabetes, or liver disease. 50% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia have
other mental or behavioral disorders. Furthermore, the financial costs related to
the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia are inexplicably high relative to
other psychological and physical conditions. Moreover, additional indirect
costs are incurred due to lost productivity, increased chances of involvement
in criminal activity, and social service needs.

Schizophrenia
is diagnosed by completion of medical history and physical examination. The
disorder should be diagnosed using diagnostic tests such as MRI and CT scans. Schizophrenia
can be treated through psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Schizophrenia
medications help to alleviate the psychotic symptoms. Mild cases of the disease
can be treated without medication.

Scene 1
description and analysis

Scene description

Scene
1 begins with Adam (Charlie Plummer) talking to his psychiatrist indirectly.
Adam cooks for his parents, enjoying breakfast together before heading to
school (Freudenthal, 2020). Adam
is upset because his mother is dating another man who is not his biological
father. His mother sees him out, and he goes to school. Adam meets Rebecca
(Anna Sophia Robb) during school time, and they go to the chemistry laboratory.
During the chemistry class, Adam starts experiencing some unusual things. In
his vision, Adam sees the whole class flooded with black fog, and everything in
the laboratory appears floating. Rebecca attempts to interject, but Adam is
unstoppable. Accidentally, Adam knocks a flask filled with acidic chemicals
that burn Rebecca’s hand. The school security guards interlude and hold him
down on the floor.

Scene analysis

This
scene introduces the audience to the symptoms of schizophrenia. Ian depicts
most of the primary symptoms of schizophrenia. He hears unrealistic voices that
show that he is disconnected from reality. The black cloud he sees in the room
is not real, and the objects are not floating. His disconnection from reality
and emotional instability cause him to cause an accident. At the end of the
scene, Adam collapses, and he is emotionally distressed. All the behaviors in scene one point out that
Adam has paranoid schizophrenia. As mentioned earlier, Adam seemed stressed
when he left home. According toHardingham and
Do (2016),stress is a potential trigger for schizophrenic symptoms. Adam
might be stressed by the faulty relationship with his stepfather and the
pressures of joining a new school.

Scene 2
description and analysis

Scene description

Scene
2 begins after Adam is diagnosed with schizophrenia. After the diagnosis and
his violent behavior during the chemistry class, he was expelled from school (Freudenthal, 2020). He begins a
treatment regimen that involves therapy and medication using TozaPrex
medicines. Despite using the TozaPrex medication, the schizophrenic symptoms do
not subdue. Adam continues to experience threatening voices. Consequently, Adam
lives with the perpetual fear of losing his life, and he carries a knife from
the anticipated, threatening events.

Scene analysis

The
scene confirms that Adam has paranoid schizophrenia. Although no people plan to
harm him, he is convinced that his life is in danger. The delusional voices and
hallucinations show the severity of the schizophrenic symptoms. Adam’s case
worsened after he was expelled from school. He lost the only friend he had made
in school, and he enters an emotional down road. His mother is worried because
the TozaPrex medication seems to be ineffective.

Scene 3 description and analysis

Scene description

In
scene 3, Adam is taken by his mother and stepfather (Andy Garcia) to St. Agatha
Catholic school. Adam hallucinates during the interview for the transfer where
he sees the room filled with fire (Freudenthal,
2020). Fortunately, this event does not affect his enrolment into the
new school. He is accepted into the school where he meets Maya (Taylor Russel)
and Todd (Aaron Dominguez). The schizophrenic symptoms improve, and he became
less frightened with the hallucinations. Adam starts becoming close with Maya,
and they finally fall in love. Adam starts improving in academics and social
life. He regains his interest in cooking, and his relationship with his mother
is rejuvenated.

Scene analysis

This
scene shows the continuous improvement of Adams’s mental and behavioral
condition. The medication begins to be effective. This is because Adam is
consistent with his medication despite a lack of immediate results. Also, the
new environment is conducive for Adams’ emotional state. Furthermore, the
relationship with Maya helps to alleviate the schizophrenic symptoms. The scene
proves that gaining acceptance and reduced stigmatization can help alleviate
schizophrenic symptoms (Stelzmann, Toth, &
Schieferdecker, 2021). Adam starts to be happy after Maya confirms that
she loves him. He starts accepting himself and enjoys life without feeling
inferior. Scene 3 proves that emotional wellbeing and stress management can
help treat schizophrenia and interrelated mental and behavioral issues.