When Nathaniel Ayers was first introduced in The Soloist (2009), one of his symptoms of Schizophrenia was evident: loose association. Loose association is “rapidly shifting from one subject to another, believing that the incoherent statements makes sense” (Comer, 2014, p. 366). Ayers’s subjects in his first conversation with Steve Lopez jumped from treating a violin like a child, to “armies” in Ohio and Los Angeles, to the cello, to Beethoven running Los Angeles, and so on. Another one of Ayers’s symptoms is hallucinations. Ayers also experienced hallucinations. He heard voices that often claimed to protect him from people who were watching him play the cello (The Soloist, 2009). These two symptoms are known as positive symptoms (Comer, 2014, …show more content…
Ayers only mentioned having friends once, his friends at Julliard. Someone who does not understand the symptoms of Schizophrenia would perhaps be “turned off” by his continuous focus on ideas that cannot be understood by others, music, and cleanliness. Ayers’s symptoms seemed to intensify throughout the movie, as he got older. According to Comer (2014, p. 369), people who have Schizophrenia experience three stages: the prodromal phase, the active stage, and the residual stage. In The Soloist (2009), the beginnings of Ayers’s symptoms were shown immediately, so his prodromal stage was never portrayed: the active phase was shown first. As a child, Ayers experienced loose association and hallucinations. His loose association first appeared at his cello lesson. Nathaniel went on and on about Beethoven and his love for music, hopping from one subject to the next, merging the separate statements together (The Soloist, 2009). Still a child, Ayers’s first hallucination was seeing a burning car roll passed his window (The Soloist, 2009). He did not yet hear the voices. As Ayers progressed through the active phase hallucinations and delusions became worse. Ayers’s
The most obvious symptoms that Etta displays are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Etta has delusions along with hallucinations. Among the delusions she discussed, one of them was her belief that her and Jesus Christ communicate with one another, and that some type of eagle watched over her. Etta discussed one of the auditory hallucinations she has, which is a gunshot. This auditory hallucination plays a part with the delusions that occur, where the sound of the gunshot means that she cannot answer the door or answer the phone.
The Soloist by Steve Lopez is the true story of Mr. Steve Lopez, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and his journey to move a stranger-turned-friend off the streets and into a place where he can get the help he needs and be able to flourish as the talented musician he is. The star of the book, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, is a 54 year old homeless musician with a mental illness. Nathaniel (or Mr. Ayers later in the book) uses music as something to ground him, to calm him down and bring him back to reality. This book brings into light various topics that most people prefer not to think about (homelessness, mental illnesses, etc.) and shows how music can aide anyone in tough times. It is common knowledge that music helps the soul.
On Friday 28th June 2013 Ian Brady failed in his bid to be transferred from Ashworth high security psychiatric hospital to prison. Brady, was jailed for life in 1966 for the murder of three children and found responsible for the deaths of a number of others. He argued in a week long tribunal that he should not be held in a psychiatric unit because he was not mentally ill. He claimed instead that he had severe personality disorders.
Nathaniel immediately goes about assembling the cello, stationing the bridge just so and carefully drawing the strings up over it’s virgin bones. ”(Lopez 34). Ever since he was a young boy, Nathaniel took music seriously, practicing day in and day out. Growing into adulthood, his talents grew even bigger,
In the words of Steve Lopez, “You're only as good or bad as your latest attempt to make some connection with the world.” The novel, The Soloist, by Steve Lopez is an insight to Lopez’s time helping and connecting with Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless schizophrenic. When Lopez meets Nathaniel he is awed by his musical talent and soon discovers he once attended Julliard, a prestigious school of performing arts. Lopez’s story was transformed into a film produced in 2008. Lopez’s character in the book and film share similarities and differences in his personal life, attitude towards Nathaniel, and struggles that contribute to the overall theme of the novel.
In the course of the film we find Scottie going through self-therapy, a fashionable tendency of the 1940s psychoanalytic boom & later through music therapy which was also briefly popular during the 1950s (largely as a means of calming unruly patients in mental institutions. And Midge presented it as slightly comical. -She says “They have music for dipsomaniacs, music for melancholiacs, music for hypochondriacs. I wonder what would happen if someone got their files mixed up” (qtd from the film/qtd in Freedman 89). MF- Through Vertigo-we can come to the conclusion that neither music therapy nor any other forms of therapy can completely cure the mentally ill and it is basically disjunct from physical illness where neither diagnosis or cure
And I’m crawling on my belly to get it.” He said he felt as if he was watching himself and was disgusted as to what he could see himself doing at that occurring moment. If one were to be mentally dysfunctional they would not see or feel themselves in that type of
Schizophrenia is one of the most recognizable mental illnesses that the world knows, this comes with benefits as it does with consequences. The benefit being that many people have heard of the term, but a minute group truly know about it. This has led to a society where it is commonplace to ostracize those with the illness, which subsequently leads to negative effects on those diagnosed. It is as if society still has not developed a sufficient system in which Schizophrenia fits in. People with heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, all receive sympathy and yet people will Schizophrenia seldom receive the same.
In this paper I will be applying the psychological theories to serial killer Ed Gein. Ed Gein was a prolific serial killer in the 1950’s. He murdered and robbed graves for body parts to make furniture and clothing. He was apprehended in 1957, where he stood trial and was institutionalized. Edward Theodore “Ed” Gein was born August 27th, 1906 to George and Augusta Gein.
The Soloist Mental health is becoming a major section of health care. The movie “The soloist” exquisitely demonstrates how mental health is very important to make a living, take care of yourself and interact with the community. The Soloist film follows a journalist, Steve, who is on the hunt for a good story for his column in the LA Times. He hears a homeless musician, Nathaniel, playing one day while on lunch who mentioned that he attended The Juilliard School.
7. An external locus of control is when a person blames things that are out of there control. An internal locus of control is when a person believes that they can control the events that go on in their life it makes the outcome come out to what they want it. This information is found on page 421. I believe that it is better to have an internal locus of control.
Paula A. Treichler from the University of Illinois analyzes “The Yellow Wallpaper” and its effects of the diagnosis given to the main character effectively in her article “Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’”. In her article, Treichler emphasizes the reasons why the main character was lead to believe her diagnosis from her husband and the other contributing factors that played a role in her hysteria, such as lack of social interaction and confinement. In the introduction to her article, Treichler gives the background of the story and hits on every area of importance. The diagnosis made by the narrator 's husband is highlighted by Treichler in her opening paragraph to illustrate the significance and informality of the diagnosis and its unreliability.
Schizoaffective disorder: Daniel Daniel is a 17-year-old Spanish decent male who was rushed to the hospital with Auditory hallucinations, Euphoria and Paranoid contemplations and thoughts. Daniel has no history of alcohol or substance misuse, or any medical history but his mother expressed he has become socially withdrawn which began around the age of 13, this happened after the passing of his dad who was 40 years more established than his mom. During that time he became very withdrawn toward family and friends as well as not getting enough sleep, and his concentration is affected, has episodes of manic mood or an unexpected increase in energy and behavioral displays that are out of his character. His mother stated this behavior has been going on for about two weeks and getting worse by the day. Now a senior in high school he has lost interest in school and his grades are declining he also is losing interest in the new job he just received at Mcdonalds as a part time cook.
What are some thoughts that come to mind when a person brings up the word schizophrenia? According to Ford-Martin, “Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder or group of disorders marked by disturbances in thinking, emotional responsiveness, and behavior” (2139). The character, Alice, from the film, Alice in Wonderland is a perfect example of schizophrenia, and the director, Tim Burton, further emphasizes the disorder by his use of film techniques. One characteristic of schizophrenia is delusions. According to Fallon, “The delusions of paranoid schizophrenics usually involve thoughts of being persecuted or harmed by others or exaggerated opinions of their own importance, but may also reflect feelings of jealousy or excessive religiosity” (2957).
There are two parts to the superego. The first is the ego ideal, which includes the rules and standards for good behaviors. The other is the conscience which comprises data about things that are regarded as bad by parentages and civilization. The superego performs to perfect and enlighten behavior. In the case of Fight Club, the narrator’s conscience represents his superego.