A Beautiful Mind

C olumbia U niversity RECORD January 18, 2002 3 Schizophrenia Gains Greater Public Awareness Through Award Winning Book and Popular Film, “A Beautiful Mind” EOPLE when the book won the 1998 P BY JO KADLECEK National Book Critics Circle “Even very traditional West- Award for Biography, a nomina- ern religious worldviews have a Nobel Prize winner John Nash tion for the Pulitzer Prize for Biog- deeply equivocal relationship to has the same mental illness that raphy, and a contract with Univer- our ecological crisis,” writes affects more than 2 million Ameri- sal Pictures and DreamWorks. President George Rupp in an cans and 1 in 100 people across “There had not been a paragraph article in the fall edition of cultures: schizophrenia. written on Nash, and no one who “Daedalus,” the Journal of the He has experienced many of the knew him wanted to put schizo- American Academy of Arts and same symptoms as others stricken phrenia on the record because he Sciences. with the disease: delusions, fre- had already suffered so “We in the West have much to quent auditory hallucinations, illu- much,”Nasar said, who also learn from religious and cultural sions that messages are being sent recently edited “The Essential traditions that locate the human to him through television or news- John Nash” with Harold W. Kuhn. within nature and not authorize papers, a skewed view of reality “In many ways these were the first the exploitation of nature to leading to paranoia. And like many prints in the snow, and the greatest serve narrow human interests… who have struggled to live func- thing that could happen to a But along with counterparts tional lives with the illness, he has reporter. It was an extremely from other traditions, Western watched his personal relationships rewarding experience not just religious and secular perspec- dissolve, his career interrupted and telling a rise and fall story, but the tives certainly can and should his life disintegrate. fall and rise of an intellectual play a role in the common cause What distinguishes Nash, how- giant.” of restoring ecological balance ever, from others diagnosed with It was also a great thing for the while at the same time advanc- schizophrenia is an uncommon illness itself. “Cases like Nash’s ing toward a more equitable amount of public attention. In help us know that people may sharing of the earth's scarce have a mental illness but still have resources.” a lot to contribute to society,” says The entire article is published Roberto Gil, assistant clinical pro- in the fall edition of “Daedalus.” “Cases like fessor of psychiatry and head of Nash’s help us the Schizophrenic Research Unit Simon Schama, Professor of at the New York State Psychiatric PHOTO COURTESY OF SYLVIA NASAR History and Art History and know that people Institute at Columbia Presbyterian Mathematician John Nash, right, receiving a Nobel Prize in Archaeology, has been named Medical Center. "I’m encouraged 1994 for his 1950 dissertation on game theory. Commander of the British may have a mental by the general public awareness Empire (C.B.E.), one of the [created by Nash’s story]. Most Much debate continues as to work and in social situations.” most prestigious honors given illness but still times mental illness in general and what exactly schizophrenia is and But while the Greek root schizo by the Queen of England, schizophrenia in particular comes what causes it, according to Gil. does mean split, it derives from a reported Belfast Telegraph have a lot to con- to the public’s attention only when One view suggests that it is an ill- split between the mind and soul, Newspapers, Dec. 12. behaviors are bizarre or violent. ness with many manifestations and should not be confused with Schama recently wrote and tribute to society.” But we still have a long way to go while another submits that it is a the disorder psychiatrists call mul- presented a 16-part series, enti- in helping educate families and collection of illnesses often tiple personality. tled “A History of Britain,” that remove the stigma." lumped together. According to the What is clear is that the symp- aired on BBC Two. This work Gil added that Nash’s recovery National Institute of Mental toms are often the same. Gil distin- earned him best television con- —Roberto Gil is not necessarily a normal thing. Health, schizophrenia is “a chron- guishes them between positive and tributor and best television Schizophrenia usually strikes peo- ic, severe and disabling brain dis- negative. Positive symptoms are series prizes at this year’s Voice ple in their late teens or early twen- ease that has no known single hallucinations, disorganized think- of the Listener and Viewer ties, unlike Nash who didn’t slide cause.” ing, illusions that are very striking. Awards, as well as two Broad- 1994, Nash shared the Nobel with into the illness until he was thirty. A common misconception about For instance, Nash thought people casting Press Guild gongs and two other economists for the 1950 This gave him time to explore his schizophrenia is the belief that it or beings were after him, or that he one W.H. Smith award, voted doctoral dissertation he wrote at theories and establish a social net- refers to “split personality,” accord- heard voices or messages from the for by the public, for the book Princeton on game theory. work that enabled him to survive ing to the American Psychiatric media. Negative symptoms are that accompanied the series. The next year, then-New York later, said Gil. Many patients who Association. A person who “devel- more difficult to diagnose because Times Reporter, Sylvia Nasar, who are diagnosed earlier in their lives ops schizophrenia will usually expe- they can appear like more com- Kia Corthron’s, MFA’92, is Columbia’s John S. and James are not as fortunate. rience a decline in function both at mon emotions: apathy, lacking dramatic use of language in the L. Knight professor of business interests or enjoyment, poverty of play “Breath, Boom” is high- journalism, chronicled his life first speech, lack of productive think- lighted in the November. edition in a series of articles for the Times, ing, or feeling blank inside. of “American Theatre,” which and in 1998 as a biography called, Often a person’s cognitive abili- published the entire script. The “A Beautiful Mind.” And most ties combined with any of these play begins in the mid-80’s and recently, director Ron Howard symptoms will predict the func- is a chronicle of a young translated Nash’s story into a tionality of the patient, Gil said. woman’s journey into adulthood major motion picture featuring Fifty percent of patients with and her relationships with her Academy Award winner Russell severe symptoms continue to have mother, her peers and herself. Crowe as the professor himself. disabling symptoms and require Throughout the play Corthron The attention has resulted in a some level of supervision. Howev- stresses the theme of robbed long overdue education for the er, there is some possibility that as youth and tackles issues such as public about a debilitating illness a person ages, he might show signs crime, social unrest, gangs and and its symptoms and treatments. of improvements or recovery. AIDS. “Breath, Boom” was “A movie with Russell Crowe “This seems to be the case for originally commissioned and can reach far more than a book Nash,” Gil said. “He was able to produced by the Royal Court will,” Nasar said. “The story rebound. It’s a beautiful outcome Theatre in Feb. 2000. It had its wakes you up to the fact that many but not a typical outcome. He start- New York premiere at Play- types of people suffer from this ill- ed from a higher cognitive point, wrights Horizon in May. ness, and it highlights the fact that was endowed with a higher intel- Currently, Corthron’s “Cage people can recover.” lect, and that helped his recovery Rhythm” is being co-produced Nasar ought to know—she his collective abilities later in life.” by Sightlines Theatre and The spent almost three years piecing Gil has seen a few patients make Point, a community center in the together any information she could similar recoveries but generally Bronx. The play was previously find about Nash. She talked to such remarkable changes are workshopped by the Long Wharf hundreds of colleagues and uncommon. The most important Theatre and in the Crossroads friends, scoured medical journals predictor of relapse or functionality, Theatre Company's Genesis Fes- and mathematics texts, and however, is whether a patient con- tival. Corthron is the recipient of reviewed a variety of documents. tinues on his treatment, said Gil. a Joe A. Callaway Award, a She looked for any clue that might That can be difficult, he said, Kennedy Center Fund for New help her reconstruct Nash’s rise as because often people don’t believe American Plays Award, the New a brilliant young mathematician, they have an illness in the first place. Professional Theatre Playwriting his breakdown into 25 years of And as John Nash’s story reflects, Award, a Van Lier Fellowship, a schizophrenia and the alienation schizophrenia is a long life illness, National Endowment for the that accompanied it, and his said Gil, and those who suffer from Arts/TCG grant, and was remarkable recovery in the past it—as well as the people close to Delaware Theatre Company’s decade. Sylvia Nasar’s biography of John Nash, “A Beautiful them—must be prepared for a diffi- first Connections contest winner. Her efforts were recognized Mind” has become a New York Times Best Seller.

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