Mental Disorders in the Film The Aviator - Research Paper Example

Mental Disorders in the Film The Aviator Introduction Mental disorders refer to behavioral or mental patterns that result in either impaired functionality or sufferings to the victims. Such ailments are neither developmentally nor socially normative. Successful diagnosis and definition of mental disorders rely on the thoughts, feelings, perceptions and actions of an individual most of which are often rash and abnormal. Psychopathology, which is the study of mental disorders validate the above definition of mental disorders and strives to enhance the understanding of the social, psychological, genetic and biological causes of the different types of mental disorders. The film known as the Aviator follows an interesting plot in which one of the key charters suffers from a type of mental disorder. The diagnosis of the diseases film just as in any other type of diagnosis analyses numerous symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder thus portraying the unique features of the disease as portrayed in the discussion below. In the film, Howard Hughes is a successful businessperson and film developer who boast the production of numerous successful films in Hollywood. As he grows from a young man, he suffers from obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental disorder associated with memory lapses and obsessions. The film portrays specific features of the diseases similar to those fostered by psychopathology while others are not as realistic as is the case with the type of mental disorder in real life. According to the dictates of psychopathology, Obsessive–compulsive disorder is a type of anxiety disordered whose key characteristics are apprehension, fear, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behavior among many others. Most of the symptoms of the diseases are both alienating and time consuming. The symptoms that begin as simple obsession readily degenerate into serious disgusts as an individual begins taking more time performing such acts as extensive washing of clothes closing a door, excessive checking or extreme hording many other peculiar behaviors some of the patient may not have undertaken in the past. As such, patients of the disorder spend most of their time repeating the same activities and cannot therefore concentrate on any single activity successfully. Obsessive–compulsive disorder affects people of varied age groups including children, adolescents and adults. In most of the adults suffering from the diseases admit early onset a feature that proves that as an individual matures, the effects of the disorder heightens thus resulting in serious effects of the disease as people advance in age (Schwartz & Beverly, 1997). Besides the numerous irrational effects of the disorders, other effects of the disease include heightened attention to details with the sufferers of the disease exhibiting heightened intelligence. The sufferers of the disease often take time to make decisions but make effective decision owing to their obsession with details. They are careful planners and often avoid risks at all costs. The unique disease affects people from varied backgrounds but some of the causes are hereditary thus biological. Evolutionary psychologists hold the view that some of the features of the disease have evolutionary advantages. The developers of the film portray numerous features of the disease through the key character, Howard Hughes. The film portrays the nature of the disease introducing the disease at preliminary stages in the film. At the beginning of the film, the nine-year-old boy detests dust and dirt, he portrays this one day while his mother washes him as he tells his mother that she was not safe. Just as is the case with most families, they do not observe any unique feature with the behavior of the young boy. At the age of twenty, he ventures into the film industry and realizes great success. His success in film is a result of his obsessions with details. At the prime of his profession, neither his wife nor those close to him notice the abnormality in his obsession with details and cleanliness among other features in life. He later gains yet another passion, flight. He has the money and can therefore afford all the planes he wishes. He purchases numerous planes and engages in speedy flights thus endangering his lives in most of such expeditions. Among the features of the disease that the film portrays include repetition of phrases and phobia for both dust and germs. Such are types of phobias ant tendencies that are realistic manifestation of the mental disorder. Psychopathology state numerous symptoms of the disease key among which are obsession with different things and activities among many others, obsession refers to recurrent thoughts that persists thus overcoming personal efforts to overcome them. As the disease begins in Howard Hughes, he exhibits qualities of cleanliness even warning his mother of an eminent danger of contracting flu because he thought she was not hygienic enough. Later in life even at the time of his diagnosis with the disease, Howard Hughes portrays numerous features of obsession. Among his greatest obsessions were with cleanliness and flying. His obsession with flight compels him to fly XF-11 whose one engine later malfunctions thus crushing in Beverly Hills. Hughes suffers great bodily injuries (Abramowitz, 2009). The accidents among other prevailing features compel the government to ban H-4 Hercules flying boat order. Despite such, Hughes continues to prepare for the flight sessions owing to his great interest and obsession with flight. Psychopathology explains that sufferers of the OCD often perform tasks that promise to relieve them of their obsessions. Hughes in the film is a rich, successful and famous film developer and can therefore afford the planes. E therefore invests in expensive planes and risks his life flying planes some that malfunction while midair this threatening his life just so he relieves his obsession with flight. Interesting, Hughes mortgages some f hi assets in order to obtain money with which to repair the Hercules prototype. Furthermore, Hughes had personal differences with his wife, Katharine Hepburn resulting in their separations. Most of their differences arose from Hughes’ obsessions. Mortgaging some of his assets typifies the extent of his obsession that unfortunately no one notices. The nature of the diseases validates the features of the action in the plot. The film introduces Hughes as an industrious man who understands the film industry. He therefore recolonizes numerous Hollywood flops into successful films. As such, he therefore acquires expensive hobbies including flight which later turns into an obsession. The fact that he loved the art from early in his life makes it difficult for those around him to consider such as obsession. He divorces his first wife thus instigating a series of clandestine relationships with some actresses. The new lovers cannot therefore observing the worsening obsession that culminates in the mortgaging of his assets in order to develop an airplane. Another equally important symptom of the disease as portrayed by psychopathy is overvalued ideas. Those suffering from OCD are always unable to determine the rationale of their decisions. Such individuals make decisions after thorough thoughts. However, with obsessions some of such decisions are always irrational. The film portrays this when Hughes decides to sell his essential assets in order to fund his obsessions. Deciding to mortgage the assets of TWA, a company he worked hard to build is a portrayal of the extent of the irrational decisions that Hughes makes (Higham, 2004). As careful as Hughes is, coupled with his obsession with details especially in decision-making, he decides to sell his assets in order to develop a jet. He does this at a time that he does not have adequate finances and does not consult his estranged wife. He therefore foregoes the vital features of his life that require finances urgently and decides to fund his obsessions. Such is a decision that typifies irrational thoughts. As his OCD worsens, Hughes becomes paranoid. He sets hidden cameras and microphones in his house and the in Gardner’s house to tap his conversations. Additionally, the FBI searches his house in search of incriminating evidence against him. The instance causes him psychological trauma thus heightening his mental disorder. He becomes increasingly paranoid and begins tracking dirt thus evoking his childhood obsession with cleanliness. In his destitution, Hughes is at the verge of losing his mind. His paranoia heightens and so is his obsession with cleanliness as he tracks dirt. After three months of complete seclusion, he meets men in germ resistant suits a feature that causes him relapse. This way, the film portrays paranoia and intense obsession as some of the symptoms of OCD at advanced stages. In retrospect, Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common type of anxiety disorder. Sufferers of the disease experience numerous symptoms some of which the film, The Aviator presents. While the film presents most of the basic symptoms of the disease, some of the features that the film exhibits are preposterous. The film for example portrays numerous features of allergies. Hughes for example fears dust and germs. Interacting with dust causes allergic reactions; detesting dust therefore is a portrayal of an allergy. As a young boy, he advises his mother to take care lest she catch flu. His fear for dust may have arose from a previous infection of dust related disease (Lee, 2002). The ear of dust and germs may portray the disease since fear is equally a psychological feature. References Abramowitz, J. (2009). Getting over OCD: A 10 step workbook for taking back your life. New York: Guilford Press. Higham, C. (2004). Howard Hughes: The Secret Life. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. Lee, B. (2002). The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts. New York: Plume Books Schwartz, J. & Beverly, B. (1997). Brain lock: free yourself from obsessive–compulsive behavior: a four-step self-treatment method to change your brain chemistry. New York: ReganBooks. Read More