Analysis of Psychopathology - Coursework Example

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY The goal of this essay is to provide a deeper insight regarding psychopathology and its dynamics. This discussion is based on the film ‘I Am Sam’ which provides a clear understanding of the life experiences that people with mental disorders go through. The main character of focus in the film is Sam, who is a mentally challenged person. Psychopathology is the study of mental illnesses. A number of factors contribute to mental disorders. They include psychological, biological and genetic factors. The symptoms of mental disorder are diagnosed through various ways including the use of DSM-IV and ICD. The use of DSM-IV to conduct a diagnosis involves classification and categorization of various symptoms. Symptoms of psychopathology include autistic spectrum disorder, avolition, motor aprosodia and intellectual disability just to name but a few. Sam suffers from retardation and borderline personality disorder. In the film, there are various symptoms that Sam exhibits for him to match this diagnosis. The film further passes across both positive and negative messages regarding this disorder. Through various scenes, the movie clearly depicts retardation and personality disorder as a form of psychopathology. ANALYSIS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY Introduction Psychopathology refers to the study of mental related illnesses or disorders (Stirling & Hellewell, 1999). Mental disorders can be caused by a wide range of factors including psychological factors, biological and genetic factors among others (Stirling & Hellewell, 1999). People with mental illnesses usually seek help from psychiatrists. Having skills and knowledge in the field of mental healthcare, psychiatrists can diagnose and treat people with different kinds of mental disabilities. Psychotherapy aids this process alongside the use of medication. DSM-IV (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) or ICD (International Classification of Diseases) are used to diagnose the symptoms presented by people with a mental disorder (Stirling & Hellewell, 1999). Description of Psychopathology Symptoms of psychopathology vary from one patient to another. Based on the different experiences that people go through, a wide range of behavior is displayed even before people undergo diagnosis. However, it is important to note that symptoms may be mild or severe. The first symptom that has been depicted in the film ‘I Am Sam’ is autism. Sam displays symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder through a combination of behaviors. First, it is evident that he has had an impaired development which has affected his ability to interact and communicate. The only people he can associate with are his group of friends who are also mentally challenged. People with autistic disorder are not able to communicate well, and they also lack social reciprocity. They exhibit non-verbal behavior through gestures or eye gaze. Sam exhibits these symptoms by the way he stares. Another symptom is poor development of speech. People with a mental disorder also exhibit repetitive characteristics such as repetitive use of particular words. Sam displays these symptoms. He has poorly developed speech and he also use phrases such as, ‘that is a wonderful choice’ repetitively. Other symptoms of psychopathology are displayed through avolition (Stirling & Hellewell, 1999). This is whereby an individual loses interest in activities. However, they do not show emotions or concern for their loss of interest. These people take little interest in interacting with other people. They usually do not have long-term plans, and the plans that they may happen to have are usually unrealistic. They are also unable to provide or remember details concerning their illness or their lives. The symptoms of avolition are displayed by Sam, who easily loses interest in things. For instance, he loses interest in watching movies with his friends. He also loses interest in his job simply because he feels the number of customers is overwhelming. Psychopathology has also got to do with motor aprosodia which is displayed through a person’s emotions. An individual with such a condition will develop increased emotions in their expressions. Sometimes they become extremely happy or angry. Sam shows extreme anger for thing that he does not agree with. Other symptoms of psychopathology are portrayed through intellectual disability. People with this kind of disorder lack development in most kind of skills such as reading and writing. They are unable to generate ideas and think critically. They also have difficulties in understanding or accepting things (Stirling & Hellewell, 1999). Sam has difficulty reading and understanding. When his daughter asks him questions, he gives very vague answers that do not offer any tangible explanation. Emotional instability and overly emotional reactions are other symptoms. Sam is seen to react over on many occasions hence an indication that he is unable to control his emotions. His inability to make coffee after having worked for many years shows how he has difficulty in learning. People with these symptoms also have fixations in the sense that they can be fixed to a particular kind of routine. This inflexibility is usually difficult to change. An example from the film is through Sam’s reluctance to go to any other restaurant beside IHOP. In relation to existential angst as a psychopathological dynamic, people with this condition tend to feel as though life has no meaning. At some point, they believe that other people do not understand them. They always feel like normal people are perfect. In general, they feel down upon. In the film, Sam tells Rita that people like her do not understand what people like him go through. Receptive aprosodia and empathy are also a symptom of psychopathology. These symptoms make people with mental disability excessively sympathetic and empathetic. Identifying or classifying disorders using DSM-IV involves categorizing different types of disorders and using classification to identify symptoms that suit a particular disorder. Symptoms of the disorder should be to the extent that they affect the social functioning of an individual. Disorders that are classified using DSM include Phobias, bulimia nervosa, pyromania, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dysthymia and mental retardation and borderline personality disorder (Stirling & Hellewell, 1999). Sometimes, people may have symptoms from more than one category. Based on the symptoms presented by Sam, he suffers from mental retardation and borderline personality disorder. Under this category, a person will exhibit a number of other symptoms that may be in the form of disorders. The kind of symptomatic disorders under this classification that qualify Sam for this category include obsessive-compulsive disorder, intellectual disabilities, schizoid personality disorder and avoidance personality disorder. Description of Three Scenes There are three most crucial scenes that provide a base for this argument. The first scene is whereby Sam confronts Rita to be his lawyer (Nelson, 2001). Rita tries to avoid any association with Sam, but he does not seem to figure out that he is not wanted. This is an indication that indeed Sam is retarded. Rita goes ahead and lies to his face that she will find him another lawyer, but Sam does not figure out any foul play. The second scene is at the beginning of the movie whereby Lucy asks Sam specific questions like, for example, why men are bald (Nelson, 2001). He gives very vague answers indicating that he has no ability to reason where abstract thought is required. Finally, the last scene is whereby he overreacts and becomes impulsive in court. During court sessions, he does not realize that he is expected to be orderly. He talks aimlessly and is unable to control his feelings and emotions (Nelson, 2001). Indeed, these scenes prove the point that Sam is suffering from retardation and personality disorder. Characterization The movie depicts retardation and borderline personality disorder as a form of psychopathology very well. Sam’s intellectual capacity cannot be questioned since it clearly explains his level of retardation. He also has limited cognitive ability which is a clear symptom of retardation. Moreover, his speech and body language are self-explanatory and a clear indication that Sam is suffering from a particular kind of disorder. This main character also can express varied emotions depending on situations. Emotional fluctuation is a very common scenario among people suffering from retardation and personality disorder. The relationship between Sam and other normal people also elaborates the dynamics of psychopathology. Behavior displayed by both parties draws a clear boundary between being normal and being mentally challenged. Sam displays the dynamics of retardation and borderline personality disorder through a number of ways. In reference to obsessive compulsive disorder, he exhibits patterns of excessive orderliness. He arranges cups in a particular orderly manner and ensures the cups stay that way. When sachets are mixed up, he often ensures they are arranged in such a manner that similar colors follow each other. He also pays close attention to details and keeps repeating phrases that he regards to be most important in a sentence. Regarding intellectual disabilities, Sam is unable to read and write properly. He also has problems doing simple calculations and most of the time he counts his fingers to get a grasp of numbers. He further finds it difficult to read new things. Schizoid personality disorder is evident in Sam due to his lack of interest or rather inability to establish social relationships. He only relates with a few people mainly his daughter and his four friends who also suffer from mental disability. In reference to avoidance personality disorder, Sam often has feelings of inadequacy, he also feels unwanted sometimes. Evidence of this is when Sam tries to explain that Rebecca left because she did not plan to have kids with people like him. He also tells Rita that people think he is bothersome. Positive and Negative Messages There are positive and negative messages that the film portrays regarding retardation and borderline personality disorder that Sam suffers from. In reference to positive messages, the film passes across the message that, despite having this disorder, people who are mentally challenged can still play an important role in society. The ability of Sam to keep a job as a restaurant attendant for many years is clear indication that he is of great use to society. Sam is also able to work hard and pay his bills including taking care of his daughter without help from social services. With this, the film tries to pass the message that people with personality disorders can also be responsible and independent. All his other mentally challenged friends are also able to take care of themselves. Sam is seen to receive support and advice from his friends. They go as far as offering him financial support where he is not able and supporting him in court. Sam’s friends play a major role in his life in the sense that they are always there for him despite the differences and challenges that each one of them faces. The positive message being passed across here is that despite their disability, people who suffer from personality disorder also have something good to offer. They can be helpful and positively impact other people’s lives provided they access a supportive environment. Through his life, Sam was also an inspiration to other people. When Rita was down, Sam was able to offer emotional support and make her feel wanted. He was also very patient and understanding when dealing with Lucy’s adoptive mother who exhibits feelings of inspiration at the end of the film and even gives up her fight to acquire custody. Through this situation, the film is trying to describe how people who are considered less important could be the only source of inspiration. It also explains that if given the opportunity, disabled people can develop great potential. At some point, Sam exhibits emotional downfall especially when he is not listened to or when he is looked down upon. An ignorant person may think that Sam does not have emotions or rather he is insensitive due to his condition. While talking to Rita, he mentions that it does matter to him what people think. Moreover, he feels very unhappy when the young boy at the birthday party alleges that Lucy was adopted. The message the film is trying to pass across is that people should be sensitive to the needs and feeling of people who suffer from any disability. This is because they are always conscious and aware of the happenings around them. Another positive message being passed across is that sometimes, all that people need is positive approval and remarks to lighten them and ease them off the sufferings they experience. Sam felt very happy and appreciated when he is positively complemented. Regarding negative messages, Sam’s story tries to explain to the audience that people with mental disability are unable to live normal lives because they constantly face humiliation. Quite a significant part of the story focuses on Sam being harassed by social service officers and law enforcers. He is denied accessibility to his only daughter despite the fact that he is a good father. This scenario openly indicates that as compared to normal people, those with mental disability suffer more. Sam further experiences very few joyous moments. Apart from winning custody, he does not experience other victorious moments. Most of the time, he is sad because of his inability to lead a normal life. It takes many years for Sam to be allowed to make coffee at the restaurant. Even after being given this responsibility he still does not excel and ends up abandoning his responsibility. Here, the film passes across a very negative message. The message received is that no matter how hard they try, people with a mental disorder can never excel. The reasons given for him to be denied custody are not also tangible. Sam does not portray tendencies of inflicting physical harm or neglecting Lucy yet the arm of the law is all over him simply because he is retarded. This gives a bad impression. The other negative message relating to psychopathological dynamics is that people with mental disorders are unable to associate freely with other people in society. Sam together with his four other friends all suffers from mental disorders. At no point do they relate with other people except at the end of the story. Most of the time, they are isolated and only enjoy their company. The idea of having only male retards could also be received negatively by some people. It creates an image of men being prone to personality disorder more than females. At least one of the retards should have been a female character so as to create a balance. Throughout his life, Sam does not experience any personality improvement and neither does anyone try to offer him help to improve his situation. At some point, he says that he tries and tries, but he never gets there. This is a negative indication. It can easily be translated to mean that people with retardation and personality disorder are permanently disabled, and nothing can be done to improve their situation. Conclusion Sam’s story demonstrates a wide range of dynamics experienced in psychopathology. What different people go through in the film strongly relates to what happens in real life. People with mental disorders have a lot to cope with in their daily lives. As compared to normal people, they have to work twice as hard for them to feel important. Psychopathology is clearly inclusive of various factors. Understanding these dynamics requires a clear understanding of symptoms associated with various types of disorders. Bibliography Nelson, J. (2001). ‘I am Sam’. Retrieved from http://megashare.sc/watch-i-am-sam-online-TnpBd09RPT0. Stirling, J & Hellewell, J. (1999). Psychopathology. New York: Psychology Press.   Read More