Question

Can you list some characters in films you have seen or books you have read who suffered from any of the disorders we have studied here like depression or schizophrenia showing some of these delusions?

Can you identify which kind of delusion each of these is?

1. A person who believes that s/he is going to be the next President of India.
2. One who believes that the intelligence agencies/police are conspiring to trap her/him in a spy scandal.
3. One who believes that s/he is the incarnation of God and can make things happen.
4. One who believes that the tsunami occurred to prevent her/him from enjoying her/his holidays.
5. One who believes that her/his actions are controlled by the satellite through a chip implanted in her/his brain by some extraterrestrial beings.

Answer 1

Characters from Films or Books Depicting These Disorders

1. John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (Film): A classic depiction of Schizophrenia. Nash experiences severe delusions of persecution (believing secret government agents are hunting him down and communicating through codes in newspapers) alongside vivid auditory hallucinations.
2. Aris in The Fisher King (Film) or various dramatic portrayals: Characters dealing with trauma-induced psychosis often exhibit delusions of reference or grandeur, finding profound, personalized hidden meanings in everyday objects or global events.
3. Ordinary People/Melancholia (Film): For Depression, films like Melancholia or Silver Linings Playbook (which explores bipolar disorder and depressive episodes) capture the pervasive feelings of worthlessness, loss of pleasure (anhedonia), and profound hopelessness taught in the NCERT curriculum.

Identification of Delusion Types

1. Delusion of grandeur: the person believes they will hold an exceptionally powerful or important position.
2. Delusion of persecution: the person believes that others are plotting against or trying to harm them.
3. Delusion of grandeur: the person believes they have extraordinary identity or powers.
4. Delusion of reference: the person interprets a public event as having a special, personal connection to them.
5. Delusion of control: the person believes that an outside force controls their actions. The examples are for learning the terms; a diagnosis cannot be made from a single belief described in isolation.