Is the manifestation of mental illness equal to the severity of trauma?

[hacbad macbar]

I just watched the movie "Shutter Island". Leonardo DiCaprio stars as US Marshal Edward Daniels who is insane. He killed his wife after she killed their three children. Teddy Daniels (who is actually Andrew Laeddis) developed Delusive Personality Disorder (previously known as Paranoid Personality Disorder) as a defense mechanism and a way to supresing his memory of trauma. Insanity is a way to escape from painful reality and from overwhelming guilt, so affected person developes alternative reality through several delusions. There are bizarre and non-bizarre delusions. Teddy Daniels is developing a non-bizarre delusions. Non-bizarre delusions typically are not out of the realm of possibility. Bizarre delusions are completely impossible. As an alien abduction. So, there is the difference between bizarre delusions (Schizophrenia), and non-bizarre delusions (Delusional disorder: persecution, poisoning...).

The movie is excellent. What I want is to separate art from reality.


Is the manifestation of mental illness equal to the severity of trauma? If someone has experienced severe trauma he will develop a serious mental illness.

Has anyone seen the movie? If so please join the discussion.

 

[skylights]

I haven't seen the movie, though one of my psych classes had a discussion about it at one point. The thought that I can throw in is simply that the extent of the hurt will probably be affected by the individual's coping mechanisms or lack thereof, including both personal mental/emotional strength as well as external resources like a supportive network of close friends/family. I doubt that there is a clear linear correlation, though I would be surprised if there were not some degree of correlation between intensity of trauma and intensity of manifestation of illness.

 

[hacbad macbar]

I haven't seen the movie, though one of my psych classes had a discussion about it at one point. The thought that I can throw in is simply that the extent of the hurt will probably be affected by the individual's coping mechanisms or lack thereof, including both personal mental/emotional strength as well as external resources like a supportive network of close friends/family. I doubt that there is a clear linear correlation, though I would be surprised if there were not some degree of correlation between intensity of trauma and intensity of manifestation of illness.

So, you think you can't predict how someone will respond to certain traumatic experience. Is it possible to develop Delusive Personality Disorder, or schizophrenia as a consequence of a strong traumatic experience? It seems that after a traumatic experience in the movie one can only develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It seems like schizophrenia and delusional disorder are more genetic.

 

[skylights]

So, you think you can't predict how someone will respond to certain traumatic experience. Is it possible to develop Delusive Personality Disorder, or schizophrenia as a consequence of a strong traumatic experience? It seems that after a traumatic experience in the movie one can only develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It seems like schizophrenia and delusional disorder are more genetic.

Have you heard of the stress-diathesis model? I can't claim to know the exact mechanisms of all disorders, but I'm of the understanding that many disorders seem to operate on some genetic basis and are triggered by an environmental stressor. Obviously PTSD would lean far more to environmentally-derived, but if someone has a family history of anxiety, I would assume they are more susceptible. Likewise I believe recent research on schizophrenia suggests that it has both a genetic and environmental component, tending to appear in people with chaotic childhoods.

 

[hacbad macbar]

Have you heard of the stress-diathesis model? I can't claim to know the exact mechanisms of all disorders, but I'm of the understanding that many disorders seem to operate on some genetic basis and are triggered by an environmental stressor. Obviously PTSD would lean far more to environmentally-derived, but if someone has a family history of anxiety, I would assume they are more susceptible. Likewise I believe recent research on schizophrenia suggests that it has both a genetic and environmental component, tending to appear in people with chaotic childhoods.

Excellent response. Thank you very much. Just trying to clarify my thoughts.

 

[skylights]

Sure! Glad you find it interesting. Take your time! I am not really in a great place to be able to write a lot right now anyway. I will contribute more later.

 

[Faketrollaccount]

No, because some people experience things like concentration camps and come out of it on fire for success.