Based on a true story of British neurologist Oliver Sacks,
this movie has given society a glimpse of mental health illness and some
inspirational insights on human behaviour. Awakenings demonstrates the severe
cases of Catatonia, and how Oliver Sacks discovers a beneficial drug that
awakes patients who suffer from catatonic for decades. Hence, it gives us a
better understanding of this illness as Catatonia is not widely known and seen
in our community. Catatonia is a neurological illness that causes motor
immobility. Research1 has found that this illness is often common in
hospital but usually under-recognized as the symptoms are similar with Parkinson’s
Disease (slow motor movements, tremor, rigid muscles). However, the causes of
both Catatonia and Parkinson are different2. Under DSM-V, catatonia
is not classified as an individual disorder but rather as a state associated
with other mental illness as it often found comorbid with Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.
The classification as one of the subtype of schizophrenia previously in DSM-IV
has been removed, and added a new category – Unspecified Catatonia. This
improved classification of Catatonia has made it easier to diagnose and treat.
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| Robert DeNiro as a Catatonic Patient |
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| Added Categories of Catatonic in DSM-V |
The characteristics of Dr Sayer can be seen from the movie
is that Dr Sayer is a very persistent and courageous person. Despite of all the criticism and put down from
his other colleagues, he never gave up his hypothesis of the catatonic patients
and believes that there is a way to treat the patients. Even when his request
of asking higher dosage of medicine is rejected, he is willing to take risk and
sneak out the medicine to try on a patient. His persistence and courage have
never let any obstacles block his way.
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| Robin Williams as Dr Sayer |
According to Henry Murray theory of needs, we can say that
Dr Sayer is high in need of achievement and low in need of affiliation. Dr
Sayer is internally motivated by the success of treating patients rather than
social recognition. He placed more importance on learning about the patients’
condition and how other medicine works. Adding with his low need of affiliation
at the beginning, his behaviour of questioning and challenging other doctors
can be understood.
Throughout the whole movie, we can see the personality change
in Dr Sayer. At the beginning, Dr Sayer is more introverted. He doesn’t not
have much friends and he is more comfortable being alone. However, towards the
end, we can see Dr Sayer overcomes his social awkwardness and is more willing
to interact with others. This is because the awakenings of the catatonic
patients had taught him that human touch is so important to a person. He
learned that close relationships with friends or family sometimes can help one
go through any hardships. He soon realized the need for affiliation exists in every
human being even for him who preferred to be left alone.
Another huge behavioural change that can be seen in the
movie is the way how the staffs in the hospital treat the patients. At the beginning
most of the nurses and doctors were not giving their best in work. They prefer
watching television than helping, and the unwillingness is shown when they are
forced to read to the catatonic patients. However, after the awakening, we can
see that the staff are more united and treated the patients with full heart.
They remember the patients’ likings and personality and treat them differently
than before when the catatonic strikes back. This is mainly because that the
awakenings of the catatonic patients acted as a hope in all the staff. Research3,4
has found that hope has a direct impact on employees’ work behaviour. When
there is hope within the employees towards their work, their job performance, organizational
commitment, job satisfaction and work happiness will increase.
The most inspiring part of the movie is when Leonard (the
first awaken catatonic patient) fights to be discharge from the hospital as the
institute has kept him from doing anything he wishes to. He told the doctors
that the simplest thing in life like taking a walk could have mean so much to
him when all of us take it for granted. Explaining through an existential
approach, this act of Leonard is not only striving for freedom but also his
search of meaning in life. Existentialists believe that human’s self-awareness enable
us to realize that we have the freedom of choice and meaning of life must be
seek by self as we are all responsible for the choices we make that direct our
life. Hence, to Leonard, this freedom signifies that he can also have the
choice to make a difference or establish meaningful relationship, as to create
an identity, sense of self and life’s worth.
In the movie there is a conversation between Dr Sayer and
Nurse Eleanor, as below
This is a very true statement from Nurse Eleanor. Just as
existential approach explained, we eventually have to realize that time is
limited but we are infinite. Our potential, will, actions are all decision we
make that lead our life. Although we do not have a choice to choose when to be
born and when to die, we do have a choice in making our life meaningful.
Awakenings reminded all of us that we are often caught up
with the negatives in life, we forget what it is to be alive. When we take our
normal daily routine as granted, people with catatonic or other unfortunates
are fighting just to brush their teeth, read the papers and other normal
things. We are very blessed to be able to live as healthy individuals and the
negatives in life shouldn’t be an excuse as to condemn ourselves. We need to
understand that sometimes happiness and the feeling of being alive come from
the simplest thing like breathing fresh air, writing,
singing and maybe just plain walking. Yet, the best part of life will always be being loved by our friends and family.
References
1. Bhati, M. T.,
Datto, C. J., & O’Reardon, J. P. (2007). Clinical Manifestations,
Diagnosis, and Empirical Treatments for Catatonia. Psychiatry (Edgmont),4(3),
46–52.
2. Northoff, G. (2002). What Catatonia Can Tell Us About
“Top Down Modulation” A Neuropsychiatric Hypothesis. Behavioural and Brain Science, 25(5), 555-604. https://www.georgnorthoff.com/s/what-catatonia-can-tell-us-about-top-down-modulation-a-neuropsychiatric-hypothesis.pdf
3. Younsef, C. M, & Luthans, F. (2007). Positive
Organizational Behavior in the Workplace: The Impact of Hope, Optimism, and
Resilience. Journal of Management, 33(5),
774-800.
4. Malik, A. (2013). Efficacy, Hope, Optimism and Resilience
at Workplace – Positive Organizational Behavior. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 3(10),
1-4.
*All pictures and gifs do not belong to me and can be found in google images.
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