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Words On Bathroom Walls Review

This movie review summarizes the movie "Words on Bathroom Walls" which tells the story of Adam, a high school senior diagnosed with schizophrenia. After an episode at school, Adam transfers to a new Catholic school where he hides his condition but befriends Maya and Dwight. He experiences hallucinations which worsen when he stops taking his medication. The movie explores the stigma around mental illness and shows Adam's struggle and support system as he navigates living with schizophrenia.

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Elle Monge
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723 views

Words On Bathroom Walls Review

This movie review summarizes the movie "Words on Bathroom Walls" which tells the story of Adam, a high school senior diagnosed with schizophrenia. After an episode at school, Adam transfers to a new Catholic school where he hides his condition but befriends Maya and Dwight. He experiences hallucinations which worsen when he stops taking his medication. The movie explores the stigma around mental illness and shows Adam's struggle and support system as he navigates living with schizophrenia.

Uploaded by

Elle Monge
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Words on Bathroom Walls

Movie Review
1. What is the movie all about?
This movie is about a coming-of-age movie which talks about Adam Petrazelli, a
teenager on his senior year with a dream of being a chef, who is diagnosed with
schizophrenia. He had his first psychotic episode at school, in a chemistry class where
he injures a classmate thus resulting to his expulsion. After knowing he has
schizophrenia, his mother does everything she can to find a cure for Adam, who sadly,
has treatment-resistant schizophrenia. They end up joining a medical trial just before he
enters a new catholic school, St. Agatha’s. He has auditory and visual hallucinations
taking the form of a hippy chick named Rebecca, a bodyguard-like man who wields a
baseball bat who mainly appears if he is emotionally vulnerable, and a horny teenager
named Joaquin, and a dark voice, which appears if he is not at his worst, who tells him
dangerous things that influences him to either hurt himself or put others in danger.
After transferring, he is determined to hide his condition. He meets a new friend
named Dwight, who becomes his best friend and Maya, which later on he develops a
liking to. She becomes his confidant and they develop a connection to the point where
Adam feels really normal with her, yet they both have secrets from each other. Adam
develops a side effect from the drug which is muscle twitching that is hard to hide and
also hinders his ability to do something he loves --- cooking. So, he stops taking it which
causes his condition to worsen. Adam is also continuously meeting with a therapist and
have a great support system in the form of his mother and his stepfather Paul, which at
first, he wasn’t so fond of.
This movie talks about the stigma and stereotypes of having a mental illness
especially schizophrenia. Just like what Adam says to his therapist, others who has
different illnesses such as cancer were viewed with so much difference and people want
to grant wishes for them, while mental illness patients were pushed away from society.
But beautifully, this movie did not just focus on the diagnosis of Adam having
schizophrenia. It explores outside its borders. How people with this condition should not
live as someone as “the guy with schizophrenia” but to be viewed as someone who is
more than that, because they are more than that.
2. Give the important characters in the movie.
 Adam Petrazelli: the main character who is diagnosed with schizophrenia and
loves to cook. Lives with his mom and stepfather.
 Maya Arnez: Adam’s tutor at his new school which is an intelligent girl running
for valedictorian who secretly tutors other students in exchange for money.
 Dwight: Adam’s bestfriend at his new school who is such a loyal friend who stick
til the end.
 Rebecca, The Bodyguard, and Jason: Adam’s three visual and auditory
hallucinations.
 Beth: Adam’s mother who is committed in finding a cure for his son.
 Paul: Adam’s stepfather whom at first, he does not like, but later he understands
him and they slowly fix their relationship.
 Father Patrick: a priest that Adam finds comfortable to ask questions to. He is a
source of hope and strength for Adam.

3. Describe the signs and symptoms manifested by the patient.


Adam mainly experiences both visual and auditory hallucinations. It started with
seeing Rebecca in the hallway, and his first psychotic episode in chemistry class where
he sees a floating black air-like thing in a beaker then followed by a voice, which causes
him to accidentally push it out of the table, then the things in the room started to float
and people appear which would “take care of the situation”. He also experiences a
dangerous auditory hallucination where it tells him dangerous things. He also sees
words in the walls of the bathroom which is often contradictories.
4. What could be the factors that triggered the condition of the patient?
I think one of the factors was the fact that his mother had a new relationship and he
didn’t quite like it. As well as the pressure of wanting to be a chef. Another that could’ve
worsened his condition was the non-adherence to his medications. Due to the side
effects, he is experiencing he decides not to take it since he feels sicker while drinking it
not knowing that not taking it has more negative than positive effects.
5. As a future psychiatric nurse, give your nursing care/management to a
schizophrenic patient.
For patients who may have risk for self-directed or other-directed violence:
 Maintain low level of stimuli in client’s environment (low lighting, few people,
simple decor, low noise level). Anxiety level rises in a stimulating
environment. A suspicious, agitated client may perceive individuals as
threatening.
 Observe client’s behavior frequently (every 15 minutes). Do this while carrying
out routine activities so as to avoid creating suspiciousness in the individual.
Close observation is necessary so that intervention can occur if required to
ensure client’s (and others’) safety.
 Remove all dangerous objects from client’s environment so that in his or her
agitated, confused state client may not use them to harm self or others.
 Try to redirect the violent behavior with physical outlets for the client’s anxiety
(e.g., punching bag). Physical exercise is a safe and effective way of
relieving pent-up tension.
 Staff should maintain and convey a calm attitude toward client. Anxiety is
contagious and can be transmitted from staff to client.
 Have sufficient staff available to indicate a show of strength to client if it becomes
necessary. This shows the client evidence of control over the situation and
provides some physical security for staff.
 Administer tranquilizing medications as ordered by physician. Monitor medication
for its effectiveness and for any adverse side effects. The avenue of the “least
restrictive alternative” must be selected when planning interventions for a
psychiatric client.
 If client is not calmed by “talking down” or by medication, use of mechanical
restraints may be necessary. Restraints should be used only as a last resort,
after all other interventions have been unsuccessful, and the client is clearly at
risk of harm.
 For patients with disturbed sensory perceptions: auditory/visual
 Observe client for signs of hallucinations (listening pose, laughing or talking to
self, stopping in mid-sentence). Early intervention may prevent aggressive
responses to command hallucinations.
 Avoid touching the client before warning him or her that you are about to do so.
Client may perceive touch as threatening and respond in an aggressive
manner.
 An attitude of acceptance will encourage the client to share the content of the
hallucination with you. This is important in order to prevent possible injury to
the client or others from command hallucinations.
 Do not reinforce the hallucination. Use words such as “the voices” instead of
“they” when referring to the hallucination. Words like “they” validate that the
voices are real.
 Try to connect the times of the hallucinations to times of increased anxiety. Help
the client to understand this connection. If client can learn to interrupt
escalating anxiety, hallucinations may be prevented.
 Try to distract the client away from the hallucination. Involvement in
interpersonal activities and explanation of the actual situation will help
bring the client back to reality.
 For some clients, auditory hallucinations persist after the acute psychotic episode
has subsided. Listening to the radio or watching television helps distract some
clients from attention to the voices. Others have benefited from an intervention
called voice dismissal. With this technique, the client is taught to say loudly, “Go
away!” or “Leave me alone!”, thereby exerting some conscious control over the
behavior.

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