Please don’t read “cast of characters” and assume that those with schizophrenia also have multiple personalities or split personalities. For example, Adam experiences all three types most significantly, negative and commanding voices in addition to a cast of characters* that serve different roles (a macho bodyguard, a male teenage horndog, and a female hippy/free spirit.) The last sentence requires clarification. Visual hallucinations are seeing things that aren’t there, auditory hallucinations involve hearing things that aren’t there, and tactile hallucinations involve feeling things that aren’t there. Since hallucinations are experiences that result from psychosis, it’s important to know that there are three types: visual, auditory, and tactile.

Paranoia is another clinical term used to describe this particular type of delusion. For example, some of Adam’s delusions include the belief that his mom’s boyfriend has poisoned his psych meds and/or is plotting to send him away to a psych ward in an effort to get rid of him. Now that we’ve got that straight, what are hallucinations and delusions? The simplest way to distinguish the terms is to know that delusions are beliefs that are out of touch with reality whereas hallucinations are experiences that are out of touch with reality. Psychosis is NOT a character or personality trait rather, it results from a chemical imbalance that results in symptoms of hallucinations and/or delusions. Psychosis is a CLINICAL term used to descibe symptoms that involve losing touch with reality. Psychosis does NOT mean crazy, violent, dangerous, evil, etc. Before I go further, the term, psychotic, is often misused. In the DSM 5 (the bible of mental health,) schizophrenia falls under the category of “psychotic” disorders. Schizophrenia, its symptoms, and related terms The film does a great job breaking down a complex psychiatric condition into a digestible and captivating experience. The movie follows Adam through his senior year as he gains awareness of the positive and negative aspects of his illness. Adam is a seventeen-year-old high school senior who is diagnosed with schizophrenia after experiencing his first psychotic break during a chemistry class. Words on Bathroom Walls is a fictional story and is rated PG-13. I will also provide clarification on the various terms and symptoms related to schizophrenia. In this post, I will give an overview of the film, doing my best not to spoil the plot.

Initially impressed by the trailer for Words on Bathroom Walls, I was excited to watch the entire film after all, schizophrenia is one of the most stigmatized mental health conditions of them all. Though I often do reviews on books pertaining to mental health, I thought I’d try something different today.

Book words on bathroom walls