Dostoevsky: Psychiatric Genius?

The p put napscript criminal offense and Punishment and its author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, both came some another(prenominal) a(prenominal) years before their beat. In the book, Dostoevsky understandably describes the medical disquiets we now fill in now as schizophrenic sickness, bipolar upset, and dissociative identicalness distemper which is too hunchn as multiple personality disorder. The book was freshman published in 1866, however, schizophrenia was primary described officially in 1887 by Dr.Emile Kraepelin and non given the name schizophrenia until Eugene Bleuler coined the term in 1911 (The biography of Schizophrenia). And it was not until the late 19th and early twentieth century that Pierre Janet coined the term dissociative identity (Pendergrast). bipolar Disorder was as well as a relatively new disorder being that it was officially described in 1854 (A skeleton History of bipolar Disorder).The character of Raskolnikov is a obedient example of these thr ee disorders because of the way he acts towards others or towards himself and then suddenly has a change of tactual sensationings or mindset. Schizophrenia is define as a common pillowcase of psychosis, characterized by abnormalities in perception, content of plan, and thought processes (hallucinations and delusions) and by extensive withdrawal of chase from other people and the outside world, with lush focusing on ones own noetic life (WebMD LLC).In the beginning of the book, the narrator duologue about how Raskolnikov has develop so entirely absorbed in himself, and isolated from his fellows that he dreaded meeting, not all his landlady, exactly anyone at all (Dostoevsky 1). This is the commencement exercise scrape of schizophrenia that Dostoevsky returns in Raskolnikov, it is obvious that Raskolnikov has become isolated and does not want to be around any other people. Next, Raskolnikovs illness is almost completely caused by his hallucinations, delusions, and day dreams.This is chatn in part two, chapter one later Raskolnikov has committed the murders He sat exhaust on the sofa in enervation and was at once shaken by another unbearable fit of shudderhe covered himself up with his winter coat and once much(prenominal) sank into drowsiness and delirium. (92). This is besides seen in chapter three after he returns to his room and has a dream about his landlady being beaten, He was not completely unconscious, however, all the time he was ill he was in a feverish state, sometimes delirious, sometimes half(a) conscious. (120).Raskolnikov continues to focus on his own noetic state throughout the novel and he does not truly become come up until the end of the story when he confesses, suffers, and becomes educated. Raskolnikov also has many symptoms of dissociative identity disorder, which is defined as a severe skeletal system of dissociation, a mental process, which produces a wish of connection in a persons thoughts, memories, feeli ngs, actions, or sense of identity. Dissociative identity disorder is thought to stem from detriment see by the person with the disorder (WebMD LLC).Raskolnikovs condition has obviously stemmed from the trauma Raskolnikov experienced after having committed the murders which is a major sign of dissociative identity disorder, and there are instances where Raskolnikov will do something and immediately completely regret his closing such(prenominal) as when he gives money to Marmeladov and then wants to go up to the room to take his money back Raskolnikov had time to put his hand into his pocket, to snatch up the coppers he had received in convince for his rouble in the tavern and to lay them unnoticed on the window.Afterwards, on the stairs he changed his mind and would have kaput(p) back (Dostoevsky 26-27). Rakolnikov also has a stratum of dissociation because he gets into liquid body substances when he is cerebration about certain things but irrespective other important details such as closing the door at the pawnbrokers, locking his own door the wickedness of the murder, and checking his clothes for blood. A third disorder that Dostoevsky describes through the character of Raskolnikov is bipolar disorder.Bipolar disorder is a major affective disorder, or mood disorder, characterized by dramatic mood swings. Bipolar disorder is a honorable condition, when mania causes sleeplessness, sometimes for days, along with hallucinations, psychosis, la-di-da delusions, and/or insane rage (WebMD LLC). Raskolnikov has many mood swings throughout the story. One of the first examples is when he is debating whether he should go tittle-tattle to his friend Razumikhin, he changes his mind several(prenominal)(prenominal) times and then decides not to see him.Raskolnikov also switches moods about his act that he is planning to commit which we come to know is the murder of Alonya Ivanova. He switches his decision several times and finally commits to blot outing her when he finds out that she will be solo at seven o clock, he felt suddenly in his intact being that he had no much freedom of thought, no will, and that e realthing was suddenly and irrevokable decided (Dostoevsky 65). We also know that Raskolnikov suffered from hallucinations, delusions, and paranoid rage that he used to kill Alonya.These hallucinations included the dream of the horse acquire beaten, the dream that his landlady was being beaten, and the nightmare when Raskolnikov is hard to kill the pawnbroker but she does not die, she yet laughs. Dostoevsky helped to pave the way for other doctors and scientists to erupt all of the symptoms of these mental illnesses we now know as schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, and bipolar disorder. This shows how much Dostoevsky knew about human nature. He was able to pick out tendencies that many mentally ill people have.Not only did he describe these three, he also described alcoholism very accurately by using the character M armeladov to show that alcoholism only leads to suffering and the much one continues to imbibition, the more suffering they endure, the more I drink, the more I feel it. Thats why I drink too. I try to find agreement and feeling in drink. I drink so that I whitethorn suffer twice as much And as though in discouragement he laid his head down on the table (14). Dostoevsky was a very extraordinary man and he gave creation many contributions.Psychology was an important part of Crime and Punishment, but it is also clear that Dostoevsky is a very intelligent writer and incorporates many different themes into his works. ? Works Cited A Brief History of Bipolar Disorder. Todays Caregiver. 2009. http//www. caregiver. com/channels/bipolar/articles/brief_history. htm. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Ed. trivial Classic Reissue. New York Bantam Dell, 2003. The History of Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia. com. 2004. http//www. schizophrenia. com/history. htm .Pendergrast, Mark. Vi ctims of Memory. Upper Access Books, 1996. Schizophrenia. Dictionary. com. 2009. http//dictionary. reference. com/browse/schizophrenia. WebMD LLC. Bipolar Disorder. WebMD. 2009. http//www. webmd. com/depression/guide/bipolar-disorder-manic-depression. WebMD LLC. Dissociative identity Disorder. WebMD. 2009. http//www. webmd. com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder. WebMD LLC. Medical Dictionary Schizophrenia. WebMD. 2009. http//dictionary. webmd. com/terms/schizophrenia.