The Soloist Mental illness does not discriminate. Despite Nathanial Ayers' talent as a musician, artist, and a good overall education, schizophrenia still found a way into his life. By meeting compassionate journalist Steve Lopez, Nathanial Ayers was able to begin his path to recovery and learn to trust again. Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling brain disorder. This can be caused by a number of factors, such as a difference in brain chemistry and structure, as well as genes. Most men develop schizophrenia in their late teens and early 20s. This is seen in the case of Nathanial Ayers, as it gradually became more apparent that something was wrong when he entered Juilliard in his early twenties, as witnessed not only by his professors and fellow students. class, but also his family. The positive symptoms of the disease cause people to enter their own world and, in doing so, lose touch with reality. Some positive symptoms exhibited by Nathanial Ayers include hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders. The positive symptom that cropped up repeatedly throughout The Soloist was thought disorder, as when Steve Lopez asked a simple question such as why he liked Beethoven, Nathanial would be sent to answer the question in such a confusing way that it would be very difficult. to understand what he was trying to say. Another symptom that many people with schizophrenia have is substance abuse, with the most common addiction being nicotine. Nathanial Ayers was the exception to this common symptom because he abhorred smoking and anyone who smoked. In schizophrenia, too, there is often bigotry and/or hyperreligiosity, as evidenced by Nathanial's preoccupation with race, ethnicity, and sexual preference when describing the Toy District of Los Angeles: " Los Angeles is a Beethoven town, but you have Walt Disney, Colonel. Sanders, the LAPD, blacks, all Yo-Yo Man, Jews, like JEW-liard, homosexuals. There are one, two, three gay bars there” (Lopez 60). Despite these symptoms, Nathanial Ayers was often a charming and charismatic person. At other times however, the symptoms would take hold of him and sometimes create a very angry and unstable person. Knowing the challenges he faced, Steve Lopez always wanted to be a part of Nathanial Ayers' life to make a difference. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Nathanial Ayers had a good upbringing overall. Things began to fall apart when his parents divorced and he was forced to move with his mother and sisters away from his father, which devastated him. He particularly struggled to adjust to his new half-siblings when his mother remarried. One positive aspect of this move is that in their new city, Nathanial was able to access new opportunities to develop his musical talent. He has had many different music teachers, one of them being William Moon, who lit a fire in Nathanial to continue improving his music and made him excited for the first time since his father left . His next teacher was Gary Karr who soon realized that “he seemed to struggle with his racial identity in an almost all-white environment” (Lopez 164). As Nathanial's problems with racial hostility worsened, Karrwent to the administration to suggest he might be suffering from a mental issue, but they fired him and Nathanial missed an opportunity to receive the help he needed. As Nathanial progressed, his talent eventually led him to Juilliard on a scholarship. During his first semester, he did incredibly well despite the pressure he felt to perform well every day. However, during his second semester, after a summer in Aspen, something had clearly gone wrong. His grades started to drop, he started hearing voices, he became nervous and defiant, and his family barely recognized him. A particularly disturbing experience occurred when Nathanial began undressing while visiting his classmate Daniel Spurlock. Alarmed, his guests called for help and Nathanial was taken to hospital where he was officially diagnosed with schizophrenia. His classmate later realized that at the time Juilliard was not a stimulating environment at all and that due to Nathanial's background and struggles it was probably the worst place for him . Nathanial's complete breakdown led him to drop out of school and end up on the streets. When Nathanial Ayers first met Steve Lopez, he was very nervous and suspicious, as Steve Lopez stated: "He's always suspicious of me, suspicious of everything around him, it seems » (Lopez 4). After a few initial meetings with Steve Lopez, Nathanial Ayers began to see him as a less sketchy person, becoming "a little warmer each time" (Lopez 12). As Steve Lopez began bringing Nathanial Ayers music-related items, such as new violin strings and new instruments, Nathanial's gratitude to Steve Lopez began to grow. With the instruments now in Nathanial's possession, Steve Lopez began to realize that the instruments could make Nathanial a target for assault and suggested that Nathanial go to the Lamp Community Agency to receive help. However, he soon realized that Nathanial was very worried about receiving treatment. Steve Lopez saw how important a role music played in Nathanial's life and used it to inspire him to improve, such as getting him to start going to Lamp, setting him up in his own apartment and even attending concerts at Disney Hall, which led to even more opportunities for him. Thanks to these opportunities, Nathanial becomes more and more open and six months after their meeting, a friendship develops between the two men. Over time, his illness seems to improve, with his transformation most evident when he goes to Steve Lopez's house to spend time with his family over Easter, as Steve Lopez notes: "The transformation of this man who came back the fear during our first meeting is dizzying. For now, he is completely free and unguarded, reveling in his own resurrection. He seems to relish the day, the food, the company” (Lopez 222). At other times, however, his illness manifested itself in waves of extreme anger, most often when he believed someone was trying to commit him to a mental hospital, such as when Steve Lopez arranged a court hearing so that his sister can manage Nathanial's legal and legal affairs. commercial affairs. Suffering from delusion, Nathanial believed it was a ploy to get him hired, became furious and began shouting expletives at Steve Lopez feeling betrayed by him. Despite the outbursts, Nathanial would eventually realize he was wrong and would always come back to apologize. After Nathanial received his..