Mental disorders can come with dangerous and harmful side effects. In Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, mental illness presents many detrimental effects on an individual. However, there are three effects that appear to be more harmful and long-term. First, many sleep-deprived people tend to develop difficulties related to their mental state. Additionally, mental illness can often cause a person to react violently to an emotional situation. More importantly, when a person's mental state is damaged, flashbacks and distorted memories are common. Many people who suffer from psychological problems often have insomnia problems as a side effect because sleep requires a peaceful mind. Former United States Marshal Teddy Daniels believes he has been tasked with finding a missing person from a mysterious mental institution, Aschecliffe. Unfortunately, he suffers from a delusional disorder and is actually a patient of the institution, known as Andrew Laeddis. He is seen as a violent but intelligent patient who reenacts a false life he has created for himself in which he fancies himself a detective trying to locate Andrew Laeddis, who is believed to have murdered his wife. One night, as Teddy lay in the room with the other men he thought he was working with, he said to himself that “he couldn't sleep. He listened to the men snoring, huffing, inhaling and exhaling, some with soft wheezes and heard some talking in their sleep... Dolores. Everything he had ever needed, and now it had a name” (Lehane 199&204). Although Teddy does not suffer from insomnia, he does have some symptoms that suggest he has a sleep problem. The problem with insomnia is that it cannot be cured with medication and requires effort on the part of the patient ... middle of document ... it is a major side effect of a mental illness that seriously affects individuals. Obviously, Lehane points out. three effects of a mental disorder that are the most harmful and long-lasting for an individual. Initially, mental state difficulties are linked to lack of sleep, because sleep requires a calm mind. Additionally, reacting violently to a situation is common among people with mental illness. Importantly, people with a mental disorder may experience flashbacks and distorted memories. People with mental illness often go untreated, are misdiagnosed, or feel embarrassed by their peers. However, stigma today is less severe and individuals have greater access to social and medical programs that allow them to receive the correct and necessary treatment. Works Cited Lehane, Dennis. Shutter Island. New York: Harper Collins, 2003. Print.