Mental disorders can be accompanied by dangerous and harmful side effects. In Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, there are many effects of mental illness that are harmful to an individual. However, there are three effects that appear more harmful and long-term. First, many sleep-deprived people tend to develop difficulties with their mental state. Furthermore, a mental illness can often cause an individual to respond to an emotional situation in a violent way. Most 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 clear mind. Former US 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 considered to be a violent but intelligent patient who recalls a false life he created for himself in which he believes he is a detective trying to locate Andrew Laeddis, who allegedly killed his wife. One night, as Teddy lies in the room with the other men he believes he works with, he thinks to himself that he “couldn't sleep. He listened to the men snore and snort and inhale and exhale, some with faint whistles and heard some talk in their sleep... Dolores. Everything he had ever needed, and now he had a name” (Lehane 199&204). Although Teddy has not been diagnosed with insomnia, he has some symptoms that suggest he struggles with a sleep problem. The difficulty with insomnia is that it cannot be cured with medications and requires effort on the part of the patient... center of paper... it is a major side effect of a mental illness that severely affects individuals. Obviously, Lehane points out three effects of a mental disorder that are the most harmful and long-term to an individual. Initially, difficulties with one's mental state are related to sleep deprivation, because sleep requires a clear mind. Additionally, responding violently to a situation is common in individuals with a mental illness. Most importantly, individuals with a mental disorder may experience flashbacks and distorted memories. People with mental illness often go untreated, receive misdiagnosis, or feel uncomfortable around their peers. However, today the stigma is less severe and individuals have greater access to social and medical programs that allow them to receive correct and necessary care. Works Cited Lehane, Dennis. Shutter Island. New York: Harper Collins, 2003. Print.