10 Famous People Who Suffered from Mental Illnesses
The world has always been filled with mad people. Mentally ill or simply eccentric mad people have changed the planet. Fits of rage or depression, and simply a different way of thinking, have spawned mathematical theories, amazing inventions, beautiful poetry, as well as musical and artistic creations.
"People have often called me mad, but it is not clear whether madness is not the highest form of intelligence and whether all that is profound and great does not proceed from illness of the mind which, because of its intelligence, has been affected." - Edgar Allan Poe.
10. King Charles VI of France
King Charles VI was also known as Charles the Mad. He ruled France from 1380 to 1422. His madness began twelve years after his coronation. He suffered numerous bouts of insanity during which he could not remember his own name or that he was the king. Sometimes he did not recognize his wife and children. For five months in 1405, he refused to bathe or change his clothes. According to the writings of Pope Pius II, King Charles believed he was made of glass (a condition known as "glass delusion") and took precautions such as wearing reinforced clothing and forbidding people from touching him to avoid shattering.
9. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is known as the 16th President of the United States. Despite his achievements, President Lincoln suffered from "melancholy tendencies." Many people feel sad sometimes, but Lincoln experienced severe, debilitating depression. One of his biographers believes Lincoln contemplated suicide. According to Ability Magazine, the president often wept over his plight and used humor as a way to cope with his sadness. He also found solace in work and religious feelings.
8. Vincent van Gogh
You have likely heard of Vincent van Gogh, the famous mad artist who cut off his ear and later committed suicide. It is believed he suffered from epileptic seizures caused by brain damage from prolonged absinthe consumption (a highly alcoholic beverage). His love for creativity and religion combined with his quick painting technique, as well as periods of deep depression, suggest that van Gogh suffered from bipolar disorder. Vincent was also a prolific writer, having penned hundreds of letters. It is thought that he also suffered from hypergraphia, a condition related to epilepsy that causes an overwhelming urge to write.
7. Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway, a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, suffered from depression and alcoholism. Like van Gogh, he ended his life by suicide. Hemingway's father, brother, sister, and granddaughter also committed suicide. His suicidal tendencies likely had a genetic component, but his mental state was exacerbated by alcohol and medication, which had psychological side effects. Electroconvulsive therapy, which he underwent in the hospital, led to memory loss and worsening depression.
6. Tennessee Williams
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams, known for his works "The Glass Menagerie," "A Streetcar Named Desire," and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," suffered from depression even before two traumatic events in his life led him to abuse drugs and alcohol. Williams was born into a family with a history of mental illness. In the 1940s, his sister, who had schizophrenia, underwent a lobotomy. In 1961, his lover died. Both events deeply affected the writer's mental state, exacerbating his depression and leading to drug use. Despite attempts to overcome his addiction, he remained depressed and addicted throughout his life.
5. Edgar Allan Poe
Known for his "gloomy" stories, Edgar Allan Poe had a deep interest in psychology, reflected in his psychological thrillers about madmen. Was he mad himself? His rival, Rufus Griswold, claimed Poe was insane in a defamatory obituary written out of spite. Although Griswold's opinion was false, Poe may have suffered from bipolar disorder. Poe drank heavily and, in one letter, mentioned his thoughts of suicide. The author once published sensational news about a transatlantic balloon journey, which turned out to be false.
4. Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes was an American aviation pioneer, film producer, and entrepreneur, with a net worth in the billions. He suffered from a severe fear of germs. According to the article "Hughes' Germ Phobia Found in Psychological Autopsy," published by the American Psychological Association in 2005, his fear was so intense that it led to codeine addiction and reclusiveness. Hughes often preferred solitude during times of stress. In his teenage years, he was paralyzed for several months without any physical cause. His germophobia led to obsessive-compulsive behavior, including odd demands of his staff (e.g., wrapping their hands in paper towels when serving him food). Sometimes Hughes lay naked in dark "germ-free" rooms and wore tissue boxes on his feet to protect them.
3. John Nash
Remember the movie "A Beautiful Mind"? The real John Nash was a mathematical genius and the 1994 Nobel Prize winner in Economics. He developed the Nash Equilibrium theory at Princeton University during his doctoral studies. Nash suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and hallucinations. He was treated in several psychiatric hospitals, where he underwent antipsychotic medication and insulin shock therapy. The signs of Nash's illness somewhat receded, and he returned to teaching mathematics at Princeton University.
2. Ludwig van Beethoven
One of the world's most famous composers, Ludwig van Beethoven, suffered from bipolar disorder. Beethoven was a gifted child who was beaten and exploited by his father. The beatings may have contributed to his hearing loss. Like other creative geniuses with the disorder, he experienced periods of intense energy and creativity followed by episodes of loneliness and depression. Like others with the disorder, he attempted to self-medicate with opium and alcohol.
1. Isaac Newton
Undoubtedly, Sir Isaac Newton was one of humanity's greatest thinkers—he invented calculus, formulated the three main laws of mechanics, laid out the law of universal gravitation, and created the first reflecting telescope. He also suffered from a mental illness. He was difficult to converse with and often had mood swings. Some researchers believe he had schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Though these individuals were not perfect, they greatly influenced our world. They made us think, inspired us, but also showed how fragile our minds can be.
