Are there any stars suffering from mental illness? Famous people with mental disorders. Linda Hamilton revealed she was a 'woman in hell' before she began treatment for bipolar disorder

Everyone has long known about the existence of a relationship between madness and talent. Below we will talk about how some “patients” were able to influence the rest of healthy humanity with their talents. You won’t find politicians on the list, because they are just performers, and we will be talking about creators. Of course, the number of “out of control” celebrities is not limited to these ten; their number is much larger. So you can treat this collection as a subjective choice, adding to it to your liking.

Edgar Alan Poe (1809-1849). This American poet and writer opens the list. His susceptibility to “mental disorders” is noted, although an exact diagnosis has never been established. Poe suffered from memory loss, persecution delusions, sometimes behaved inappropriately, and was plagued by hallucinations and a fear of the dark. In the article “The Life of Edgar Poe,” Julio Cortazar describes one of the attacks of the writer’s illness. In the summer of 1842, Edgar suddenly remembered Mary Devereaux, whose uncle he had once whipped. A half-insane state caused a trip from Philadelphia to New York.

Although the woman was married, the writer was eager to find out whether she loved her husband. Poe crossed the river several times on the ferry, asking passers-by for Mary's address. Having reached his goal, Edgar caused a scandal, after which he decided to stay there for tea. This caused extreme surprise among the household, and besides, the writer entered the house without their consent. The uninvited guest left only after he chopped up several radishes with a knife and demanded that Mary sing his favorite song. The writer was found only a few days later - having lost his mind, he wandered through the surrounding forests.

Edgar Allan Poe began to experience frequent depression in the late 1830s. Alcohol abuse also affected his psyche; under its influence, the writer fell into violent insanity. Soon opium was added to the alcohol. State of mind The writer's life worsened after the serious illness of his young wife. In 1842, twenty-year-old Virginia, who was also Poe’s cousin, fell ill with tuberculosis and died 5 years later. Edgar survived his wife by only two years, but during this time he tried to fall in love several times and even proposed a couple of times. If the first engagement did not take place because the eccentric groom simply scared off the chosen one, then in the second case the groom himself disappeared.

Shortly before the wedding, Poe became insane after drinking heavily. As a result, he was found in one of the cheap taverns in Baltimore 5 days later. Edgar was placed in a clinic, where he died a few days later, suffering from severe hallucinations. One of Poe's most powerful nightmares was dying alone, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, it came true. Although many of his friends promised to be with him at the last minute, on the night of October 7, 1849, no one close to Edgar was near him. The last person Poe called was Jeremy Reynolds, the famous polar explorer.

Poe managed to infect the audience with two popular genres. The first of them is a horror novel, created under the influence of the dark romanticism of Hoffmann. However, it was Poe who managed to create a genuine atmosphere of fear and nightmare, viscous and sophisticated. This was evident in the novels The Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher. The second genre in which Poe showed himself was the detective story. Monsieur Auguste Dupin, the hero of Edgar's stories "The Murder in the Rue Morgue" and "The Mystery of Marie Roger" became the prototype of Sherlock Holmes with his deductive techniques.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche(1844-1900). The German philosopher had a frightening diagnosis of “nuclear mosaic schizophrenia.” In his biography, it is customary to call this phenomenon more simply - obsession, which occurred, perhaps, against the background of syphilis. The most a clear symptom became a delusion of grandeur. The philosopher sent out notes in which he announced his imminent dominance on Earth; he demanded that the paintings be removed from the walls of the apartment, since this was his temple.

Incidents such as hugging a horse in the city square testified to the darkening of his mind. The philosopher had frequent headaches, his behavior was not adequacy. The writer's medical record shows that he sometimes drank his own urine from his boot, could scream inarticulately, and mistook the hospital guard for Bismarck. Nietzsche once tried to barricade his door with broken glass; he slept on the floor next to the spread bed, jumped like an animal, made grimaces and stuck out his left shoulder.

The cause of the disease was several apoplectic strokes, as a result of which the philosopher suffered from mental disorders for the last 20 years of his life. But it was during this period that his most significant works, for example “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” were published. Nietzsche spent half of this period in specialized clinics, but at home he could not do without the care of his mother. The writer's condition constantly deteriorated, as a result, at the end of his life he made do with only the simplest phrases: “I’m dead because I’m stupid” or “I’m stupid because I’m dead.”

Society received from Nietzsche the idea of ​​the superman. Let it seem like a paradox that this sick man, who jumped like a goat, is now associated with a free person who stands above morality and exists above the concepts of good and evil. Nietzsche gave a new morality, “master morality” was supposed to replace “slave morality”. He believed that healthy morality should glorify the natural desire of any person for power, and any other morality is inherently sick and decadent. As a result, Nietzsche’s ideas formed the basis of the ideology of fascism: “The sick and weak must perish, the strongest must win,” “Push the falling one!” The philosopher also became famous for his assumption “God is dead.”

Ernest Miller Hemingway(1899-1961). This American writer suffered acute attacks depression that led to mental illness. The symptoms were the writer’s suicidal tendencies, persecution mania and frequent nervous breakdowns. When Hemingway returned to America from Cuba in 1960, he immediately agreed to treatment in a psychiatric clinic - he was tormented by frequent depression, a feeling of insecurity and constant fear. All this interfered with his work.

Twenty sessions of electric shock did not bring any results, the writer spoke about it this way: “The doctors who gave me electric shock do not understand writers... What was the point in destroying my brain and erasing my memory, which represents my capital, and throwing away me to the sidelines of life? It was a brilliant treatment, but they lost the patient."

After leaving the clinic, Hemingway realized that he still could not write, and it was then that his first suicide attempt occurred, interrupted by his loved ones. The writer's wife persuaded him to undergo a second course of treatment, but he still had intentions to commit suicide. A couple of days after being discharged, Hemingway shot himself in the head with his favorite gun...

Hemingway infected us with the disease of the "lost" generation. Like his comrade, Remarque, he wrote about a specific layer of destinies that suffered due to the World War. However, the term itself turned out to be so capacious that today almost every generation strives to try this definition on for itself. Thanks to the writer, a new literary technique was born, the “iceberg method” - behind the sparse and concise text lies a generous and emotional subtext. Hemingway gave birth to a new “machismo” not only with his work, but also with his life. His heroes are tough fighters who prefer not to mince words. They understand that their struggle is probably meaningless, but they still fight to the end.

A striking example The fisherman Santiago from “The Old Man and the Sea” became such a character. It is through his lips that the author says: “Man was not created to suffer defeat. Man can be destroyed, but he cannot be defeated.” To the great regret of many, the writer himself - a soldier, hunter, sailor and traveler, whose body was covered with countless scars, did not fight for his life. But it should be noted that his death was also a consequence of adherence to ideals. Hemingway wrote: “A man has no right to die in bed, or in battle, or by a bullet in the forehead.”

John Forbes Nash (born 1928). This American mathematician, who became a Nobel Prize winner, became known to the general public after the release of Ron Howard's film "A Beautiful Mind." Nash's diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia. Its symptoms include persecution mania, delusions with obsessive ideas, conversations with non-existent interlocutors and problems with self-identity.

Back in 1958, Fortune magazine named Nash a rising American star in the field of mathematics. However, at the same time the first signs of the disease appeared. In 1959, Nash was fired from his job and admitted to a psychiatric clinic in the suburbs of Boston to undergo compulsory treatment. The scientist’s condition improved only after a course of chemotherapy, and Nash moved to Europe with his wife Alicia Lard. There he tried to obtain the status of a political refugee. However, the scientist’s request was denied and the French authorities deported him back to the United States. As a result, the family of the sick genius settled in Princeton; Nash himself did not work, because his illness was rapidly developing. In 1961, the scientist was forced to undergo a course of insulin therapy in a New Jersey hospital, but after being discharged from there, he fled to Europe, leaving his wife and children. In 1962, Alicia filed for divorce, although she continued to provide ex-husband help.

Returning soon to the USA, the scientist, by constantly taking antipsychotic drugs, improved his condition so much that he was able to start working at Princeton University. However, Nash suddenly decided that the drugs could harm him mental abilities and work, as a result - another deterioration. For many years, Nash appeared in Princeton, writing obscure formulas on boards and talking with voices. The inhabitants of the university ceased to be surprised, perceiving the scientist as a harmless ghost. In the mid-80s, Nash came to his senses and took up mathematics again. In 1994, 66-year-old John Nash received the Nobel Prize in Economics for his analysis of equilibrium in the theory of non-cooperative games. The main discoveries were made back in the 50s, before the onset of the disease. In 2001, the scientist was reunited with his ex-wife.

Thanks to Nash, a new scientific approach To economic theory games and to mathematics competition. The scientist discarded the standard scenario, in which there is a winner and a loser, and created a model in which both competing parties only lose during long-term rivalry. This scenario is called “Nash equilibrium”; both sides are in equilibrium, since any change can only worsen their positions. Nash's research in game theory was also used extensively by the US military during the Cold War.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745). Experts are still arguing about what diagnosis to give this Irish writer - Pick's disease or Alzheimer's disease. It is known that Swift suffered from dizziness, memory loss, lost orientation in space and often did not recognize people and objects around him, and poorly grasped the meaning of his interlocutor’s speech. These symptoms constantly increased, leading the writer to complete dementia at the end of his life.

Swift gave society a new form of political satire. His "Gulliver's Travels" may not have become the first sarcastic view of an enlightened intellectual on the surrounding reality, but the novelty was manifested in the way it was viewed. If at that time it was customary to satirize life with the help of literary “magnifying glasses,” then Swift, who served as dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, used a lens with a crooked glass. Subsequently, his technique was picked up by Saltykov-Shchedrin and Gogol.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). The French writer and philosopher suffered from paranoia, which was expressed in persecution mania. In the early 1760s, Rousseau's book "Emile, or on education" was published, which gave rise to his conflict with the state and church. Over time, this only strengthened Rousseau's innate suspicion, giving rise to painful forms. The philosopher suspected conspiracies everywhere; he began to lead the life of a wanderer, trying not to stay anywhere for long. After all, according to his ideas, all his friends and acquaintances are plotting something against him, or at least suspecting him. One day, in the castle where Rousseau was staying, a servant died and Jean-Jacques demanded an autopsy, because he believed that everyone saw him as a poisoner.

But thanks to Rousseau, the world saw pedagogical reform. Current methods of raising children are largely based on "Emile..." by Rousseau. So, instead of the repressive method of raising a child, Rousseau even then proposed the use of affection and encouragement. The philosopher taught that a child should not be forced to mechanically memorize dry facts; it will be much easier to explain to him using living examples, which will make it possible to perceive new knowledge. Rousseau believed that the main objective pedagogy is not the correction of the individual to fit existing social norms, but the development of the person’s existing talents.

The Frenchman believed that punishment should take place, but be a consequence of the child’s behavior, and not a blunt instrument for demonstrating the will of the strong over the weak. Rousseau advised mothers to feed their children themselves, and not entrust them to wet nurses. Today, pediatrics fully supports this opinion; it has been proven that only mother’s milk can have a positive effect on the child’s health. And Rousseau was skeptical about the issue of swaddling, since it limits the child’s freedom of movement.

Thanks to Rousseau, a new type of literary hero and new directions in literature were born. The philosopher's fantasy gave birth to a beautiful-hearted creature - a savage who is guided not by reason, but by highly moral feelings. Within the framework of romanticism and sentimentalism, it developed, grew and aged. The philosopher put forward the idea of ​​a legal democratic state, which was reflected in his work “On the Social Contract.” It is believed that it was this work that inspired the French to " Great Revolution", however, Rousseau himself never adhered to the radical measures used in its course.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol(1809-1852). The famous Russian writer suffered from schizophrenia, mixed with periodic attacks psychosis. Gogol was visited by auditory and visual hallucinations, periods of apathy and extreme inhibition (up to a lack of response to external stimuli) were replaced by attacks of extreme activity and excitement. The writer often plunged into depression and experienced acute hypochondria. It is known that Gogol believed that the organs in his body were somewhat displaced, and his stomach was completely upside down; he was also haunted by claustrophobia.

Various manifestations of schizophrenia accompanied Gogol throughout his life, but the greatest progress came in the last year of his life. In January 1852, the sister of the writer’s close friend, Ekaterina Khomyakova, died of typhus, which caused Gogol to have a severe attack of hypochondria. He complained of the fear of death, immersed in constant prayer. The writer refused to eat, complaining of malaise and weakness, believing that he was mortally ill. The doctors, of course, did not find any illness in him, except for a slight intestinal disorder.

On the night of February 11-12, Gogol burned his manuscripts, then explaining this as intrigues evil spirits, the author’s condition began to deteriorate sharply. And the treatment was not at all professional - they put leeches in the nostrils, wrapped them in cold sheets and dipped their heads in ice water. As a result, Gogol died on February 21, 1852. The real reasons his death remained unclear. Various hypotheses have been put forward - from mercury poisoning, to suicide and fulfilling a contract with the devil. But most likely the writer simply brought himself to the point of complete nervousness and physical exhaustion. Perhaps today's psychiatrists could solve his problems and save his life.

Thanks to Gogol, a specific love for little man, to the average person. This feeling consists half of pity and half of disgust. The writer was able to create a whole constellation of accurate Russian types. It was Gogol who created several “role models” that are still valid today. It is enough just to remember Chichikov and Bashmachkin.

Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893). The famous French writer suffered progressive paralysis brain Symptoms of the disease included suicidal tendencies, hypochondria, hallucinations and delusions, and violent seizures. Hypochondria accompanied Maupassant all his life - he was very afraid of going crazy. Since 1884, the writer began to experience frequent nervous attacks, accompanied by hallucinations. He even tried to commit suicide twice, being extremely agitated. But both attempts, with a pistol and a paper knife, were unsuccessful. In 1891, the writer was admitted to the Blanche Clinic, where he remained in a semi-conscious state until his death.

Maupassant brought physiologism and naturalism to literature; his works were often downgraded to eroticism, which became a novelty. The writer felt the need to constantly fight the lack of spirituality of a society that is fixated only on consumption. Today, clone works of “Dear Ami” are created by French authors Michel Houellebecq and Frederic Beigbeder; in Russia, Sergei Minaev can be considered Maupassant’s successor.

Vincent Willem van Gogh(1853-1890). The famous Dutch painter suffered from schizophrenia. He was visited by sound and auditory hallucinations, attacks of delirium. Aggression and gloom could quickly give way to joyful excitement. Van Gogh also had suicidal thoughts.

The disease progressed noticeably in the last 3 years of the artist’s life, and attacks became more frequent. During one of them the famous surgery. Van Gogh cut off the lobe and lower part of his left ear. He sent this fragment in an envelope to his beloved as a souvenir. It is not surprising that Van Gogh was admitted to a mental hospital in Arles. Then there were hospitals in Saint-Rémy and Auvers-sur-Oise. The artist himself realized that he was deeply ill. In one of his letters, he wrote: “I must adapt to the role of a madman without prevarication.”

Until his death, Van Gogh continued to create, although no one had any interest in his paintings from buyers. The artist led a literally miserable lifestyle, often starving. Contemporaries recall that during such periods he even sometimes ate his paints. But it was precisely during periods of clouding of consciousness that the masterpieces of world painting were born: “Night Cafe”, “Landscape in Auvers after the Rain”, “Red Vineyards in Arles”, “Road with Cypress Trees and Stars”. However, Van Gogh could no longer remain in a foggy state - on July 27, 1890, he mortally wounded himself with a pistol shot.

Thanks to Van Gogh, animation came to our world. After all, his creative style, in which dynamic plots were realized in bright colors, reality was grotesquely distorted and the atmosphere of a dream (horrible or, conversely, a happy child’s dream) was created, served as the basis for many of the works of today’s cartoonists. Today, thanks to the crazy beggar artist, we have begun to understand that the artistic value of any work is a relative thing. After all, Van Gogh, who painted simple sunflowers while drinking absinthe, has already posthumously become a record holder for auction sales.

Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin(1895-1925). The famous Russian poet suffered from manic-depressive psychosis. He was accompanied by persecution mania, sudden outbursts of rage and inappropriate behavior. They remember how Yesenin repeatedly destroyed furniture, broke dishes and mirrors, insulting those around him.

Attacks of psychosis were often provoked by the poet’s love of alcohol. As a result, Yesenin repeatedly underwent treatment in specialized clinics not only in Russia, but also in France. But the treatment, alas, did not produce results. So, having been discharged from Professor Gannushkin’s clinic, a month later the poet committed suicide - he hanged himself on a steam heating pipe in the Leningrad Angleterre Hotel. Although in the 70s a version of a murder followed by a staged suicide arose, it was not proven.

Thanks to Yesenin, Russian literature received new intonations. The poet made love for nature, the village and the local resident the norm, accompanying this with sadness, touching tenderness and tears. There were even direct followers of the poet in the ideological aspect - “villagers”. Many of Yesenin’s works were created in the style of urban hooligan romance, which laid the foundations of the current Russian chanson.

Who it normal person? The answer is simple, the indicators of his level of development correspond to the indicators of age. Psychodiagnostics offers a lot of different methods for determining intelligence, using which every person wants to know that his own level exceeds the norm. What does “above normal” mean? This expression already speaks of the “abnormality” of a person.

A deeper deviation from the norm is observed among geniuses. The very idea of ​​the abnormality of geniuses occurred to the thinkers of ancient Greece. Plato called genius “delirium bestowed by the gods.”

All the great discoveries of the world originate in crazy ideas and theories. On modern stage the opposition of Giordano Bruno or the thought of Leonardo da Vinci seems absurd. We talk enthusiastically about how far-sighted many geniuses were, and are surprised at the fact that their environment did not understand this. If great theories were considered insane, then it is natural that their authors had the same characteristic.

Genius and

The term “schizophrenia” was first introduced by the Austrian psychiatrist E. Beuler in 1908. Schizophrenia meant a splitting of will, emotions and holistic thinking.

The reasons are not fully understood and still require in-depth study. One of trigger reasons determined by stress, disease and heredity. These same reasons are also cited as the main mechanisms for the emergence of genius. The famous professor Lombroso pointed out that the reasons for the origin of schizophrenia and genius are the same.

Plato, having defined genius as delirium, pointed out its diverse manifestations. The splitting of thinking and emotions manifests itself in a wide variety of forms and is in no way associated with dementia, as many mistakenly believe. Delirium characterized many poets, artists, musicians, and scientists. Contemporaries of geniuses often observed how they, moving away from those around them, muttered incoherent remarks and phrases under their breath, which later became brilliant poems, sonnets, sketches and scientific works.

There are known facts that the father of rocketry, Tsiolkovsky, saw the inscription “paradise” in the sky, which he repeatedly told his assistants about. Salvador Dali's works are the result of delusional visions. The delusional delusions that accompany genius are demonstrated in the film A Beautiful Mind, based on the real life of Nobel laureate in economics John Forbes Nash.

Geniuses often manifest themselves in one or more areas. For example, Leonardo da Vinci could not master Latin, and most great mathematicians confused the names of colors and cardinal directions. Such features of geniuses were often perceived as eccentricities, including the famous tied shoe of Academician Sakharov, the refusal to cut and shave the father of Western aircraft manufacturing, Howard Hughes.

Genius and peculiarities were not spared sexual desire. History states the facts that Michelangelo, while remaining single, claimed that art replaced his wife. Leonardo da Vinci was a homosexual and Newton was a virgin. Were also bachelors famous personalities: Spinoza, Schopenhauer, Leibniz, Gogol, Turgenev, etc. And the famous thinker Rousseau, on the contrary, was distinguished by depravity.

Schizophrenia and genius are nearby, getting along with each other, and according to many scientists, they may be a consequence of each other, in any order.

Great geniuses suffering from schizophrenia

The vast majority of brilliant people had character traits schizophrenia. Naturally, they did not have clear psychiatric diagnoses during their lifetime. Historical facts of their lives, observations of contemporaries and their own diaries allowed psychiatrists to establish this diagnosis after many years.

BATYUSHKOV K.N. (1787 - 1855)- Russian poet, known for such works as “The Merry Hour”, “The Bacchante”, “My Penates”, etc. He experienced a deep spiritual crisis and radically changed the direction of poetry, proclaiming deep tragedy: “The Dying Tass”, “The Saying of Melchizedek”.

BULGAKOV M.A. (1891 - 1940)- Russian prose writer, who is a closed and “dark” personality for his contemporaries. He is a morphine addict, as a result of which the original images of his works were obtained.

VAN GOGH Vincent (1853 — 1890) - Dutch post-impressionist painter. His creative path is divided into 2 parts: the first is a gloomy range of works; the second part is characterized by a manner of painful tension, which is based on color contrasts: “Night Cafe”, “Landscape in Auvers after the rain”, etc. The artist last years was taken to a mental hospital.

VRUBEL M.A. (1856 - 1910)- Russian painter. Vrubel’s work is dominated by philosophical themes of good and evil, accompanied by tension: “Demon”, “Lilac”. The artist suffered from severe forms of mental illness.

GARSHIN V.M. (1855 - 1888)- Russian writer with a heightened sense of perception social injustice. Works: “Coward”, “Red Flower”, etc. Committed suicide.

GAUDI Antonio (1852 - 1926)– Spanish architect (Barcelona). He was obsessed with the idea of ​​fantastical sculpted forms, which he achieved in his works to the point of fanaticism.

GOGOL N.V. (1809 - 1852)- Russian writer. Visual and auditory are the basis for the plots of his works. He suffered from apathy, depression, hypochondria (fear of death).

DOSTOEVSKY F.M. (1821 - 1881)- Russian writer. His works - “Crime and Punishment”, “The Double”, “Notes of a Dead House”, etc. - are permeated with the search for meaning, great psychologism and tragedy, which in extreme forms were inherent in the author himself.

KAFKA Franz (1883 - 1924)- Austrian writer. His parable novels combine nightmarish fantasy and depictions of the powerlessness and tragedy of the ordinary person.

MANDELSHTAM O.E. (1891 - 1938)- Russian poet. His poetry is saturated with a special perception of the world, called concrete material. He managed to penetrate into the depths of everyday life and everyday life, endowing familiar situations with special meaning.

MAUPASSANT Guy de (1850 - 1893)- French writer. Author of short stories where the Master is short story. In numerous stories there is a predilection for scenes of sensual predilections. The writer died in a mental hospital.

NIETZSCHE (1844 - 1900)- German philosopher. In the works of the philosopher one can feel an idealistic attitude towards oneself, in comparison with the general world.

ROUSSEAU Jean Jacques (1712-1778)- French writer and thinker suffering from persecution mania. The thinker created the image of a new hero - a romantic savage, subordinate only to his feelings and desires.

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC Henri de (1864 - 1901)- French painter. Master of the “acute” perception of the bohemians of France at that time.

KHLEBNIKOV Velimir (1885 - 1922), Russian poet and writer. The creator of the futuristic movement in literature. He was distinguished by his utopian views.

EINSTEIN Albert – (1879 -1855)- German theoretical physicist, Nobel Prize winner. He suffered, in attacks of which he drove his loved ones to extremes.

History knows a huge number of people who can be called “brilliant schizophrenics.” They made great scientific discoveries, created beautiful paintings, literary and musical works, while having obvious mental problems. And some scientists even believe that the creations of many geniuses are nothing more than the product of their hallucinations, delusions and obsessions.

We are often surprised when we learn that this very famous person was actually treated for a long time for a mental illness or was not treated, but it was obvious to everyone around him that he was extremely unhealthy. But in fact, famous schizophrenics are quite common, we just don’t always know about it.

Is there a direct connection between extraordinary abilities and mental illness? Or are these just random coincidences that cannot be hidden due to the popularity of the patients themselves?

Outstanding abilities in science, music, drawing, and so on may themselves be a sign of one of the forms of schizophrenia, which develops even in childhood. But in this case to puberty“genius” usually passes, the symptoms of the disease increase, which often takes malignant course. Childhood schizophrenia, having begun with the rapid development of the child’s abilities, often ends complete destruction personality and disability.

Schizophrenic geniuses, who achieved phenomenal success in adulthood, encountered the symptoms of their disease much later than they were no longer teenagers. The later manifestation of the disease saved their psyche from irreversible degradation, as happens in the childhood form of schizophrenia. However, great people suffering from schizophrenia were already predisposed from birth to sooner or later develop a mental disorder.

What is the connection between genius and madness? Modern science I found out that in schizophrenics, some parts of the brain work differently than in healthy people. Perhaps this is why famous people so often exhibit symptoms of mental illness - it is the illness that helps them be among the “best of the best.”

Psychologists also did not remain aloof from research. They found out that mentally healthy person, not gifted with any genius abilities, thinking is to some extent stereotypical. And the thinking of a schizophrenic, less dependent on social norms and rules - limitless and unpredictable.

Scientists conducted studies where participants were asked to name the associations that arose when viewing a simple picture. Schizophrenic geniuses were able to create such a chain of associations that would never have occurred to them ordinary people, and they made several times more associations than healthy people.

The nature of this phenomenon has not been fully studied, but what is clear is that schizophrenics see the world completely differently, not like healthy people - and that is why their abilities can be much broader and deeper (although not always).

How to understand: schizophrenic or genius?

Modern psychotherapists have developed many techniques to determine the presence of mental disorders. Some of them are based on illusory perception, such as the test presented in the video:

The brain of a healthy person will mistake the illusion for the truth. The brain of a schizophrenic will “declassify” the deception, and only a genius will be able to force his brain to both believe in the illusion and see the catch.

Important! If a test shows that you think the same way as people with schizophrenia, this does not mean that you also suffer from this disease. When diagnosing schizophrenia, many tests and techniques are used, the results of which are analyzed, processed and allow the correct diagnosis to be made. Self-diagnosis in psychiatry is unacceptable!

Famous schizophrenics

Schizophrenia has long been called the “disease of geniuses.” People suffering from it are found among scientists, musicians, artists and representatives of other professions, whose contribution to the development of humanity can hardly be overestimated. Nowadays, scientists have found that many of the most famous discoveries were made deeply unhealthy people, something no one had really thought about before.

Scientists

For example, Isaac Newton, an English scientist who made great discoveries in the field of physics and mathematics, according to modern scientists, was diagnosed with “paroxysmal progressive schizophrenia.”

Both in childhood and in adulthood, the scientist was withdrawn, unsociable, and loved to spend time reading books. Like all great people suffering from schizophrenia, Isaac Newton was not aware of his illness, he was completely absorbed in his research. His attention was entirely directed to science and was completely absent from everyday life. The scientist forgot to eat, or could eat twice, because he did not remember the fact of eating.

Pathological forgetfulness played a cruel joke on the scientist - candles that were not extinguished in time caused a fire that destroyed all his records. Later, Newton had an increased sense of concern for his works - it seemed to him that someone wanted to illegally take possession of them, and this “someone” was ready to rob the scientist’s house or even kill him.

Some scientists believe that Isaac Newton inherited schizophrenia from his father, others attribute this to the fact that the scientist conducted many laboratory experiments and his brain was damaged by toxic substances, while others see the reason in hard work. Whatever the hypotheses, the disease did not prevent the scientist from making many scientific discoveries, the most famous of which are still relevant today.

Another schizophrenic scientist is mathematician John Nash. His first manifestations of paranoid schizophrenia began at the age of 30. He and his wife wanted to hide the presence of symptoms, but the disease progressed quickly, Nash ended up in a clinic where he underwent drug treatment.

A few years later, the disease returned, the scientist began to talk about himself as a stranger, and to conduct dialogues out loud about numerology and politics. After undergoing insulin comatose therapy, a period of remission began again.

Attacks of paranoid schizophrenia plagued the mathematician all his life, but despite this, he was awarded for his work in the field of mathematics Nobel Prize. His extraordinary personality attracted the attention of journalist Sylvia Nazar, who wrote a book about him, and later the book was made into the film “A Beautiful Mind.”

Artists

Vincent Van Gogh is also considered a famous schizophrenic.

He lived very briefly, only 37 years old. He devoted the last 10 years of his life to painting - he created more than two thousand paintings, which he failed to sell during his lifetime.

The artist was plagued by auditory and visual hallucinations (once he almost killed a friend because he heard a voice ordering him to do so). Various fears forced the artist to behave impulsively, rush around the room, and stay in certain positions for a long time. The artist committed strange acts (for example, he ate paints), he had attacks of uncontrollable aggression towards himself (being a preacher, he punished himself for his sins by beating him with a stick, and later, during a quarrel with a friend, he cut off part of his ear). He also suffered from delusions of grandeur (he considered himself an oracle) and was obsessed with delusional speculations on the topic of religion. The artist’s work reflects mental instability, torment, and the search for happiness. Van Gogh was treated in psychiatric clinics several times, but to no avail. At the age of 37, he took his own life.

The list of great geniuses with mental illnesses can be continued by Francois Lemoine, a French artist with schizophrenia. At a young age, he entered the Royal Academy of Arts, after which he traveled around Italy for some time. After returning, he lived as a free artist and worked a lot. His paintings were chosen to decorate the interior of the royal palace, and he was also entrusted with painting the ceiling at Versailles.

While working on decorating the ceiling, he began to suffer from severe schizophrenia; there are suggestions that this is why the artist chose mythical creatures as the main theme.

The disease progressed very quickly. During one of his paranoid attacks, the artist committed suicide by stabbing himself several times.

Actors

Oddly enough, film and theater stars also suffer from schizophrenia. A striking example is Amanda Brines.

U Hollywood star Amanda Brines shows clear signs of paranoid schizophrenia - she often experiences fear because she believes that the alarm installed on the front door of her apartment is listening. Neighbors often see her wandering the corridors of the house, talking out loud with someone invisible. Amanda, like everyone else famous schizophrenics, does not admit his illness.

Historical figures

Even famous rulers, for example, King Charles VI of France, are susceptible to schizophrenia. It is worth noting the fact that upon ascending the throne he was known in history as Charles the Beloved, and at the end of his life as Charles the Mad.

12 years passed after his coronation, and only then were symptoms of possession revealed. At first they expressed themselves in excessive irritability and incontinence. Later, attacks of irritability grew into aggression (for example, the ruler attacked his soldiers and stabbed several people with a knife). During the attacks, memory lapses were observed; it happened that the king could not remember his name and his social status. His hallucinations were tactile in nature - the king had the feeling that he was made of glass, the constant fear of breaking forced the patient to wear durable clothes.

The king, who suffered from schizophrenia, had to transfer the reins of power to other hands, and himself lead the life of a simple man in the street. Seizures accompanied the ex-king for the remaining 15 years of his life. In recent years, his maid lived with him, who helped him survive psychosis and was an irreplaceable person in all respects.

Writers

Famous people with schizophrenia is not uncommon among writers. For example, the “disease of geniuses” was inherent in Nikolai Gogol.

Also in early childhood the future writer imagined voices accusing him of mortal sins. It also seemed to him that he internal organs positioned incorrectly

The writer had many fears associated with death. For the last few years, he could not sleep properly because he was afraid of falling asleep in his bed and waking up in a grave. Gogol was terrified of dying “not completely” and asked his friends to bury him only when his body began to decompose. It is also known that he did not take medication because he was afraid of dying from poisoning. And finally, he was afraid to die before he wrote three volumes of Dead Souls.

Manic periods (periods strong excitement) began to appear in Gogol after 20 years. During these periods he had a wild imagination, increased performance. It was at the age of 20 to 30 that the writer created his best works: “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”, “Viy”, “The Inspector General”, “Taras Bulba” and many others.

The periods of apathy from 20 to 30 years were short and weak, which cannot be said about the last ten years of life. The depth and frequency of depressive phases has increased greatly. The reading public was waiting for new masterpieces, but Gogol's writing activity came to naught.

Another candidate for the “great schizophrenics” is Ernest Miller Hemingway.

Unlike Gogol, creative activity accompanied Hemingway almost his entire life, which in itself was very eventful. By the will of fate, he visited many countries from America to Africa, and was married several times. He received a huge number of serious injuries in the war, while hunting, in a plane crash, in a fire, and he miraculously managed to survive. However, the writer chose to take responsibility for his life (or rather, death) into his own hands - he made several suicide attempts, the last of which was successful.

Suicidal tendencies are not the only symptom of schizophrenia; in addition to this, the writer was tormented nervous disorders, depression, phobia public speaking, persecution mania. By the way, due to persecution mania, the writer underwent treatment in a psychiatric clinic, after which his writing activity finally ended.

Conclusion

Schizophrenia and genius have a common feature - limitless thinking. Famous people with schizophrenia have been found throughout history among rulers and scientists, artists, actors and musicians. Writers and public figures, religious leaders and pop stars.

Unfortunately, many of them ended their days in clinics or voluntarily died. However, modern psychiatry has accumulated enough experience and knowledge so that patients from all over the world - famous people and their undistinguished “comrades in misfortune - can live full life as much as possible.

Stars seem to us to be the embodiment of success and prosperity, but sometimes deeply unhappy people are hidden behind the external gloss and glossy smiles. Here are 19 celebrities who have fallen victim to mental illness.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Katherine is one of the most beautiful and successful film actresses, however, she suffered from manic-depressive psychosis for many years. The disease developed against the backdrop of stress that arose when Catherine was helping her husband Michael Douglas cope with throat cancer. The actress was tormented by a constant feeling of anxiety and depression; she was admitted to the clinic several times. Now Katherine openly talks about her illness, hoping in this way to help those who find themselves in a similar situation.

Winston Churchill

Despite the fact that the British Prime Minister had an extraordinary mind and outstanding leadership qualities, his psyche was pretty shaken. Churchill suffered from clinical depression, which occurred sporadically throughout his life. The politician was at times haunted by obsessive thoughts of suicide, so he preferred to sleep in rooms without balconies and not go close to railway tracks. Churchill feared that he could have done something irreparable by succumbing to a moment of weakness. He fought the disease until the end of his days and did not make a single suicide attempt.

Halle Berry

Looking at Hallie’s radiant smile, it’s hard to imagine that before she didn’t have the most positive outlook on life - the actress had been suffering from depression for a long time. In an interview, Hallie admitted that she spent years in an intense struggle with the disease. Due to a protracted mental disorder, she earned diabetes, became addicted to alcohol and attempted suicide several times.

Michael Phelps

Michael is one of the greatest swimmers of our time. During his career, the athlete set several world records and received many awards. Phelps' achievements are a direct result of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), which he was diagnosed with when he was just a child. Michael's illness did not go away with age, like most children, and he needed health care. The future athlete was lucky - he got good doctor, which helped redirect his hyperactivity toward swimming.

Winona Ryder

Winona is a multiple Oscar nominee and the owner of an impressive fortune, however, in 2002 she found herself in the dock on charges of theft. The fact is that the actress suffers from kleptomania, or otherwise a painful urge to commit thefts. One day, Winona was seen cutting off price tags from clothes right on the sales floor, in front of customers. Video footage of the incident was later shown in court.

Amanda Bynes

Colleagues always guessed that this celebrity was not all right in her head - too often she behaved inappropriately. Ultimately they were right. Amanda was admitted to a psychiatric hospital after dousing her dog Pomeranian with gasoline and attempting to set it on fire. Fortunately, the poor animal's auto-da-fé was interrupted by a passer-by. The actress was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. The star completed a rehabilitation course and was about to return to cinema.

Salvador Dali

Throughout his life, the artist created a countless number of brilliant works of art. True, it later turned out that they were nothing more than the fruit of a mental illness. Dali suffered from a severe form of schizophrenia, and he transferred the visions caused by the illness to canvas.

Mary-Kate Olsen

At school, Mary-Kate dreamed of losing weight, so much so that she brought her body to an extreme degree of exhaustion. As a result of refusing food, some of the girl’s organs stopped working. Soon the future actress was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Mary-Kate completed a course of treatment and now advises everyone to think twice before exhausting themselves with strict diets.

Drew Barrymore

Drew has suffered from bipolar disorder almost his entire life. At the age of 14, she first came to the clinic due to a suicide attempt. Then she told doctors that she wanted to “be like the ocean with huge waves and get everything, not the highs or lows.” What the actress had in mind still remains a mystery.

Verne Troyer

The star of the movie "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" is famous for his short stature; Verne's height is only 81 cm. Due to this feature, he has many chronic ailments, including epilepsy. In 2015, the actor was hospitalized from an exhibition of films, comics and anime in Texas right in front of a stunned public.

Herschel Walker

The former NFL player suffered from multiple personality disorder from a young age. As a child he suffered from excess weight and speech problems. Then two entities settled in him at once: a “warrior” with outstanding talents in football and a “hero” shining at social celebrations. Herschel tolerated the chaos in his mind for years before he sought professional help.

Brooke Shields

In 2003, Brooke became a victim postpartum depression, which lasted significantly longer than most women. For many months, the actress experienced an inexplicable feeling of anxiety and a feeling of worthlessness. In especially difficult moments, she was visited by thoughts of suicide. Fortunately, Brooke turned to specialists in time to help her cope with the disease.

Elton John

In 2002, Elton John told the world about his long battle with bulimia. Previously, the musician regularly indulged in gluttony, then stood on the scales, and if the result did not suit him, he vomited. In the 90s, Elton drove himself to extreme exhaustion. To get rid of a nervous disease, he was forced to seek help from a private clinic.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina (main photo) fell into depression after the death of her mother in 2007. Her condition worsened several years later due to the forced removal of her mammary glands, ovaries and fallopian tubes. The actress completely retreated into herself, and fans soon noticed in her body obvious signs anorexia. It is noteworthy that Jolie herself always denied the fact that she had mental problems.

Joanne Rowling

JK Rowling's books about Harry Potter are among the most widely read in the world, but not all fans of the writer's work know that she wrote them during a severe depression. Then Joan had just divorced journalist Jorge Arantes and was left alone with a small child in her arms, and even in a difficult financial situation. Years later, she admitted that absolutely everything scared her then.

Demi Lovato

As a child, Demi was often teased by her peers for being overweight, which is why the girl developed bulimia. She also regularly cut her hands to suppress her emotions. By the age of 18, Demi began to lose her voice because she constantly vomited. Of course, the actress consulted doctors, but she is still struggling with an eating disorder.

Jim carrey

Surprisingly, famous comedian Jim Carrey also once suffered from serious depression. At a certain stage of his life, he even took antidepressants. The actor gave up Prozac after a visit to a psychotherapist. After talking with the doctor, Jim realized that “problems need to be solved, and not washed down with pills,” and switched to sports and vitamins.

Owen Wilson

This is another actor-comedian who was prone to depression. Owen developed the disease due to drug addiction. In August 2007, he was in particularly in serious condition and attempted to take his own life. This incident became a turning point in his fate - Owen decided to seek help from specialists. Friends and family helped him get through the difficult time of rehabilitation.

Paris Jackson

Michael Jackson's daughter Paris suffered from depression from a young age. As a child she was a very withdrawn child, and at 14 she experienced rape. After the incident, she was tormented by fears for years, and she was not always able to cope with them. Eventually the tension led to a series of suicide attempts. The latter turned out to be so serious that Paris had to undergo treatment. After rehabilitation, the girl feels much better, she even manages to do without medication.

They have everything you can only dream of - money, fame, universal love. But, as it turns out, all this can seriously affect a person’s psyche, and the stars on today’s list are proof of this. Each of them has their own story, but this inevitably led to one thing - mental disorder. Today they do not hesitate to talk about their illness, and this once again proves that none of us is immune from anything. See below who are these 12 stars with mental disorders who openly talk about themselves.

1: Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie has attracted public attention for her prowess in various fields. Be it her outstanding acting skills, prestigious awards, community work or personal life, Jolie is a Hollywood fanatic's favorite girl. But despite all the success, she couldn't stop herself from falling into the trap of suicidal and homicidal thinking in the late nineties. But she sought help and was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, after which she managed to return to a healthy and happy lifestyle.

2: David Beckham

Former English footballer David Beckham, renowned around the world for his athletic skills, is also one of the most attractive athletes of all time. The star has publicly stated that he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, and admits that he has a compulsion to keep everything neat and tidy.
Despite his attempts to break the cycle of repetitive behavior, he cannot stop. He needs everything to be in a straight line or in pairs. There are three refrigerators in his house, in which everything is absolutely symmetrically coordinated.

3: Charlize Theron

This strikingly beautiful and exceptionally talented actress can pull off any role, but what she can't handle is the hidden garbage, as the star herself notes when talking about her neurotic predispositions. Taron suffers from OCD and calls it organizational needs.
Dirty offices make her nervous and Taron can't sleep, unable to stop thinking about the possibility of trash in the room, which undoubtedly proves that this is more than a funny quirk. Every time she wants to walk through a stranger's office to make sure it is clean.

4: Brooke Shields

She may be one of the most beautiful models and actresses, but motherhood has plunged the star into severe depression. This was no ordinary postpartum depression. This serious condition brought her to the point where she did not want to live anymore.
Fortunately, the diagnosis of postnatal depression was made in time enough to be treated with professional help and medical treatment. She has publicly discussed her illness to help others who are struggling with the same issues.

5: Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes was a teen idol in the '90s. The actress was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and the star also suffers from real paranoia and substance abuse. They even say that the actress hears some voices and talks to herself. The girl's affairs are so bad that her parents are now monitoring her finances.

6: Kurt Cobain

In the last years of his life, alternative rock legend Kurt Cobain suffered from drug addiction and depression. In fact, in early age he was also diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and bipolar disorder.
Later, he made several suicide attempts and overdosed on drugs and alcohol. The star was found dead three years after he shot himself. For Kurt, who understood the importance of the diagnosis, consent to treatment became a controversial issue.

7: Elton John

Elton John is famous and loved for his soulful music, which always manages to lift the spirit of listeners. However, the music star herself had to fight the evils of drug addiction just as she did with bulimia. He suffered a drug overdose during Elton week in 1975.

He also became a victim of compulsive overeating disorder, and in a fit of excessive anxiety about his weight and negative self-image, he adopted various harmful and painful detoxification techniques. Although a little later the star still realized his mental disorder and visited a rehabilitation center.

8: Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones suffers from a mild form of manic-depressive psychosis - bipolar disorder type 2. The actress announced her illness several years ago.

“Millions of people suffer from this disorder, and I am one of them,” Zeta-Jones said at the time. - My recognition of bipolar disorder type 2 will not be in vain if it inspires at least one person to seek treatment. There is no need to suffer in silence and there is no shame in seeking help.”

One of the reasons for the mental disorder, according to rumors, was severe stress, which Katherine experienced while helping her husband Michael Douglas overcome throat cancer.

9: Mel Gibson

Like Catherine Zeta-Jones, this actor suffers from manic-depressive psychosis. Bipolar affective disorder, as this disease is also called, does not fit at all with the image of Mel, who, according to everyone who worked with him, is very cheerful and a positive person. It turns out that his eternal pranks and love of parties are just a cover for his own illness.

10: Britney Spears

We all remember the story of the shaved head. Then there was a suicide attempt. According to representatives rehabilitation center, where Britney was in 2007, the singer self-medicated with medication. According to the doctor's report, she took such a step because she “believes that she has lost control of her life” and also suffers from postpartum depression and bipolar disorder.

11: Jim Carrey

Surprisingly, the famous comedian also had a mental disorder. At an early age he was even diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In his interview on 60 Minutes, Kerry admitted that long years felt like his hero from the film “The Mask”: on the set he grimaced and grimaced, and when he came home, he swallowed antidepressants from constant melancholy. However, soon after a visit to a psychotherapist, Kerry admitted that “problems need to be solved, and not washed down with pills,” took up sports and even promised to write a book about his struggle with depression.

12: JK Rowling

The author of the famous Harry Potter epic JK Rowling admitted on Oprah Winfrey's talk show that she is depressed. Recently, Rowling even underwent a course of psychotherapy, but, most likely, the treatment will be continued; the relief was temporary, the writer said.