Portrait of Ernest Hemingway (Original Caption). Fortune.
3. Ernest Hemingway Survived World War I, Malaria, Skin Cancer, Pneumonia, Two Plane Crashes, Hepatitis, and a Fractured Skull. But Depression Killed Him.
Hemingway, arguably the most celebrated American author of all time, was as manly as a man can be. The image of his father, a moody, bullying, and depressive man, haunted his life. He wanted to resurrect himself in order to release himself from the responsibility for his death and chose to do so by killing himself with his favorite shotgun. The real cause of his death remains unknown though. Was it an accident, a suicide, or a prevalent genetic killer that caused toxic levels of iron to flood the body, ultimately inciting depression and agony? Historians still debate the reasons behind Hemingway’s pulling of the trigger.
At the time of his death, Hemingway was 61 years old. According to Mayo Clinic, just days before his tragic death, the famous author was receiving treatment for what was thought to be hypertension and a “very old” case of hepatitis at Mayo Clinic, a reputable not-for-profit medical hospital. His doctor described his health as “excellent” just a month before he commits suicide. Ernest’s father, brother, sister, and granddaughter also ended their lives, a fact that seems to verify contemporary psychiatry’s suggestion that depression and suicide are in many cases inherited.
A painting of Vincent Van Gogh after one of the artist’s most infamous moments. The Independent.
2. Vincent Van Gogh Cut his Earlobe Off and Offered it to a Prostitute
Although there’s no consensus on the world-famous painter‘s mental health, based on the evidence derived mainly from his behavior and actions, many competing hypotheses have been advanced as to possible conditions from which he may have suffered. Various symptoms are described in Van Gogh’s letters such as hallucinations, nightmares, absent-mindedness, insomnia, and anxiety. His infamous act of cutting off his earlobe and giving it to a prostitute and his eventual suicide leave little or no doubt that Van Gogh was mentally unstable. It’s also well-documented that the famous painter was hospitalized in the mental clinic of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
On his good days, he would often paint in the institution’s walled garden. He was also given an extra room inside the clinic to use as a studio, where he produced a series of works, including copies of prints after paintings by artists like Rembrandt and Millet. But unfortunately, Vincent’s mental health continued to fluctuate. During one period of extreme confusion, he ate some of his oil paint, following which he was restricted to drawing for a while. Despite such relapses, the legendary painter was exceptionally productive at Saint-Rémy, where he completed around 150 paintings in less than a year.
Painting of “Glass” King Charles VI of France. Interesly.
1. Charles VI of France Didn’t Allow People to Touch him Because he Believed he was Made from Glass
Despite ruling France for forty-two years (1380 to 1422), the notorious French king went down in history as “Charles the Mad” and in all honesty, the word mad might be too soft a description. Possibly suffering from various mental disorders, there were times he could not remember his name or that he was king, while he couldn’t recognize his wife and children occasionally. However, he is particularly famous for his glass delusion, an external manifestation of a psychiatric disorder recorded in Europe mainly in the late Middle Ages.
Charles believed he was made of glass and didn’t allow others to get near him so they wouldn’t touch him and break his body. Strangely, when he was unafflicted, the “glass” king loved to exercise and play popular physical sports of his era. When his demons appeared in his mind though, he became a different man. He could sit in a room motionless for hours or even days. Although contemporary psychiatrists are hesitant to diagnose with certainty historical mental illness without meeting the patient in person, they all seem to agree that other than glass delusion, Charles VI was a certified nutcake.
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