From Hollywood stars to famous musicians
Some believe that her psychological troubles, including schizophrenia, with which she was diagnosed in the 1930s, were exacerbated by the pressures of the spotlight and a controlling husband.
Dancer, socialite, and wife of American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda Fitzgerald has been the subject of many case studies and biographies since her death.
Edvard Munch, the legendary Norwegian post-impressionist painter who is most famous for his painting simply titled 'The Scream,' lived his life in fear of continuing a long-held pattern of schizophrenia in his family.
Munch's anxiety, fueled by rampant alcoholism, came to a head when he began experiencing hallucinations and paranoia for a period of time before eventually having a breakdown in 1908.
Later in life, however, she began to show symptoms of severe depression and paranoia, and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Afterwards, Bow retreated from public life and lived out the rest of her days in isolation.
Clara Bow was one of the most successful and celebrated film actresses who became a star during the silent era of the 1920s and extended her stardom into the field of talkies.
Historians and medical professionals who have meticulously studied his letters and notes have retroactively diagnosed Newton with paranoid schizophrenia.
Sir Isaac Newton was one of the most famous and important scientists and mathematicians in history. Credited with the discovery of gravity and the invention of calculus, Newton's genius cannot be overstated.
One of the most popular and beloved models in American history, Bettie Page also famously suffered from auditory hallucinations and bouts of paranoia that could sometimes lead her to act violently.
One such episode, in which Page attacked her landlord, caused authorities to force the model to serve a 10-year sentence in a psychiatric hospital.
After his discharge, Kerouac went on to become one of the most celebrated authors of all time, but also led a life of intensely heavy drinking and substance abuse that led to his premature death. Many believe this excessive abuse was an attempt to self-treat his schizophrenic tendencies.
One of the greatest American writers of the 20th century, Jack Kerouac was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a Navy doctor when he was just 21 years old.
Gene Tierney was an American actress famous for her leading roles in popular films such as 'Laura' (1944) and 'Leave Her to Heaven' (1945). After being diagnosed with schizophrenia in the 1950s, Tierney underwent almost 30 sessions of shock therapy.
Tierney tried to escape the hospital, feeling that the shock sessions were doing more harm than good, but she was caught and forced to continue. After this harrowing experience, Tierney became a staunch combatant of shock therapy.
Famous for being a founding member of the classic rock band Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett's life and career were tragic and tumultuous.
Amid widespread speculation regarding Barrett's schizophrenic behavior and excessive drug use, he was ousted from the band after the release of their debut record. Barrett more or less lived the rest of his life in reclusive solitude.
First Lady of the United States and wife of President Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln witnessed more tragedies in her life than any person should.
After witnessing the murder of her husband, she was relegated to outliving three of her four sons. She was also known to suffer from fits of paranoia, fury, and mood swings, symptoms that historians have retroactively diagnosed as schizophrenia.
One of the most illustrious guitarists of the 1970s, Peter Green is most well known as a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, and for replacing Eric Clapton in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.
Throughout his rise to stardom, Green also suffered with mild schizophrenia, and underwent numerous sessions of electroshock therapy.
Veronica Lake was a highly successful actress in the 1940s, and was especially renowned for her starring roles in noir films.
Unfortunately, her struggles with schizophrenia and alcoholism caused her career to decline and fizzle by the end of the decade.
The story of John Hinkley Jr., who tried to assassinate then-president Ronald Reagan in 1981, is a tragic tale of schizoid personality disorder gone unchecked.
Hinkley Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity and received medical care in a Washington, D.C. hospital for years after the trial.
Jim Gordon's successful career as a drummer who played alongside the likes of Eric Clapton ended tragically in 1983.
The musician stabbed his mother to death in what was later ruled a psychotic episode caused by severe yet somehow previously undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia.
The inspiration for 2001's Oscar winning film 'A Beautiful Mind,' mathematician and champion of game theory John Nash suffered from schizophrenia throughout his life.
Although he was haunted by crippling paranoid conspiracies, Nash's genius and dedication won him numerous prestigious prizes throughout his career.
Skip Spence, at one time a guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service and at another the drummer for Jefferson Airplane, was highly respected by his peers for his musicianship.
Excessive use of psychedelics and a subsequent diagnosis of schizophrenia cut what could have been an illustrious career tragically short.
Albert Einstein's second son with his first wife, Mileva Marić, was tragically unable to lead a life as successful as his father's. Eduard Einstein rapidly developed severe schizophrenia during his formative years and had to be institutionalized by the age of 20.
While hospitalized, the young Einstein was forced to adhere to heavy drug regimens and undergo electroshock therapy, which his mother and brother claimed only made his condition worse.
Once an extremely accomplished football player, who helped the Green Bay Packers secure two Super Bowl championships, Lionel Aldridge was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in the 1970s.
Aldridge's struggle with the disorder caused him to become homeless for a time, but once he regained his mental faculties he became a vocal advocate for mental health and homelessness awareness.
One of the most famous and popular painters of all time, Vincent van Gogh’s art has come to define Post-Impressionism. Indeed, his style helped revolutionize how the world views art.
Also one of the most famously troubled artists in history, Vincent van Gogh has been retroactively diagnosed as a schizophrenic by numerous historians and medical professionals.
Joe Meek is considered by many to be the first record producer in the world, and a pioneer of now-indispensable techniques such as sampling and overdubbing.
Unfortunately, his schizophrenia went untreated throughout his life and worsened as time went on. Meek, in a suspected episode of psychosis, murdered his landlord and took his own life shortly afterwards.
Buddy Bolden was an early progenitor of New Orleans jazz and rag time in the 19th and 20th centuries.
At the age of 30, after a violent outburst, Bolden was diagnosed with "dementia praecox," an early term for schizophrenia.
Roky Erickson, guitarist and founder of the 1960s psychedelic rock band the 13th Floor Elevators, suffered a psychotic break on stage in 1968.
After this highly publicized event, he was quickly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and underwent numerous sessions of involuntary electroshock therapy.
A truly singular American songwriter who amassed a loyal and adoring cult following during his career.
Daniel Johnston famously struggled with severe bouts of depression and incessant fits of schizophrenia throughout his troubled life.
Paul D. Hudson, best known by his stage name H.R. (Human Rights), is the front man of the seminal 1980s punk band Bad Brains, and is considered responsible for revolutionizing the genre of hardcore punk.
Hudson has long suffered from schizophrenia, as well as a rare neurological disorder that causes the singer excruciating migraines.
Famous for being a co-founder of the legendary Beach Boys band, and for being one of the most ingenious producers in the history of music.
Brian Wilson's violent and troubled childhood led to severe issues with drug abuse and psychosis later in life. Wilson was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Harrell's condition frequently manifests itself while performing. He resigns himself to the far side of the stage and keeps his head down, only slightly raising it in order to play trumpet.
Sources: (Online Psychology Degrees) (Ranker) (CinemaBlend)
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Prolific Grammy-nominated jazz composer and trumpeter Tom Harrell has dealt with severe paranoid schizophrenia since his early twenties.
Jake Lloyd, the former child actor who played Anakin Skywalker, has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia since he was a teenager. In an interview for Scripps News his mother, Lisa Lloyd, revealed that Jake suffered a psychotic break in 2023 and is now 10 months into an 18-month stay at a mental health rehabilitation facility. Lisa said she's more hopeful than she's ever been. “He’s doing much better than I expected,” she explained, and said he's even “becoming a little bit more social.”
Lisa also described how his illness emerged in his teens. “Jake started having some trouble in high school,” she told Scripps News. “He started talking about ‘realities.’ He didn't know if he was in this reality, or a different reality." Lisa pursued medical help for Jake and was told he might be bipolar, but none of the medications prescribed seemed to help. His condition worsened after he graduated high school, when he began to see people with black eyes in the street and believed he was being followed. Eventually, he was given a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. “When they finally told him, it totally threw him off into an even worse depression,” Lisa said during the interview. “It was really hard.” She revealed that Jake refused to take his medication because he didn't think he was sick, and went on to have several severe episodes, including one that ended in a multi-county police chase and a 10-month stint in jail. This culminated in his 2023 psychotic break.
Jake is now 35 years old and Lisa says he is learning more about his illness and the importance of taking his medication consistently.
Nearly 24 million people around the world live with a schizophrenic disorder, making up about 0.32% of the population. Thankfully, that makes schizophrenia one of the rarer mental disorders affecting people today, but it is still a daily struggle for those who bear its weight. Even today the disorder is poorly understood, and the exact causes of schizophrenia are still unknown. There is also no surefire cure for schizophrenia, although developments in antipsychotic drugs have started to provide a degree of solace for some schizophrenics. With no cures or preventions yet available, this means people from all classes and walks of life can struggle with this little-understood illness, even the great geniuses and artists of recent history.
Read on to find out more about some more of the world's famous figures who have lived with schizophrenia.
Stars who were diagnosed with schizophrenia
Celebrities who battled mental health challenges
CELEBRITY Mental illness
Nearly 24 million people around the world live with a schizophrenic disorder, making up about 0.32% of the population. Thankfully, that makes schizophrenia one of the rarer mental disorders affecting people today, but it is still a daily struggle for those who bear its weight. Even today the disorder is poorly understood, and the exact causes of schizophrenia are still unknown. There is also no surefire cure for schizophrenia, although developments in antipsychotic drugs have started to provide a degree of solace for some schizophrenics. With no cures or preventions yet available, this means people from all classes and walks of life can struggle with this little-understood illness, even the great geniuses and artists of recent history.
Read on to find out more about some more of the world's famous figures who have lived with schizophrenia.