Everyone knows the world-famous painter Vincent Van Gogh. The legend who popularized the style of “expressionism” in painting- The idea that pictures are not meant to be simply painted objectively, but should evoke thoughts and emotions in the viewer. People are still in awe of Van Gogh’s paintings.
But not many know that his birthday is observed as World Bipolar Disorder Day. Although he lived in the 19th century, important records about his life are available. There are descriptions of episodes of mental illness that Van Gogh suffered from in these records. Historians and doctors who examined them in detail opined that he probably had bipolar disorder. Let’s explore bipolar disorder through the life of Van Gogh.
Our state of mind is almost a straight line. Of course, depending on the circumstances, we may feel sad, angry or happy, but it will be transient. We will return to the straight line of tranquillity sooner or later. In people with bipolar disorder, the state of mind is not a straight line, but rather a bumpy one. At times it will rise to the heights of manic excitement, and at times it will sink to the depths of depression. The Illness occurs in episodes. In between these episodes, the patient’s mental state will be calm like most other people.
What is Mania?
“When I saw him, he was in a state of extreme excitement. Laughing and getting angry for no reason. He ran around blabbering about something without paying attention to anyone” – Dr. Albert Delon, who examined Van Gogh, says in his report. The doctor also recalled several complaints from other patients about Van Gogh speaking obscenely to women and touching them inappropriately. Van Gogh later recalled this period: “It felt as if I had reached the top of the world. I used to roam around for many days without sleep. I feel ashamed of the mistakes I made. Damn, the letters I had written those days. They were very long, and even I couldn’t make sense of what I’d written”. This is a snapshot of a typical manic episode.
What is depression, then? “He looked gloomy from a very young age. Never spoke to anyone, and always had a blank expression on his face” – words of Van Gogh’s father. Sometimes he wouldn’t eat, sleep or bathe. He’d lie still like a log of wood. “It felt like I was locked in a deep pit with my legs tied. I used to avoid doing anything, or talking to anyone because it just seemed so unbearably painful “- how Van Gogh describes his depression.
He also showed signs of psychosis (loss of touch with reality) when the illness worsened. The records indicate that he was afraid that someone was coming to harm him, and attacked even his close friends saying that everyone around him was against him. Perhaps the most famous story about Van Gogh is that he cut off his ear because of the hallucinatory voices that disturbed him. (There is another version that this happened when he went to attack a friend out of suspicion). He is said to have swallowed paint several times to commit suicide. He finally shot himself at the age of thirty-seven!
Of course, there was no efficient treatment for Bipolar Disorder at that time. If it were today, he could certainly be cured with mood-stabilizing medications and therapy that would facilitate emotional adjustment. We wouldn’t have missed the wonderful paintings yet to come!
Van Gogh lost his ear, and then his life to Bipolar Disorder. Let us lend our ears, understand and get proper treatment for people with bipolar disorder. March 30, World Bipolar Disorder Day!
