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Schizophrenia is a disease that affects many people. Celebrities are no exception. We offer to find out which famous people suffer from schizophrenia.
Aaron Carter
The former pop star, rapper and dancer says she suffers from several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia. This lifelong condition can greatly affect you. Some people have hallucinations or delusions when you see, feel or believe things that are not real. Others may talk nonsense or have problems with memory and reason. Carter says he takes several therapies to relieve his symptoms.
Zelda Fitzgerald
This writer, artist and fashion icon of the 1920s was married to The Great Gatsby writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. During their rocky, unhappy marriage, Zelda had several mental breakdowns and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She spent the last two decades of her life in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Fitzgerald died in 1948 as a result of a fire in one of these hospitals. She was 47 years old.
Lionel Aldridge
After a stellar football career in the 1960s, Aldridge was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and later covered the game as an analyst for NBC. But by the age of 30, he became paranoid, had hallucinations, and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. For some time he was homeless. But with the help of medication, he regained control. He spoke about his condition many years before his death in 1998.
John Nash Jr.
By the age of 30, he was known as one of the most brilliant mathematicians in the world. Paranoia, delusions, and other symptoms of schizophrenia then spread. Nash’s mental illness lasted 20 years. But gradually he improved and returned to teach at Princeton University. In 1994 he received the Nobel Prize in Economics. Russell Crowe played Nash in the Oscar-winning film A Beautiful Mind.
Edward Einstein
Albert Einstein’s youngest child was studying medicine when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 20. He spent many years in a psychiatric clinic in Zurich, Switzerland. By the time of the famous physicist’s death in 1955, Einstein Jr. had not seen his father for over 30 years.
Jim Gordon
For many years he was one of the most sought after drummers in the rock world. Gordon played with John Lennon and Frank Zappa and co-wrote «Layla» with Eric Clapton. In 1983, Gordon stabbed his mother to death. He said he was «gritty» at the anguish of hearing her voices in his head. He was then diagnosed with schizophrenia. He has been repeatedly denied parole from prison, most recently in 2018.
Vincent van Gogh
Hallucinations, including hearing, are a common symptom of schizophrenia. Some scholars say Van Gogh’s behavior may have been the result of this disorder. According to one version, Van Gogh, during an argument with another artist Paul Gauguin, heard someone say in his ear: «Kill him.» Instead, Van Gogh took a knife and cut off part of his own ear. Some psychiatrists think he may have had depression or bipolar disorder instead.