8 historical figures who suffered from depression

Despite a large number of historical figures who suffered from depression, this did not prevent them from achieving great achievements or carry out your dreams. From abolishing slavery to writing great novels or inspiring joy in others, whatever it was, they were able to observe and transmit light despite being in darkness.

Next we will talk about how some of those historical figures who suffered from depression They were able to extract the strength, motivation and energy necessary to leave their mark on society.. Let’s dig deeper.

1- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States of America, battled depression throughout his life.. At that time this mood disorder was known as melancholy and this is how his contemporaries described him: as an extremely melancholic person with a severe expression. But it was this disorder that gave him the courage necessary to become one of the most emblematic figures of the American Civil War.

Lincoln’s depression was sometimes accompanied by panic attacks, especially since he began practicing law in Illinois. It is now known, by studying his family tree, that The Lincoln family was prone to depression. But what triggered a great depressive period for Lincoln was a great love, the death of his sister and a close friend.

2- Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

The renowned writer of horror stories suffered from depression and alcoholism. Many of his stories were inspired by tragic experiences that marked his life. She was also a victim of constant nightmares and hallucinations that were present throughout her life. In fact, the French poet Charles Baudelaire wrote that Poe was born marked by the sign of misfortune.

His father left the family when he was one year old and shortly after his mother died of tuberculosis. Poe and his brothers were orphaned. His older brother was adopted by his grandparents and his little sister and he by two friendly couples.

Edgar received an education at one of the best schools in the United States and soon showed signs of his great ability as a writer. Also He showed impulsive behavior and an irritable attitude along with excessive alcohol consumption. In fact, alcoholism along with the consumption of other drugs led to his early death at the age of 40.

Nevertheless, The deep states of depression and the fluctuation of his mood led him to overflowing creativity.e thanks to which he could spend hours and hours writing, according to himself.

3- Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

He was one of the greatest English writers of all time. Some of his best-known works are Oliver Tweets and Christmas song.

Charles Dickens had a very happy public life, but a private and personal life full of deep unhappiness, fruit of a low state of mind. Some of his acquaintances claimed that a deep sadness came over him from time to time.

4- Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

The Russian writer and critic dealt with severe depression in the last stage of his life, according to research by several psychologists and psychiatrists.

After writing War and peace plunged into a period of deep depression, and when it ends Anna Karenina He hit rock bottom, according to his family and friends. He had thoughts about death and the possibility that after he died nothing existed. Some time before he died of pneumonia at the Astapovo railway station he left his house and begged around.

5- Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, referred to his depression as the black dog. However, the diagnosis of his disorder was made by his family doctor after knowing and analyzing his depressive periods, mania, suicidal thoughts and insomnia.

Churchill spoke openly about his depressive condition. In many letters and articles he wrote he described how the light faded and darkness reigned in certain periods of his life. He also went on to explain how he dealt with his depression through creativity: writing, painting and DIY.

6- Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)

She was the most outstanding writer of the 20th century. According to diagnoses by several psychologists, Wolf He suffered from depression and bipolar disorder, which are reflected in his literary work. and in some of his letters, and were the causes of his internment on several occasions.

According to some research carried out, The times in which he experienced the strongest crises coincided with the completion of his novels.. Although the worsening of his mood began after the deaths of his mother, his sister – two years later – and his father.

Virginia Woolf constantly struggled with depression, but eventually He committed suicide on March 28, 1941. He threw himself into the River Ouse with a coat full of stones.

7- Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

The eccentric and famous writer suffered from depression, as some experts claim. Later, he was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and narcissism.

Due to his severe depression, Hemingway tried to recover with electroshock therapy, but this caused significant cognitive impairment that made it difficult for him to write. On the other hand, he also turned to alcohol to alleviate his suffering. This situation, together with his low state of mind, prompted him to commit suicide in 1961 at the age of 61.

8- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

The passionate and expressive political leader who defended civil rights his entire life also suffered from depression from a young age.. As a teenager he experienced several depressive episodes, two of which led to suicide attempts, due to the death of his grandmother.

Luther King also suffered some depressive episodes when he served as a political activist. However, it is true that he opposed psychiatric help at all times.

As we see, despite the fact that all these historical figures who suffered from depression during, They were individuals who somehow changed the world. Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe did so through literature, while Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln did so through politics.

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