Van gogh depression
Bipolar, Schizophrenia, or Something Else?
More than a century after his passing, researchers are still trying to unravel the mystery of the legendary painter’s mental health.
Share on PinterestA visitor looks the painting ‘Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear (Autoportrait a l’oreille bandee)’ (1889) by Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh during the press visit of the exhibition ‘The Courtauld Collection: A Vision for Impressionism’ at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris on February 15, 2019. – The exhibition, running from February 20 to June 17, 2019, presents the collection of the British industrialist and art patron Samuel Courtauld. The collection, one of the most significative of Impressionist painters, is shown in Paris for the first time in 60 years. (Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION – TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images)
Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh is one of the most influential and celebrated artists of all time. But among mental health experts, his life and legacy hold a different significance.
Arguably one of the most famous examples of an artist who experienced public challenges with mental illness, most experts agree that van Gogh lived with psychosis in some form.
But psychosis is a symptom of other disorders, not a diagnosis in itself.
The question of what condition the artist may have had has been the subject of speculation for decades. Doctors, psychologists, and historians alike have tried — and largely failed — to come to a consensus.
In 2016, Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum hosted a symposium of 35 psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, doctors, and art historians to debate van Gogh’s possible diagnoses. Experts examined van Gogh’s life and mental health using evidence from his:
- paintings and artwork
- writings
- personal documents
Though the discussion of van Gogh’s mental health may never be settled, researchers believe they’re closer than ever to pinpointing mental health conditions the artistic genius may have lived with.
Born to a poor family in the Netherlands in 1853, van Gogh became seriously interested in art at the age of 15 when he began working at his uncle’s art dealership. By his 20s, van Gogh was painting regularly.
Despite his renown today, van Gogh did not see success as an artist in his lifetime, and largely lived in poverty.
Van Gogh experienced a breakdown at age 20 after the woman he loved rejected his marriage proposal. But it wasn’t until his 30s that his mental health took a dramatic downturn.
On December 23, 1888, van Gogh famously cut off his own ear after an argument with his friend and roommate, Paul Gauguin. Less than 2 years later on July 29, 1890, van Gogh died at age 37 as a result of injuries from a self-inflicted gunshot wound he sustained 2 days earlier.
Since then, many medical and psychological theories attempted to explain what van Gogh may have experienced.
Van Gogh chronicled many of his mental health symptoms in the letters he wrote.
His symptoms were also described in the official register at the Saint-Rémy asylum where Van Gogh admitted himself in 1889.
Some of the psychiatric symptoms the artist likely experienced included:
- hallucinations
- nightmares
- insomnia
- anxiety
- “absent-mindedness,” or memory loss
Van Gogh also experienced physical symptoms, including:
- digestive problems
- erectile dysfunction
- seizures
Documents from the time also suggest that van Gogh periodically went into a “stupor,” described as unresponsiveness. Experts believe it’s possible that this could have been a form of catatonia.
For decades, experts and researchers have offered alternative theories about what conditions van Gogh may have lived with.
Epilepsy
After van Gogh cut off his ear in December 1888, he was diagnosed by his physician with “acute mania with generalized delirium” and “mental epilepsy”. The artist himself reportedly also believed that he had this condition.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition causing abnormal brain activity that can result in seizures.
Epilepsy commonly occurs alongside other mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and can also sometimes cause psychosis.
Bipolar disorder
Because van Gogh reportedly experienced periods of high energy and productivity, often followed by episodes of depression and extreme fatigue, many experts have theorized that the artist lived with bipolar disorder.
In a 2020 analysis of van Gogh’s mental health, three art historians concluded that he most likely developed bipolar disorder as a young adult. In addition to extreme shifts in mood, bipolar disorder can also cause other symptoms van Gogh reportedly lived with, including:
- psychosis
- insomnia
- memory problems
Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder that affects a person’s mood and behavior.
In a 2000 analysis, the Dutch psychiatrist Erwin van Meekeren argued that van Gogh likely lived with this disorder. Van Meekeren, who wrote the book “Starry Starry Night: Life and Psychiatric History of Vincent van Gogh,” pointed out that most experts base their diagnoses on van Gogh’s most extreme symptoms.
But according to van Meekeren, van Gogh showed signs of BPD throughout most of his life, including:
- impulsivity
- intense fear of abandonment
- unstable self-image
In a 2020 assessment, experts concluded that although BPD couldn’t necessarily explain van Gogh’s symptoms, it was most likely an underlying cause of another condition for van Gogh, such as bipolar disorder.
Alcohol withdrawal
Many historians and doctors have speculated that van Gogh may have experienced symptoms of alcohol withdrawal due to alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Van Gogh became increasingly dependent on alcohol in the late 1880s, and was forced to quit “cold turkey” during multiple hospital stays between 1888 and 1889.
Findings from a 2020 study showed that van Gogh was diagnosed with “delirium” after one hospital admittance, likely caused in part by alcohol withdrawal.
Researchers argue that the symptoms van Gogh experienced during these years may be signs of alcohol withdrawal, such as:
- hallucinations
- anxiety
- nightmares
- seizures
Schizophrenia
Although van Gogh’s history of mental illness has frequently been associated with schizophrenia over the years, researchers and experts have largely ruled out a possible diagnosis.
Van Gogh’s episodes of psychosis were brief and punctuated by periods of complete recovery. However, people with schizophrenia don’t typically experience this type of periodic remission.
Van Gogh syndrome is an unofficial term for repetitive self-mutilation, inspired by van Gogh’s most infamous episode of self-harm when he cut off his ear in 1888.
However, van Gogh syndrome is not recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5).
Experts are wary of using the term, since the definition of van Gogh syndrome is vague and lacks clear diagnostic markers.
Non-suicidal self-injury disorder
The closest diagnosis to van Gogh syndrome in the DSM-5 is non-suicidal self-injury disorder.
The criteria for this diagnosis are engaging in self-injury for at least 5 days with the intention of bodily harm, but not suicide, and can involve:
- cutting
- hitting or punching oneself
- extreme scratching
- more rarely, self-mutilation
Getting help for a crisis
If you think you or someone you know might have van Gogh syndrome or non-suicidal self-injury disorder, it’s important to seek help from a doctor or therapist immediately.
If you feel like you’re having a mental health emergency, you can:
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish
- Chat with professionals at Lifeline Chat
- Text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741
- Check out Befrienders Worldwide or Suicide Stop if you’re not in the United States and need to find your country’s crisis hotline
If you decide to call an emergency number like 911, ask the operator to send someone trained in mental health, like Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) officers.
Vincent van Gogh’s story is a tragic one. Though considered one of the most influential and important artists of all time, van Gogh endured a deeply challenging life without success, fame, or fortune.
Some connect van Gogh’s legacy of artistic genius with his history of mental health challenges. The various conditions and symptoms the artist may have experienced continues to inspire and mystify experts, researchers, and historians today.
Accurately diagnosing someone no longer living with any condition is impossible. But thanks to letters written by van Gogh himself, as well as documents from his hospital stays and his own artwork, experts are closer than ever to drawing conclusions about his mental health and life.
Though van Gogh was diagnosed with epilepsy in his lifetime, doctors and historians believe the artist may have also lived with:
- bipolar disorder
- borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- substance use disorder (SUD)
It’s likely that van Gogh lived with more than one — or some combination of — these disorders, as many commonly co-occur with each other.
No matter what conditions van Gogh may have had, modern medicine offers far more tools to diagnose and treat mental health disorders. If you think you may be experiencing a mental health disorder, or even a crisis, consider reaching out to a physician or therapist.
Not sure where to begin? Check out Psych Central’s guide to finding mental health support.
Bipolar, Schizophrenia, or Something Else?
More than a century after his passing, researchers are still trying to unravel the mystery of the legendary painter’s mental health.
Share on PinterestA visitor looks the painting ‘Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear (Autoportrait a l’oreille bandee)’ (1889) by Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh during the press visit of the exhibition ‘The Courtauld Collection: A Vision for Impressionism’ at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris on February 15, 2019. – The exhibition, running from February 20 to June 17, 2019, presents the collection of the British industrialist and art patron Samuel Courtauld.
The collection, one of the most significative of Impressionist painters, is shown in Paris for the first time in 60 years. (Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION – TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images)Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh is one of the most influential and celebrated artists of all time. But among mental health experts, his life and legacy hold a different significance.
Arguably one of the most famous examples of an artist who experienced public challenges with mental illness, most experts agree that van Gogh lived with psychosis in some form.
But psychosis is a symptom of other disorders, not a diagnosis in itself.
The question of what condition the artist may have had has been the subject of speculation for decades. Doctors, psychologists, and historians alike have tried — and largely failed — to come to a consensus.
In 2016, Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum hosted a symposium of 35 psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, doctors, and art historians to debate van Gogh’s possible diagnoses. Experts examined van Gogh’s life and mental health using evidence from his:
- paintings and artwork
- writings
- personal documents
Though the discussion of van Gogh’s mental health may never be settled, researchers believe they’re closer than ever to pinpointing mental health conditions the artistic genius may have lived with.
Born to a poor family in the Netherlands in 1853, van Gogh became seriously interested in art at the age of 15 when he began working at his uncle’s art dealership. By his 20s, van Gogh was painting regularly.
Despite his renown today, van Gogh did not see success as an artist in his lifetime, and largely lived in poverty.
Van Gogh experienced a breakdown at age 20 after the woman he loved rejected his marriage proposal. But it wasn’t until his 30s that his mental health took a dramatic downturn.
On December 23, 1888, van Gogh famously cut off his own ear after an argument with his friend and roommate, Paul Gauguin. Less than 2 years later on July 29, 1890, van Gogh died at age 37 as a result of injuries from a self-inflicted gunshot wound he sustained 2 days earlier.
Since then, many medical and psychological theories attempted to explain what van Gogh may have experienced.
Van Gogh chronicled many of his mental health symptoms in the letters he wrote. His symptoms were also described in the official register at the Saint-Rémy asylum where Van Gogh admitted himself in 1889.
Some of the psychiatric symptoms the artist likely experienced included:
- hallucinations
- nightmares
- insomnia
- anxiety
- “absent-mindedness,” or memory loss
Van Gogh also experienced physical symptoms, including:
- digestive problems
- erectile dysfunction
- seizures
Documents from the time also suggest that van Gogh periodically went into a “stupor,” described as unresponsiveness.
Experts believe it’s possible that this could have been a form of catatonia.
For decades, experts and researchers have offered alternative theories about what conditions van Gogh may have lived with.
Epilepsy
After van Gogh cut off his ear in December 1888, he was diagnosed by his physician with “acute mania with generalized delirium” and “mental epilepsy”. The artist himself reportedly also believed that he had this condition.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition causing abnormal brain activity that can result in seizures.
Epilepsy commonly occurs alongside other mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and can also sometimes cause psychosis.
Bipolar disorder
Because van Gogh reportedly experienced periods of high energy and productivity, often followed by episodes of depression and extreme fatigue, many experts have theorized that the artist lived with bipolar disorder.
In a 2020 analysis of van Gogh’s mental health, three art historians concluded that he most likely developed bipolar disorder as a young adult.
In addition to extreme shifts in mood, bipolar disorder can also cause other symptoms van Gogh reportedly lived with, including:
- psychosis
- insomnia
- memory problems
Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder that affects a person’s mood and behavior.
In a 2000 analysis, the Dutch psychiatrist Erwin van Meekeren argued that van Gogh likely lived with this disorder. Van Meekeren, who wrote the book “Starry Starry Night: Life and Psychiatric History of Vincent van Gogh,” pointed out that most experts base their diagnoses on van Gogh’s most extreme symptoms.
But according to van Meekeren, van Gogh showed signs of BPD throughout most of his life, including:
- impulsivity
- intense fear of abandonment
- unstable self-image
In a 2020 assessment, experts concluded that although BPD couldn’t necessarily explain van Gogh’s symptoms, it was most likely an underlying cause of another condition for van Gogh, such as bipolar disorder.
Alcohol withdrawal
Many historians and doctors have speculated that van Gogh may have experienced symptoms of alcohol withdrawal due to alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Van Gogh became increasingly dependent on alcohol in the late 1880s, and was forced to quit “cold turkey” during multiple hospital stays between 1888 and 1889. Findings from a 2020 study showed that van Gogh was diagnosed with “delirium” after one hospital admittance, likely caused in part by alcohol withdrawal.
Researchers argue that the symptoms van Gogh experienced during these years may be signs of alcohol withdrawal, such as:
- hallucinations
- anxiety
- nightmares
- seizures
Schizophrenia
Although van Gogh’s history of mental illness has frequently been associated with schizophrenia over the years, researchers and experts have largely ruled out a possible diagnosis.
Van Gogh’s episodes of psychosis were brief and punctuated by periods of complete recovery.
However, people with schizophrenia don’t typically experience this type of periodic remission.
Van Gogh syndrome is an unofficial term for repetitive self-mutilation, inspired by van Gogh’s most infamous episode of self-harm when he cut off his ear in 1888.
However, van Gogh syndrome is not recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). Experts are wary of using the term, since the definition of van Gogh syndrome is vague and lacks clear diagnostic markers.
Non-suicidal self-injury disorder
The closest diagnosis to van Gogh syndrome in the DSM-5 is non-suicidal self-injury disorder.
The criteria for this diagnosis are engaging in self-injury for at least 5 days with the intention of bodily harm, but not suicide, and can involve:
- cutting
- hitting or punching oneself
- extreme scratching
- more rarely, self-mutilation
Getting help for a crisis
If you think you or someone you know might have van Gogh syndrome or non-suicidal self-injury disorder, it’s important to seek help from a doctor or therapist immediately.
If you feel like you’re having a mental health emergency, you can:
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish
- Chat with professionals at Lifeline Chat
- Text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741
- Check out Befrienders Worldwide or Suicide Stop if you’re not in the United States and need to find your country’s crisis hotline
If you decide to call an emergency number like 911, ask the operator to send someone trained in mental health, like Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) officers.
Vincent van Gogh’s story is a tragic one. Though considered one of the most influential and important artists of all time, van Gogh endured a deeply challenging life without success, fame, or fortune.
Some connect van Gogh’s legacy of artistic genius with his history of mental health challenges. The various conditions and symptoms the artist may have experienced continues to inspire and mystify experts, researchers, and historians today.
Accurately diagnosing someone no longer living with any condition is impossible. But thanks to letters written by van Gogh himself, as well as documents from his hospital stays and his own artwork, experts are closer than ever to drawing conclusions about his mental health and life.
Though van Gogh was diagnosed with epilepsy in his lifetime, doctors and historians believe the artist may have also lived with:
- bipolar disorder
- borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- substance use disorder (SUD)
It’s likely that van Gogh lived with more than one — or some combination of — these disorders, as many commonly co-occur with each other.
No matter what conditions van Gogh may have had, modern medicine offers far more tools to diagnose and treat mental health disorders. If you think you may be experiencing a mental health disorder, or even a crisis, consider reaching out to a physician or therapist.
Not sure where to begin? Check out Psych Central’s guide to finding mental health support.
| Gallerix Journal is the official news agency of the online museum Gallerix.ru. Join: Facebook, VkontakteOut daily. Art news: painting, auctions, exhibitions, theatre. Published since 2012. Monday March 6, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page 1 Gallerix Journal, Internet address: gallerix. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10-19% of people with bipolar disorder attempt suicide, 80% of them decide to do so during the depressive phase of the disease. Van Gogh committed suicide at the age of 37 precisely in the depressive phase that followed immediately after the manic. 
.. I'm pretty sure that these pictures tell you what I can't put into words, restoring and stimulating your strength." 
Back in 1884, the Van Gogh brothers agreed among themselves: Theo pays 220 francs a month for Vincent's paintings, plus supplies him with brushes, canvases and paints of the highest quality. By the way, it is precisely because of this that the paintings of Van Gogh, unlike the works of Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin, which, due to lack of money, were painted on anything, are very well preserved. 220 francs is a quarter of the monthly salary of a doctor or lawyer. Van Gogh could not dress properly. He did not care about his health at all and his appearance was very emaciated. He did not do his hair, went unshaven, used swear words in his speech. Despite his good intentions, his love for his cousin Kay Vos turned into tactless behavior. In response to a declaration of love, the girl simply stated: "Never, no, never." Subsequently, Van Gogh assumed financial responsibility for the prostitute Siena and her two sons, although he may not have supported them financially. The artist had troubles with neighbors, sellers and creditors in almost every city where he lived.
Individuals with bipolar disorder are likely to be 15 times more likely to belong to low-income populations. So, brother Theo also paid rent for Van Gogh. 
For example, a three-month crisis (February - April 1890) for this duration of the crisis (more than 2 weeks) may correspond to the category of schizoaffective disorders of the bipolar type. The diagnosis of bipolar schizoaffective disorders is characterized by the fact that during a crisis, psychotic symptoms (depression or hypomania) are not pronounced. There is not enough historical evidence to determine the nature of Van Gogh's psychotic crisis. However, the diagnosis of van Gogh's bipolar-type schizoaffective disorders is possible, since more evidence is in favor of bipolar episodes of a psychotic crisis (affective or schizoaffective) than in favor of pure schizophrenia. 
19th Century Traveling Exhibition Fellowship 
A. S. Pushkin celebrates 100 years since the birth of I.A. Antonova. On Sunday, March 20, 2022, in the center of Moscow, a memorial plaque was installed on the house where Irina Alexandrovna lived, and an updated exposition of the Director's Office hall opened in the Pushkin Museum and a series of concerts dedicated to the memory of I.A. Antonova. A special website has been launched, where a digital archive is collected, telling about the life of Irina Alexandrovna. 
A.S. Pushkin 
If you smiled at Picasso in a museum but frowned at Pollock, new technology could soon track your facial expressions to judge the artist's popularity. The researchers presented trials of artificial intelligence camera systems in three Italian museums, aimed at evaluating the response to individual works of art. The technology, which can read five facial expressions - happy, sad, neutral, surprised or angry - has been in trials for three weeks in Rome, Bologna and Parma. 
org. Receive new issues by email: subscribe.ru Dutch psychiatrists diagnosed Van Gogh0002
Posteed November 5, 2020, 15:20
Publined November 5, 2020, 15:20
Modified December 25, 2022, 16:53
Updated December 25, 2022, 16:53
November 5, 15:20
In their study, the experts tried to shed light on the mental health of Vincent van Gogh and the reasons for his suicide
Plot
Health
Irina Ziganshina
In an article on the mental health of the brilliant artist, published in the International Journal of Bipolars , psychiatrists list such problems that he had as bipolar disorder, withdrawal symptoms, depression and epilepsy, reports The Guardian.
Vincent van Gogh died on July 29, 1890, two days after he shot himself in the stomach with a revolver while working on location in the fields. Since then, many medical and psychological hypotheses have been put forward as to what led the artist to attempt suicide.
Dutch researchers, led by Professor of Psychiatry Willem Nolen from the University of Groningen, presented a scientific overview of Van Gogh's mental problems and his most likely diagnoses. To do this, they carefully studied the correspondence of the artist - 902 letters, 820 of which were written to his brother Theo and other relatives, and interviewed by three art historians considered Van Gogh experts.
Van Gogh's self-portrait, kept in the National Museum in Oslo, is considered by the authors of a new study to be one of the few evidences of the artist's severe mental problems.
In his youth, scientists believe, the artist probably developed bipolar disorder with signs of borderline personality disorder. Alcohol use combined with malnutrition worsened his condition, then psychosocial problems were added to this. Together, this led to a crisis that resulted in the ear cutting incident. After that, from December 1888 to May 1889year, Van Gogh was hospitalized three times in Arles, after which he was transferred to the hospital of Saint-Remy-de-Provence.
During his hospitalizations, Van Gogh wrote in letters of "unbearable hallucinations", anxiety, and nightmares. “Mental or nervous fever or madness,” he wrote of his condition, “I don’t know exactly how to say about it and what word to call it.”
Researchers suggest that these symptoms were related to the forced withdrawal from alcohol. Two episodes of delirium associated with withdrawal were accompanied by a severe depression from which Van Gogh never recovered, and this eventually led to his suicide.
“Those who consume large amounts of alcohol in combination with malnutrition are at risk of impaired brain function, including psychiatric problems,” the researchers write. “Furthermore, stopping abruptly when drinking excessively can lead to withdrawal symptoms, including delirium.
It is therefore likely that at least the first case of brief psychosis in Arles, which occurred immediately after the ear incident, in which he probably stopped drinking abruptly, was in fact an alcohol withdrawal delirium.
Only later, in Saint-Remy, when he was forced to reduce alcohol to a minimum or even completely give up alcohol, did he manage to solve this problem, and then he no longer had withdrawal symptoms.
Dutch researchers have debunked several popular theories about Van Gogh's mental health, including that he was schizophrenic, saying he didn't show symptoms like an emotional breakdown. They also suggest that Van Gogh was unlikely to have syphilis, although he was treated for gonorrhea, and Theo, according to some sources, died six months after the death of his brother precisely from this infection. In the papers of Van Gogh's doctors, scientists did not find any hints of syphilis.
However, according to the researchers, in the last months of his life, the artist could suffer from another disease - temporal lobe epilepsy, which led to "a very shaky state of mind, when anxiety, delirium and hallucinations succeeded each other."
The scientists summarize their research as follows: “Despite all these problems that contributed to illness, we would like to emphasize that Van Gogh was not only a great and very influential artist, but also an intelligent person with great willpower, stamina and perseverance.
