The Faces of Mental Illness: Ludwig van Beethoven

[merrr]

Ludwig van Beethoven, composer, had bipolar disorder which some have said gave him such creative power that his compositions broke the mold for classical music forever.

He was a child prodigy which his father tried to exploit. His “manic” episodes seemed to fuel his creativity. He wrote his most famous works during times of torment, loneliness, and suffering psychotic delusions.
It took him 12 years to finish his last and 8th Symphony in total deafness. He then medicated himself with the only drugs available in that day to bring some relief –opium and alcohol- and died several years later of liver disease.

[bumblebee23]

A lot of people who have mental illness self medicate with alcohol and drugs because they don't understand what is happening to them and they are trying to find releif from the pain.

That's what happened to me. I was so young I didn't understand why I was feeling the way I was feeling and I started drinking heavily and smoking pot to numb myself to the constant pain of my depression. I started drinking at the age of 14 I beleive. Mental illness doesn't only affect adults it affects children too. Watch for signs in kids and if you think they need to see someone there are great child physcologists out there!