Famous People with Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, the mysterious mental illness often characterized by hallucinations or delusions, is not simply a condition that affects average people. Many famous people with schizophrenia have been documented throughout recent history, including such people as former musician Syd Barrett, drummer James Beck Gordon, and professional football  player Lionel Aldridge.

Schizophrenia is a difficult illness to diagnose, at times appearing like several other mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder. Such was the case with former musician and painter Syd Barrett, who many sources supposed suffered from schizophrenia. Syd was a musician and songwriter for Pink Floyd, mostly contributing and writing the majority of their first album released in 1967, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. His bandmates recall numerous occasions when Syd behaved bizarrely, though this was often attributed to his use of the drug LSD. Subsequently, he was dropped from the band due to his inability to work together with the rest of the band. However, over time, concerns for his mental health increased due to his almost complete isolation in Cambridge, England. He never had contact with the band Pink Floyd after 1975, and died in 2006 of pancreatic cancer.

Of all the famous people with schizophrenia, James Beck Gordon's life is possibly the most disturbing. As a prolific recording session drummer in the 1960s and 1970s, James Beck Gordon enjoyed success as he recorded the drums for bands like the Beach Boys, The Byrds, and for artist Frank Zappa. However, his musical career deteriorated by the late 70s, and he began to experience symptoms classically attributed to schizophrenia, including his mother's voice in his head. Despite these concerns, doctors attributed his ailments as being due to alcohol abuse. Horrifyingly, his illness culminated in the murder of his own mother in 1983, an act for which he was imprisoned despite his apparent insanity. He still remains imprisoned to this day without proper psychiatric treatment.

Former football great Lionel Aldridge is another of the unfortunate famous people with schizophrenia. Aldridge was a defensive end on the Green Bay Packers during their historic victories in Super Bowls I and II. He retired from football in the early 70s and was working as a sports analyst when he began experiencing traits indicative of one of the types of schizophrenia, paranoid schizophrenia. His life afterward was never quite the same, though he did eventually receive treatment. He died in 1998.

Like anyone with schizophrenia, famous people with schizophrenia suffer from this debillitating illness immensely. With treatment, some individuals can live a relatively quiet life, but such is not always the case. If you would like to discuss famous people with schizophrenia, please register and participate in the BetterMentally.com message board.