Description of Symptoms
Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys front man, suffered from a variety of psychological symptoms for many years. He was originally diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, but later in his life this diagnosis changed. His psychotic symptoms began in 1963 when he reported hearing indistinct voices in his sleep. Eventually these unclear auditory hallucinations turned into comprehendible speech, and in 2004 Wilson said that when he experienced the voices, they would threaten to kill him and his family. Wilson also suffered from delusions. The first occurred in 1964 when he believed one of his bandmates was having an affair with his wife. Over time his delusions and behavior deepened and become more extreme and unusual. Important …show more content…
There are reports from himself as well as others that he went through periods of low mood and disinterest in activities that he typically enjoyed, such as writing music. He also went through a period lasting about two years that is classified as a major depressive episode. He slept or stayed in bed for most of the day, had an expansion in appetite (he gained over 100 pounds during these two years), and had suicidal ideation. Wilson also went through periods of time in his life during which he had hypomanic symptoms. He would stay awake for long periods of time, was highly productive and goal-motivated in his activities, and made rash business decisions.
Comorbidity
After Wilson underwent many psychiatric evaluations between the years 1992 and 1994, the diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and mild bipolarity was made with the primary diagnosis being schizoaffective disorder. There were several problems when diagnosing Wilson due to the heterogeneity of his symptoms. It was difficult for a single professional to assign a definite diagnosis so the computer program Opcrit v4.0 was used. The results from this program indicated that per DSM-IIR, DSM-IV, and RDC Wilson had schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type.
Contributing …show more content…
It is known that Wilson occasionally used LSD which is speculated to have a negative connection with schizophrenic episodes, but the date of his first use is unknown. Therefore, it cannot be determined if LSD use had any impact on his symptoms of hallucinations and delusions. Wilson was also a frequent user of marijuana which is known to be a risk factor for psychosis in those who already have predispositions towards psychological disorders, and Wilson’s genetic predisposition towards mental disorders was previously discussed. Another predisposition exists as well. Later in his life, Wilson reported that he had auditory hallucinations prior to 1963, but they were not unpleasant. He reported that he had experienced musical hallucinations for as long as he could remember. This was confirmed by his bandmates and other musicians he worked with. They started that the parts Wilson wrote for them often made little sense before they were heard in a full arrangement. Wilson claimed he would hear the completed songs in his head before they were performed which allowed his to write this music that baffled
Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys front man, suffered from a variety of psychological symptoms for many years. He was originally diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, but later in his life this diagnosis changed. His psychotic symptoms began in 1963 when he reported hearing indistinct voices in his sleep. Eventually these unclear auditory hallucinations turned into comprehendible speech, and in 2004 Wilson said that when he experienced the voices, they would threaten to kill him and his family. Wilson also suffered from delusions. The first occurred in 1964 when he believed one of his bandmates was having an affair with his wife. Over time his delusions and behavior deepened and become more extreme and unusual. Important …show more content…
There are reports from himself as well as others that he went through periods of low mood and disinterest in activities that he typically enjoyed, such as writing music. He also went through a period lasting about two years that is classified as a major depressive episode. He slept or stayed in bed for most of the day, had an expansion in appetite (he gained over 100 pounds during these two years), and had suicidal ideation. Wilson also went through periods of time in his life during which he had hypomanic symptoms. He would stay awake for long periods of time, was highly productive and goal-motivated in his activities, and made rash business decisions.
Comorbidity
After Wilson underwent many psychiatric evaluations between the years 1992 and 1994, the diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and mild bipolarity was made with the primary diagnosis being schizoaffective disorder. There were several problems when diagnosing Wilson due to the heterogeneity of his symptoms. It was difficult for a single professional to assign a definite diagnosis so the computer program Opcrit v4.0 was used. The results from this program indicated that per DSM-IIR, DSM-IV, and RDC Wilson had schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type.
Contributing …show more content…
It is known that Wilson occasionally used LSD which is speculated to have a negative connection with schizophrenic episodes, but the date of his first use is unknown. Therefore, it cannot be determined if LSD use had any impact on his symptoms of hallucinations and delusions. Wilson was also a frequent user of marijuana which is known to be a risk factor for psychosis in those who already have predispositions towards psychological disorders, and Wilson’s genetic predisposition towards mental disorders was previously discussed. Another predisposition exists as well. Later in his life, Wilson reported that he had auditory hallucinations prior to 1963, but they were not unpleasant. He reported that he had experienced musical hallucinations for as long as he could remember. This was confirmed by his bandmates and other musicians he worked with. They started that the parts Wilson wrote for them often made little sense before they were heard in a full arrangement. Wilson claimed he would hear the completed songs in his head before they were performed which allowed his to write this music that baffled