How many Famous Authors have committed suicide and to what is the common motivation for them to do so?

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joyannj | 3 years ago

Research suggests that there is a strong connections between manic depression and creative types, whether it be writers, musicians or artists. This is sometimes known as the "Sylvia Plath Effect."

According to a professor of psychiatry at John Hopkins University, writers were between 10 and 20 times more likely to suffer from depressive disorders such as manic depression. Other research shows that in a 'mild' manic state, a person with this type of mental illness will think quickly and be more creative. In contrast, during an episode of depression, a person will be more self-critical and obsession.

According to the NMHA, between 30% and 70% of people who commit suicide have suffered some form of depression.

source(s):
http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov03/plath.html
http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-disorder-suicidehttp://www.ny...

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wdawe | 3 years ago

Famous is a debatable point. Wikipedia list 286 authors who committed suicide, they are famous enough for someone to make a Wikipedia page for them.

Common motivation? I don't think we'll ever know but they all probably felt that they couldn't bear the pain of their lives anymore.

source(s):
http://student.valpo.edu/kbetzolt/portfolio/Famous%20Authors_files/frame.ht...
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Writers_who_committed_su...

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thekid | 3 years ago

One of the more famous ones I can think of is Ernest Hemingway. He shot himself with a shotgun just 3 weeks before his 62nd birthday. They say he was suffering from manic depression and received lots of electroshock therapy which he later blamed for his memory loss. Some people think it was a condition in his bloodline called Haemochromatosis or bronze diabetes. It causes an excess build-up of iron in the blood and causes damage to the pancreas and also results in depression. Sadly his father, two siblings and his granddaughter also committed suicide which is why some think it was passed down in his bloodline.

http://i44.tinypic.com/ekkkck.jpg

source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway#Suicide

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spideybolt | 3 years ago

Roughly 70 authors have killed themselves. Many of the common characteristics of these authors is that they have a form of a mental illness, because of this they could commit suicide. Many of the most intelligent people have some form of mental illness which the stuggle with.

source(s):
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/373904/famous_writers_who_killed_t...

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