Random Historical Figures Who Struggled With Depression (10 items)

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  (#3) Virginia Woolf

  • Dec. at 59 (1882-1941)

  In June 1922, Virginia Woolf’s psychiatrist, George Savage, told the writer to have three of her teeth removed because he believed her mental illness was caused by an infection in her mouth. He also believed a fever she had been enduring all summer was caused by a problem with her teeth. Wolfe was forced to wear false teeth, and she wrote about the experience in her diary:

  The depression of a return from Rodmell is always acute. Perhaps this continued temperature – I have lost three teeth in vain – may be some sort of cause for my ups & downs. Yet the days at Rodmell passed smoothly.

  Some experts believe she was manic depressive. On at least one occasion she referred to her depression as the "glooms" and believed the only way she could go on in life was by writing.

  She struggled with doctors' misdiagnoses for years, which may have caused her to refuse medical treatment when she had a mental breakdown in 1941. Her husband was able to persuade her to see a doctor, but Woolfe drowned herself the following morning. She was 59.
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  (#5) Franz Kafka

  • Dec. at 41 (1883-1924)

  Franz Kafka is most known for his story Metamorphosis. He was a very intelligent man who spent much of his time alone due to social anxiety. He also battled depression. It's speculated that he became depressed after a bout with tuberculosis. He was reportedly a hypochondriac who had migraines, boils, and insomnia brought on by the stress of his writing. Kafka's father was verbally abusive, and his fiancee eventually left him because she had a difficult time dealing with his moodiness. Writing and exercise, such as swimming and hiking, helped lift his spirits.
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  (#6) Georgia O'Keeffe

  • Dec. at 99 (1887-1986)

  In the late 1920s, Georgia O'Keeffe's self-esteem plummeted when she found out her husband cheated on her with a much younger woman. She was briefly hospitalized for depression but over time fought off anxiety and insomnia. O'Keeffe described her awakening in a letter to her husband, writing, "I am not sick anymore. Everything in me begins to move."

  She channeled her energy into her work and used the Southwest for inspiration. She moved to New Mexico and created mesmerizing landscapes following her short stint at a mental health facility.
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  (#7) Isaac Newton

  • Dec. at 84 (1643-1727)

  Sir Isaac Newton had a nervous breakdown in 1693, although it's unclear whether it was mental illness or a result of his experimentation with mercury. He reportedly tasted his experiments in over 100 instances, though many dismissed the theory that he had mercury poisoning because the symptoms did not fit.

  According to one scholar, Newton did exhibit several symptoms of depression, including insomnia, withdrawal from close friends, loss of appetite, and the belief that his friends were against him. Other experts think Newton suffered from manic depression. His childhood has also been noted as a possible contributor to his fragile mental state. His father died when he was three months old, and his mother left him from ages three to 11. After Newton recovered from his breakdown, he gave up his science career and became Warden, and then Master, of the Mint.
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  (#8) William Tecumseh Sherman

  • Dec. at 71 (1820-1891)

  During the first year of the Civil War, General William Tecumseh Sherman was struggling from depression and requested to be relieved of duty. He returned home to his wife Ellen in order to recharge.  His wife told her brother-in-law that Sherman was suffering from "melancholy insanity." In his own words, Sherman wrote that he struggled as a commander and considered suicide. Five weeks after he left his post, the wire services blared, "General William T. Sherman Insane," which almost ruined his reputation. Sherman lacked confidence, battled insomnia, and lost his appetite. Some have speculated he suffered from manic depression. 

  But Sherman got a second chance and was given a command under General Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. He bravely led his men into battle, and the event boosted his confidence as well as his morale. His heroic efforts and recognition from others pulled him out of the depression that had plagued his life.
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  (#10) Charles Dickens

  • Dec. at 58 (1812-1870)

  Famed author Charles Dickens suffered from suffered from bipolar disorder - then known as manic depression. It's said that whenever the Tale of Two Cities author began a new project, he slid into a new bout of depression. His mood only increased the closer he got to finishing.

  Many believe that his depression also contributed to him leaving his wife - and mother to their 10 children - for an 18-year-old actress named Nelly Ternan.

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