The article explores the psychological struggles of Vincent van Gogh, particularly attributing his hallucinations and mood swings to factors like alcohol abuse, epilepsy, and nutritional deficiencies. Van Gogh's reliance on absinthe, a drink associated with creativity among artists, ironically contributed to his mental health decline, as it contains thujone, linked to seizures and hallucinations. Historical analyses of his medical conditions suggest that modern treatments could have alleviated his psychiatric symptoms, offering insight into how his genius was intertwined with madness.
In the dimly lit cafés of 19th-century France, absinthe was more than a drink; it was an obsession. Artists, poets, and dreamers chased its otherworldly effects, believing it unlocked creativity. But what many did not realize was that this emerald-green liquor carried a hidden neurotoxic secret: Absinthe contained thujone, a compound known to cause seizures, hallucinations, and disordered thinking.
The American Journal of Psychiatry reviewed van Gogh's medical history and found striking similarities between his symptoms and alcohol-induced psychotic disorder—a condition marked by auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia, and violent agitation.
Collection
[
|
...
]