Great Authors and Suicide

Some of the greatest writers in history have committed suicide. Perhaps, with more understanding of these authors and their lives, we can get a better understanding to why these horrific acts occurred.

On July 2, 1961, Ernest Hemingway killed himself with a shotgun to the head. With several failed divorces and problems with alcohol, he sank into a deep depression. To add to his list of problems, his father, brother and sister had killed themselves. It was said that in his later life he became a hypochondriac. In the early 60's he developed paranoid delusions and soon after was admitted to the Mayo Clinic where he received shock treatments. After these treatments his memory was damaged and he no longer had the desire to write. For most of his life there were no signs of mental illness. It was at the end that those around him knew how deeply troubled he really was.

Virginia Woolf drowned herself on March 28, 1941. Often hearing voices and seeing visions, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She spent time in nursing homes during her most manic episodes. She referred to herself as "mad" further stating that her brain never rested. It was in the 1930's that Woolf began writing about suicide and death in her essays and stories. Suffering from migraines and lack of sleep, she fell into a deep depression. She was frustrated with the publication she was working on during this time. With a doctor's just one day before her death, neither the doctor nor her husband suspected that suicide would follow.

Because of their status, we often put celebrities in a category of having perfect lives. By studying the life and later suicides of these people, we learn that they have personal and health issues just like the rest of us.