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The world lost a music icon on Wednesday when Brian Wilson, one of the founding members of the Beach Boys, passed away. But while his music is known and celebrated around the world, Brian Wilson’s mental health struggles remain widely misunderstood.
Wilson was a visionary who created groundbreaking and influential music, such as the album Pet Sounds, released in 1966, that featured unconventional instrumentation and innovative production techniques.
Pet Sounds was the acknowledged inspiration for the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Behind the scenes, though, the musical genius and rock icon was tormented in both body and mind.
A Lifelong Fight for Sobriety and Mental Health
Although the family didn’t release a cause of death, it was well-known that the celebrated musician dealt with lifelong health issues that included addiction and significant mental illness. Wilson was placed under a conservatorship due to dementia last year after his wife of almost 30 years, Melinda Ledbetter, died.
At the tender age of 22 in 1965, Wilson began hearing voices, known as auditory hallucinations, which he said were “heroes and villains.” At the time, Wilson eschewed his loved ones’ advice to seek professional help, opting for self medication with alcohol, drugs, and food.
As the band grew in popularity in the 1970s, journalists who interviewed Wilson and many who knew him viewed his behavior as bizarre. It wasn’t until he was older that he received the medical diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder.
An Unexpected Diagnosis: Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizoaffective disorder includes a mix of mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania, with schizophrenia symptoms like delusions and hallucinations.
Schizoaffective disorder presents as two types: Depressive schizoaffective disorder, which includes major depression, and bipolar schizoaffective disorder, which includes severe depression with bouts of hypomania.
Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder vary depending on the type. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the main symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech or thinking, bizarre or unusual behavior, manic behavior, depressive episodes, difficulty functioning in social situations, such as work or school, and a lack of interest in one’s hygiene and appearance.
According to Yale Medicine, schizoaffective disorder is rare, affecting about 0.3% of the population, or three out of 1,000 people over a lifetime.
The iconic Wilson explained in a 2006 interview with ABILITY Magazine that he had fought negative and derogatory voices in his head for 40 years. He further explained that the voices began about a week after taking some psychedelics, which can exacerbate symptoms in people with schizoaffective disorder.
Although Brian Wilson’s mental health proved a lifelong battle, playing instruments, singing loudly, and loving his wife and children as much as possible helped him combat the negative voices in his head.
If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental illness and a co-occurring substance use disorder, there is hope. Reach out today by calling
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