Brian's problem's...again

[Paul J B]

Sorry to bring it up but all the recent publicity is stirring up the "now what's wrong" stuff again from people that know I'm a lifelong fan. "He has some mental issues" I respond. People seem to get it when I explain that he's always talked out of his mouth corner thing, or that he hates interviews so he barley even phones it in anymore. But when it comes to what clinically he has been diagnosed with I'm never quite clear myself. Much of what has been written or speculated upon was Landy type driven B.S. as far as I'm concerned. It would be nice to have a simple truthful answer when people press me on this stuff.

My apologies in advance for those who are tired of these topics. However, the question from the casual fan is legit. Most people just want an understanding of what's going on with Brian, a compassionate frame of reference so to speak.

[anazgnos]

Tell them he has a set of lingering neurological symptoms from having been over-medicated with heavy psych drugs in the 80s.  Is that concise enough?

[Mikie]

Pick one:

1. Schizoaffective disorder
2. Manic-depressive
3. Tardive dyskinesia

[Wirestone]

What Mikie said. The second probably expressed itself first, then shaded into the first as the years wore by (mental illness definitions are oftentimes more for the convenience of doctors than a reflection of what actually happens to real people). The third was a byproduct of overmedication and has largely receded.

[Paul J B]

So it's all of the above, and factual based on......?

Not trying to be a jerk, but this stuff ALWAYS comes up when the Boys start getting some heavy media attention. I've had my sister and a co-worker ask just since the Sunday morning thing aired the other day. I'm as tired of it as anyone, despite bringing it up. I'd just like my response's from this point forward to be the truth and not speculation or misinformation.

[jwoverho]

I don't know if its easily explained or not, but it seems Landy's chemical abuse of Brian in the early 90's did more damage than anything else. Find an interview of Brian from '76-77 and compare it to almost anything from the 90's. Brian seemed lucid and very self-aware during his first "comback", but there are some heartbreaking interviews from the 90's that makes Brian's current state almost a miracle. If Landy had continued his "treatment", Brian might not even be here today. I don't even want to legitimize Landy with derogatory terms.

Brian is a true survivor.

[Heysaboda]

Paul,

There have been a couple of good responses already.  And there is some interesting info here on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Wilson

I understand the reasons for the questions, but the answer is complicated.

[Justin]

At this point though, how much is age factored into Brian's current state?  He's nearing 70...surely, that has a lot to do with his current behavior/appearance in addition to the conditions (as mentioned above) that he still continues to fight?

[Runaways]

At this point though, how much is age factored into Brian's current state?  He's nearing 70...surely, that has a lot to do with his current behavior/appearance in addition to the conditions (as mentioned above) that he still continues to fight?

we can compare him to other 70 year olds without Brian's issues to see if age has "a lot do with it"

[18thofMay]

Han Solo looks good for his age

[jimmy1949]

I think after 2 days off Brian may do better at the next couple of shows. He's never looked thrilled on stage so maybe a lot of this is over-played. some of these photos show a pretty happy fellow. Hell if we all walked around with a bigass smile all the time we'd be locked up.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I've often wondered if Brian has undiagnosed Asperger's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergers

[Runaways]

Han Solo looks good for his age

he's indiana jones first in my book

[endofposts]

I'd recommend the documentary on Roky Erickson of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators for people interested in Brian's saga, because Roky's life was somewhat similar, though Roky had far less money (which was both a bad and good thing).  Roky had similar problems to Brian (mental illness and drug use), though I think his were at least somewhat worse.  Roky also spent time in state mental hospitals where he was medicated heavily.  His brother had to fight to get control of his treatment and weaned him off the heavy medications he was given for his schizoaffective illness.  Roky actually improved when he got off the medications.  Age is also a factor, because in many cases, people with those types of problems get better over the years naturally.  Roky now tours when for years he was not doing anything.  He's still eccentric but seems to be doing okay now. 

[Wirestone]

Read this: It's Brian and Melinda on Larry King about eight years ago.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0408/20/lkl.00.html

Basically, what Melinda and Brian say outright is that he has severe, ongoing depression that occasionally manifests as auditory hallucinations.

The actual story is probably a bit more complicated (Brian's constant tales of 20-minute songwriting binges finishing entire songs in 20 minute bursts seem a bit manic, and the tardive dykensia thing has been covered at length) but that's something simple to tell people.

"Brian and his wife said he has severe depression and hears voices. He takes a few drugs to level out the symptoms."

[lance]

20 minute songwriting binges? That doesnt sound too manic, to be honest.

[Wirestone]

20 minute songwriting binges? That doesnt sound too manic, to be honest.

Sorry, will edit. I meant that he constantly claims to have finished an entire song, "like that," in 20 minutes.

[Runaways]

20 minute songwriting binges? That doesnt sound too manic, to be honest.

Sorry, will edit. I meant that he constantly claims to have finished an entire song, "like that," in 20 minutes.

i always saw this as just him feeding his legend.  Not for his ego, but because that's what people like to hear.  Carl used to do it for him too.

[Mikie]

I remember an interview back in the 90's, I think it was with Diane Sawyer, where his face got real contorted. He told her that sometimes he saw the Devil in the showerhead.

[anazgnos]

His brother had to fight to get control of his treatment and weaned him off the heavy medications he was given for his schizoaffective illness. 

I think that's actually precisely backwards...His brother was fighting to get him away from their mother, who was preventing him from seeing any doctors or being medicated in any way.  It's generally thought that his return to music has a lot to do with his getting back into medical and psychiatric treatment and getting on to a medication regime that works for him.

Roky's institutionalization in the 70s may have messed him up pretty badly as well, but it was also somewhat seperate from what he was going through later in life with his mom.

[Dunderhead]

20 minute songwriting binges? That doesnt sound too manic, to be honest.

Sorry, will edit. I meant that he constantly claims to have finished an entire song, "like that," in 20 minutes.

There's nothing that strange about that. It's just inspiration. Some artists draft and redraft at great length, some just run right through a song in a few moments. Schubert could write down upwards of 10 songs in a single day with few if any revisions needed along the way.

[The Heartical Don]

20 minute songwriting binges? That doesnt sound too manic, to be honest.

It does when all 20 minute binges are about finishing different versions of 'Shortenin' Bread', it does.

[Autotune]

I remember an interview back in the 90's, I think it was with Diane Sawyer, where his face got real contorted. He told her that sometimes he saw the Devil in the showerhead.

Well, supposedly he was talking about the past in that interview.

[endofposts]

His brother had to fight to get control of his treatment and weaned him off the heavy medications he was given for his schizoaffective illness.  

I think that's actually precisely backwards...His brother was fighting to get him away from their mother, who was preventing him from seeing any doctors or being medicated in any way.  It's generally thought that his return to music has a lot to do with his getting back into medical and psychiatric treatment and getting on to a medication regime that works for him.

Roky's institutionalization in the 70s may have messed him up pretty badly as well, but it was also somewhat seperate from what he was going through later in life with his mom.

There is a follow-up story in the DVD in which Roky's brother Sumner said he no longer believed in the concept of mental illness or psychiatry.  He had Roky taken off of medications (that was elaborated on in some interviews that were given around the time of the DVD release).  When the brother first got a conservatorship of Roky, he brought him in for medical care, including getting him on medications.  After living with Roky for a couple of years, he decided Roky would be better off without the meds.  I'm not sure what made him change his mind, whether it was the side effects outweighing the benefits of the meds or maybe Sumner got into some religion like Scientology.  In any case, Sumner also had himself removed as conservator, after Roky stopped taking medications, learned to drive again, and began living independently.

[Mikie]