Q & A – Famous people with severe mental illness?

It is important to note that mental illness does not necessarily lead to dangerous behavior. However, there have been instances where individuals with mental illness have committed dangerous acts. Here are some examples of famous individuals who have been diagnosed with mental illness and have been involved in dangerous behavior:

1. Ted Bundy: A notorious American serial killer who murdered at least 30 young women between 1974 and 1978. Bundy was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder.
2. John Hinckley Jr.: Hinckley attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981 in an attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
3. Andrea Yates: Yates drowned her five children in the bathtub in 2001. She was diagnosed with postpartum depression and psychosis.
4. Jeffrey Dahmer: An American serial killer and sex offender who murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. Dahmer was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and alcoholism.
5. Virginia Woolf: A renowned British writer who suffered from bipolar disorder and committed suicide by drowning in 1941.

It is important to note that mental illness does not necessarily lead to dangerous behavior, and individuals with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of it. It is also important to recognize that these individuals are exceptions rather than the norm, and that the vast majority of people with mental illness do not pose a danger to themselves or others.

 © Linda C J Turner