Between the months of 1888, December and 1889, Vincent van Gogh was hospitalized in Arles three times suffering from grave mental disorders. This week, researchers of the UMCG (University Medical Center Groningen) in The Netherlands suggested that Van Gogh’s deliriums could be linked to withdrawal from alcohol.
van Gogh on behalf of Paul Gauguin on 21 January 1889:
“In my nervous or mentally agitated anxiety or rage I’m not sure what to do or what to describe it. My thoughts floated across the oceans.”
It’s difficult to make any conclusions regarding the medical condition of Van Gogh during that time, without having the ability to talk to the man. Fortunately, researchers had access to a huge collection of his letters as well as information from physicians who took care of him such as Dr. Rey.
Van Gogh’s battle with alcohol
Van Gogh’s letters aren’t only an excellent source for researchers to identify signs of diseases that could be caused by. The letters also reveal the way in which Van Gogh was a victim of alchohol.
On the 22nd of July, 1888 Vincent addressed his younger brother Theo:
“..if the storm inside roars too loudly, I sip an excessive amount of water to frighten myself. It’s crazy, in comparison with what one is supposed to be.”
This indicates that prior to the time the time he was admitted to the hospital informed that his alcohol habits was not healthy for him. This was confirmed by the doctor in his letter to Theo on the 24th of March 1889.
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Mr. Rey states that in lieu of eating enough food and exercising regularly, I’ve been sustaining myself through alcohol and coffee. I’m not ashamed of it however, it will be true that I needed to re-energize myself to get to the highest yellow note I hit in the summer.”
Is it a slippery slope?
Not too long after, on the 21st of April, 1889:
“The horrifying superstition that is held by some people regarding alcohol, causing them to insist on themselves not to smoke or drink. We’re already warned not to commit theft or liars and not to commit any other smaller or more serious crime, but it’s too complex if it’s absolute essential not to have any other virtues than those within a culture that is firmly grounded, no matter what, positive or negative.”
Do we think of Van Gogh becoming trapped in the logic of the slope that’s slippery? Thinking like ‘If they prohibit this, then what’s the next thing we’ll know.. This is not the way to go to knowledge. When Van Gogh speaks of ‘the frightening beliefs that certain individuals have’ does this indicate the kind of behavior we have seen with some conspiracy theorists who believe it’s impossible to keep their minds from the things that are harmful to them?
However, Dickens declared..
The following month, The following month, Van Gogh loved his quote from English author Charles Dickens in a letter to his sister Willemien:
“Every day I make sure to take the cure that the legendary Dickens suggests against suicide. It is comprised of glasses of red wine, a slice of cheese and bread and smoking a pipe.”
An alternative that was more effective could be Oscar Wilde’s perspective on the Van Gogh wine addiction.
“Work can be a curse for classes of drinking.”
Thus, Van Gogh suffered from a drinking disorder. In a letter addressed Willemien of the asylum at Saint-Remy on October 21, 1889, Van Gogh admits to the harmful effects of alcohol:
“The doctor here was in Paris and visited Theo He told him that he doesn’t think I am insane, but that the problems I’m suffering from are of an epileptic character. Also, it’s not alcohol which is the reason however, it is true that alcohol does nothing to help.”
We’ll never know the exact details.
