Michael Jackson and depression (+How his life was affected by it)
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Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
This article will discuss if the singer Michael Jackson was depressed. For that, the article will explain his life story, and how his emotional well-being impacted his work and life.
Has Michael Jackson ever said he was depressed?
No, there has never been a public declaration about the state of his mental health. But his daughter, Paris, has come forth and said that she, like her father, and also her brother suffered from depression.
Although he has never said anything about it during his many years of career, it is perceivable that Michael Jackson had mental health issues. And many of them may have started from a very young age.
Michael Jackson had a very strict father, he was the one that took care of his career when he was part of the Jackson 5 with his brothers.
Whenever any of them made a mistake, they would be violently punished. And the traumas of that situation went on for his entire life. It seems like from then on he was constantly focused on trying to get other people’s approval. Be it by changing the way he looked, or by pleasing others with his talent.
As time went on, his behavior became increasingly different. As controversies started to appear, as the first child abuse case, he began to take action to try and get approval from others. One of them is said to be his first marriage with Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Rock Legend, Elvis Presley.
People saw that as a desperate action to gain popular approval, and the marriage didn’t last a long time. Right after his divorce to Lisa Marie, he got married to Debbie Rowe, who came to be the mother of his 3 children.
Their relationship sparked doubt in everyone. It was said that they weren’t a couple, and she was only the mother of his children.
Either way, it seemed that, although in an unorthodox way, being a parent was something that always brought him a lot of joy. Maybe it was even the biggest joy of his life. And even after divorcing Debbie, he remained a present parent, taking the kids with him everywhere he went.
But it seems that those relationships, and how people perceived it may have had a huge negative impact on his self-esteem, which may have been low from his young age, due to the abuses he went through.
As time went on, a lot of his behaviors were seen as strange by people, and he gained the nickname “Wacko Jacko”. His formers bodyguards have said that during that period, after the other accusations of sexual abuse of children, the King of Pop became even more isolated.
He developed some paranoiac behaviors, and would only go out of the house if he, and his kids, were all in disguise.
During that time, his kids weren’t allowed to watch TV or go online because they weren’t supposed to see what was being said about their parents. Along with that, his other family members could only see him with an appointment.
And after leaving his Neverland home, which he loved, he moved from city to city all over the world, until they settled in Las Vegas, which he hated.
There were some periods of financial hardship, which his securities relate to people taking advantage of him. It is said that even though he had all this money, because of his emotional condition he was extremely naive, and also would spend money on anything he wanted.
When he decided to take part on a comeback tour, it seemed, to everyone else, that he would bring on greatness. But what is known nowadays is that he was in deep trouble with his mental health. People said he was unable to work, got in late, and was slow to learn things.
He also showed signs of paranoia, obsessive-compulsive behavior, anxiety, and depression. This, combined with what has been said by his daughter, shows how he may have been struggling with mental health for quite some time, but never got the proper help for it.
His death is also a sign of how bad his mental health was. He was taking propofol, a heavy sedative, to fall asleep. This could be a sign that he had a high level of anxiety, and how depression may have made it all worse.
With all of this, it gets clear how mental health, even to the most wealthy can be a problem. And that the difficulty in finding the proper treatment can lead to even greater tragedies.
Who was Michael Jackson?
Michael Jackson was an American singer, born in 1958, and died in 2009. They came to be known, along with his career, as the King of Pop. He was one of the most popular cultural figures in the times and influenced many other artists, not only that, he had a huge impact on fashion and lifestyle.
He was the younger of 8 children, and he, and 4 of his brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon were part, along with Michale, of the band Jackson 5. And by 1971 Michael Jackson started his solo career as he signed with the label Motown Records. By 1979 he became a star with the release of his album Off the Wall.
From then on, his stardom only grew. But unfortunately, not only that, as he got more famous, the controversy around him also got bigger. He received many nominations for Grammy Awards, Brit Awards, and even Golden Globe Awards. He also became a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and many other achievements.
But as he became more famous, he also attracted a lot of attention to other aspects of his life. He started to go through many changes in his appearance, there were also many speculations about his sexual orientation and the way he lived and cared for his children.
By 1993 he was accused of child molestation, which was settled in court. Those types of accusations will happen many times throughout his life especially in 2005 when the FBI found no evidence of misconduct.
After that period, he became more reclusive, but in 2011 he decided to do a comeback tour called This Is It. But it was then that he died of an accidental overdose, due to the administration of propofol by his physician, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Was Michael Jackson depressed?
What are the causes of depression?
Depression is a mental illness that can be caused by some factors, although it is hard to determine exactly why. It has a genetic factor to it, so if a person has a family history of depression they can develop it easier. Along with that, it can be related to a chemical imbalance in the person’s brain.
A person can also get depressed when they are experiencing a traumatic situation such as the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or even some legal or financial matter. Along with that, people that have experienced depression before are usually more susceptible to developing a new episode of it.
Does depression have a cure?
No depression doesn’t have a cure. Because there is a genetic aspect to it, and those are impossible to change, once a person has experienced it before, they still have a chance to go through it again.
A person who had a depressive episode before has a higher chance of developing a new one than someone who has never had it before.
But that is not something to discourage people that are battling depression. Doctors say it is completely possible to get into remission, and with that, you will be able to regain control of your life and emotions.
Along with that, you will be able to resume your life activities. You just need to keep in mind the importance of mental health care as a way to prevent future relapses from happening.
What is an accidental overdose?
Accidental overdose is what happens when a person abuses a substance to a point that makes their body react negatively, which can even lead to a heart attack or death.
Different from the overdose, in which a person may be aware that the amount of drug or medication is higher than recommended. On the accidental overdose, the person may have lost the notion of what they are taking, or some of the things they are taking are mixed up with a substance they weren’t aware of, which can lead to negative consequences.
If a person ever experiences that they have consumed some medication or drug above what it is recommended, they should get in touch with their doctor, or go straight to the emergency room, and let them know what you have taken so they can reverse its effects.
What is propofol?
Propofol, also known as Diprivan, is a medication that slows the person’s nervous system and brain activity. It is a highly controlled medication, used mostly to make people sleep as part of the anesthesia. It can be used in adults and even children above 2 months old.
It may also be used by patients that are sedated because they are on mechanical ventilators. It has become worldly known because it was the drug that Michael Jackson had taken before he died. It showed how he was in desperate need of drugs to help him sleep, which may be caused by his intense anxiety.
What medications can be addictive?
Many medications can lead to addiction, and most of them are mostly used when prescribed. An example of them is opioids, such as Oxycodone, Codeine, and Fentanil. They can give the person a sense of euphoria, but also dizziness, lethargy, and confusion.
Along with those, medications that are central nervous system (CNS) depressants, such as Alprazolam, and Clonazepam, can make you addicted. It causes you to feel confused, irritable, and lethargic.
And also stimulants can be extremely addictive. Examples of stimulants are Amphetamine and Methylphenidate. They can cause a person to become euphoric, experience hallucinations, have paranoia, and have moments of aggressiveness and hostility.
If you or someone you love has been abusing the medication, it might be important to look for help.
Conclusion
This article discussed if the pop sensation Michael Jackson was depressed. For that, the article explained his life story, and how his mental health was impacted by it. Along with that, the article explained how his emotional condition appeared in his work and life.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write it in the section below.
References
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson
https://abcounsellingipswich.com/news/michael-jackson-mental-health
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