Was Kurt Cobain bipolar? Thousands of people still research information about his death and what could have caused it. Kurt Cobain became a rock legend when his band Nirvana formed in 1990s. He grew up in a small town, Cobain showed a big interest in art and music as well as drawing. After his song Lithium was a big hit, “Many people believe he was manic depressive was over the song Lithium”(Bipolar Disorder, 2012, p. 1). However, Cobain wrote that song years before his band Nirvana became huge rock stars.
Cobain was already diagnosed with bipolar at that time. Throughout this report the author will go over the symptoms, causes, and course of illness and treatment of the Bipolar Disorder of, Kurt Cobain. Lead singer of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain lost his life in 1994. Many fans blamed fame for his death, although it was not because of that. The primary cause of his death was him battling a mental illness for most of his life. “Cobain was diagnosed at a young age with Attention Deficit Disorder, later on with bipolar disorder” (Watkins, 2012).
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by both depression and mania. “During a period of mood disturbance three or more symptoms have been presented in the manic episodes”(American Psychiatric Association, 2000a). “Some of the symptoms that come with bipolar illness include; mood swings, which present as rage, euphoria, high energy, irritability, overconfidence, decrease in sleep, more talkative, and experience high potential for painful consequences” (The Book of Knowledge, 1980, p. 224).
There are also physical symptoms, such as sweating, pacing, and weight loss. In full mania, often the manic person will feel his or her goals outdo everything else, that there are no consequences. The symptoms with manic episodes are not cause by physiological effects of a substances. 11 “Some studies show that bipolar people are likely to be alcoholics as Cobain did abuse alcohol and drugs” (Bipolar Disorder, 2012, p. 2). Cobain would experience high energy while in the studio or writing at home, and energy on stage.
When he would outburst of rage, he demolished stage sets and hotel rooms. The impulsiveness and lack of self consciousness of bipolar people show in different aspects. “The diagnostic manual classifies manic depression with manic episodes, where mood is higher that the person’s situation” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000a). A manic episode last a period of seven or more day which may require a hospital to protect them. To be diagnosis with bipolar disorder, you have to experience high period of mania and hypomania. The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, but several factors seem to be involved in causing and triggering bipolar episodes: biological differences; changes in their brains but still uncertain, neurotransmitters; imbalanced brain chemicals, hormones, inherited traits;a blood relative with bipolar disorder and environment; stress, abused and traumatic event” (MFMER, 2012). “Some features that associated with bipolar disorder is suicide and attempts are more likely to occur when a person is depressive or in a mixed state of mind”(American Psychiatric Association, 2000a).
Cobain’s family history has shown that he came from a bipolar family. Many of the men in his family abused alcohol and were violent. He had many traumatic events involved in his life that could have caused his manic depression disorder. “Cobain’s great uncle shot himself in the stomach and head”(Bipolar Disorder, 2012, p. 3). After a year later, his brother died and many other deaths occurred, only being at the age of twelve. These are many things how Cobain connect with the causes of manic depression. Cobain was depressed most of his life, since his childhood consisted of suicide and death throughout his family.
Kurt had also tried lots of different drugs when he was younger. He had a painful digestive disorder that was not diagnosed for a long time. “Once he turned eight years old, his parents got a divorce, he started to withdraw and feel very ashamed much of the time” (Bipolar Disorder, 2012, p. 2). After the divorce he went to live with his dad and would visit his mother and sister on weekends. In his teen years, he experimented with marijuana and heroin and started pushing himself away from his father. Then soon left his father’s place and stayed with different relatives.
Cobain also spent time living with friends when he could and sleeping in apartment building hallways and a hospital waiting room when he did not have any other place to crash for the night. But, long after trying heroin he became addicted to it. Cobain eventually went to drug rehab but his sobriety didn’t last long. He survived a relapses on a heroin overdose a few months later. But he did not seek more treatment for his drug addiction nor his bipolar disorder. Avoiding treatment is the worst thing you can do with bipolar disorder because it tends to get worse if it’s not treated.
To improve your prognosis Kurt needed go see a doctor and have him prescribed a treatment. By the looks of it, Cobain was very depressed to the point where he did not want to live anymore. With that being said the author believes that is probably why he did not seek any treatment for his disorder. The way Cobain handled his disorder was using into his music to express himself. As well to reach out to the kids in that time frame who were just like him. The use of his drugs was to escape and get relief from his stomach disorder. One treatment for people with manic depression is to go through “talk” therapy to calm symptoms of depression”(Science Horizons Year Book, 1987, p. 38). There are two types of talk therapy, one is for cognitive behavior and the other is interpersonal therapy. Another treatment would be getting prescribed a antidepressant. When going through depression, you should never go through it alone. For you to see improvement the patient needs the support of his or her family and friends through the whole recovery. If failure to do so, you might not see much improvement with the patient. In the end was Kurt Cobain bipolar?
Yes, he was diagnosed with manic depression but his drug abuse over powered. He was diagnosed with ADD as well as a painful digestive disorder that affected his health. There were many complications for Cobain growing up, which made everything harder once he got older. Throughout this researcher there was much detail discussed over the symptoms, causes, and course of illness and treatment of Bipolar Disorder of, Kurt Cobain. Still unsure how he died, most people believe he committed suicide others think he was murder. Cobain will be a legend for years not just because his manic depression but for being a proud rock star rebel.
