“The Dark Side of the Moon” How Schizophrenia Affected Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett

¶ … Dark Side of the Moon": How Schizophrenia Affected Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett

Many music fans today may not have even heard of Pink Floyd, but during the heyday of their career, these musicians were widely regarded as being among the best in the business. The man who is credited with much of the band's success is their co-founder, artist, composer, singer and guitarist, Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett. Many more music fans today may not realize that this multitalented musician suffered from the debilitating condition of schizophrenia, a disorder that some observers suggest contributed to the eccentricity of his musical compositions as well as his eventual withdrawal from society. Moreover, many of Barett's close friends observed his exhibiting the classic symptoms of schizophrenia, including hallucinations, which worsened over time to the point where he sought refuge in isolation until his death in 2006. To gain some additional insights and expertise in this condition and the evidence-based interventions that are used to treat it, this paper reviews the relevant literature to provide an overview of Barrett's career and how his lifestyle and schizophrenia may have affected his perceptions about treatment, a discussion concerning the etiological family and cultural Factors that are associated with schizophrenia and a description concerning how family members might feel his behavior and symptoms. Finally, a proposed evidence-based intervention for Barrett and similarly situated clients is followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning schizophrenia and hallucinations in the conclusion.

Description Concerning How Syd Barrett Might Feel Entering Treatment

Born on January 6, 1946 in Cambridge, England, Barrett was the fourth of five siblings born to Winifred and Max Barrett (Barrett biography, 2016). Both his parents encouraged his interest in music and over time, he learned to play a wide range of instruments, including the banjo, ukulele and guitar; in addition, he evinced a talent for writing early on and received awards for his poetry in school (Barrett biography, 2016). Following some stints with garage bands and experimentation with song writing, Barrett attended the Camberwell College of Arts to study painting in 1964 (Barrett biography, 2016). Two years later, Barrett joined with an existing group to form Pink Floyd and the rest is musical history (Barrett biography, 2016).

Pink Floyd's recordings are characterized by one biographer as being "marked by presence of the guitarist and singer Syd Barrett-with his flamboyant but fragile personality" (Bratus, 2012, p. 149). The "fragile personality" refers to this musician's well documented experiences with schizophrenia which, although not specifically diagnosed during his lifetime, was evident to everyone around him. For instance, according to one of his biographers, "Although he was hospitalized briefly, he was never officially diagnosed with a mental illness or medicated. Barrett died of pancreatic cancer on July 7, 2006, at the age of 60, in Cambridge, England" (Barrett biography, 2016, para. 4). Likewise, Curtis notes that, "It's hard to diagnose someone retrospectively, but if Syd Barrett did have schizophrenia, he must have been a functional schizophrenic to live out his life without prolonged or frequent hospitalization" (2012, p. 43).

Lacking an understanding of his mental illness, Barrett would therefore have likely entered any mental health treatment setting with some degree of skepticism and even trepidation. Nevertheless, it is clear from anecdotal accounts and empirical observations that many people who knew Barrett well confirmed that he exhibited many if not all of the classic symptoms of schizophrenia, but it is unclear whether they or Barrett himself attributed these to mental illness or his indulgence in hallucinogenic drugs. For instance, according to DiLorenzo, "Barrett's madness was not quite a sudden explosion, however, but rather a gradual implosion [and] Syd's songs contained warnings from the beginning: he dealt with instability and the primal need for comfort" (1978, para. 5).

Indeed, contemporary and modern biographers alike blame Barrett's use of LSD as being primarily responsible for his mental health problems, and some even conclude that one caused the other. In this regard, Blackman (2003) reports that, "Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, a saintly figure of English psychedelia, had an LSD obsession which later developed into schizophrenia" (2003, p. 95). Taken together, it is reasonable to suggest that Barrett was either unable or unwilling to accept the reality of his mental health issues, preferring instead to indulge his lifestyle choices and the consequences that followed, an outcome that is especially tragic given the clear signs he exhibited throughout his professional career, and these issues are discussed further below.

Etiological Cultural and Genetic Factors Associated with Schizophrenia

A drug culture existed in the 1960s and early 1970s that not only tolerated the use of hallucinogens such as LSD, it encouraged their use. Proponents such as Dr. Timothy Leary counseled young people to "Tune in, turn on and drop out" and many followed his advice (Elcock, 2014). In this regard, Kysilka (2009) emphasizes that during the 1960s, "Young people were disillusioned with mainstream religions and sought meaning from eastern religions. Zen Buddhism and Transcendental Meditation became popular among the youth. Timothy O'Leary popularized LSD [as] a mind-opening drug, and the drug culture became the scene" (p. 8). Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that cutting edge musicians such as Barrett would also experiment with hallucinogens, but it surprising that he was able to continue a productive career for as long as he did in spite of his increasingly debilitated mental condition.

While Barrett was responsible for contributing to the glamorization of the use of hallucinogenic drugs, it is also clear that he became caught up in the same cycle of abuse that caused many users to experience mental health issues as a result (Curtis, 2012). In fact, studies have consistently identified an association between countries that have drug cultures and higher incidences of schizophrenia and other mental disorders (Abiama & Ifeagwazi, 2015). Taken together, it is clear that there were some powerful cultural influences on young people, including Barrett, during this formative period in his life, but there may have been some other factors linked with schizophrenia, including a genetic predisposition to the disorder.

While additional research is needed, there is also a growing body of scientific evidence that confirms some people may be genetically predisposed to developing schizophrenia (Alfimova & Abramova, 2009). In this regard, Garg and Trivedi (2012) report that, "A few studies have shown the relative sensitivity and reliability of cognitive and psychophysiological markers of brain function as the susceptibility factors for schizophrenia which may aid us to find people with an increased risk of complex disorders like schizophrenia" (p. 331). There is also the possibility that Barrett's frequent use of cannabis may have further exacerbated a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. For example, Warner (2004) points out that, "People with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia inherit a nervous-system fragility that renders brain tissue more sensitive to the effects of oxygen deprivation" (p. 216).

Besides possibly having a genetic predisposition to the disorder, there were a number of other environmental factors that may have contributed to the onset of Barrett's schizophrenia For example, one biographer reports that when Barrett was not quite 16 years old, his father's death traumatized him and his high-pressure career during the early part of his life were likewise potential contributing factors (Syd Barrett dies, 2006). In addition, Barrett's use of hallucinogenic drugs and his high level of creativity have both been linked with increased incidences of mental illness (Nasrallah, 2008). Moreover, Barrett developed diabetes later in his career and this condition, combined with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, may have accelerated his schizophrenia (Syd Barrett dies, 2006). In sum, Barrett was at high risk for developing schizophrenia and he may have been helped by a family-based pharmacological intervention had his family members realized the cause of his problems and these issues are discussed further below.

Description Concerning How Family Members Might Feel about Relatives' Behavior and Symptoms

Some of the more prevalent symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations and delusions as well as thought and movement disorders (Schizophrenia, 2016), all of which were exhibited in some degree and fashion by Barrett during his early teens and adulthood (Syd Barrett dies, 2006). Because all of these symptoms may result from taking psychedelic drugs, it can be difficult for even trained clinicians to distinguish these behaviors from schizophrenic symptoms and it is reasonable to suggest that Barrett's family members were likewise concerned but unclear as to their cause. As noted above, although Barrett's father died unexpectedly when he was young, he was close to his sister, Rosemary, and his mother with whom he lived with in Cambridge after 1978 (Barrett biography, 2016).

Although Rosemary, his mother and other family members did not publicize their concerns over Barrett's condition, some indication of how they may have felt about his behavior and symptoms can be discerned from some first-hand accounts of those who knew him best. For instance, according to Curtis:

It seems very likely that schizophrenia is the correct diagnosis based on a 1975 incident Syd had with his former band mates [and] while he was there he seemed to act detached, and was often seen brushing his teeth while standing. When Roger Waters, one of Barrett's oldest and closest friends, finally recognized Syd, he broke down in tears out of disappointment about what had happened to him. (2012, p. 43)

Unfortunately, life many other members of the general public, Barrett's family members and friends may simply have lacked sufficient knowledge about schizophrenia to recognize these symptoms and likely attributed them, like his biographers, to his use of hallucinogenic drugs including most especially LSD and cannabis. It is therefore reasonable to suggest that his family members were troubled by Barrett's behavior and symptoms but were unaware concerning how best to help him deal with his disorder, believing perhaps that compassionate and loving family support was all that was needed rather than professional intervention. As DiLorenzo pointed out early on in Barrett's career, "Unfortunately, much of the public and press do not recognize the typical symptoms of schizophrenia and have mislabeled his disorder as a 'psychedelic drug-induced breakdown' or 'nervous breakdown,' terms that have long since been replaced by well-defined terms like schizophrenia" (1978, para. 7).

Interestingly, researchers have shown that close family members such as siblings are less able to distinguish between the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia with other family members than they are with more distant family members (Alfimova & Abramova, 2009), suggesting that even when Barrett's close relatives observed schizophrenic-like symptoms, they were unable to distinguish them from other causes, including most especially his drug use, without more information about the condition, information that was still largely lacking during the earlier periods of his life. Indeed, even his closest sibling, Rosemary, seemed to have misinterpreted Barrett's behaviors and may have even played a role in preventing him from seeking professional assistance. In this regard, one biographer cites an anecdotal account that indicates a sense of denial by Rosemary: "Earlier this year an old friend saw the pair in Robert Sayles, the Cambridge department store, and went up to renew their acquaintance. 'Hello, Syd,' he said. 'Do you remember me?' 'Yup,' replied Barrett. But Rosemary cut in with 'Roger is only interested in buying some ties today,' and led her brother away. Now she admits she might have been over-protective. I may be wrong here - but I get the feeling that Rosemary is still being 'over-protective' - or may simply lack the understanding of mental illness that most professionals have (which, of course, is not uncommon or unreasonable - but when someone is ill, you need to get expert advice). All the symptoms Rosemary conveyed still seem to suggest schizophrenia - despite her simplistic assertions that he was an 'ordinary, lovable guy'" (cited in Syd Barrett dies, 2006, para. 11).

As a result, even close family members may have believed that Barrett was suffering from the pressure of his career as well as diabetes, a combination that could easily result in eccentric behaviors. These points are made in one eulogy for Barrett that states, "Syd Barrett . . . one of the most legendary rock stars to develop a mental illness - most likely schizophrenia (triggered, it is said, by significant drug use as well as the stress and pressure of his career), died from complications related to diabetes" (Syd Barrett dies, 2006). Likewise, a close friend and fellow band member, Roger Waters, reported that Barrett consistently had "odd thoughts," a common symptom of schizophrenia (cited in Syd Barrett dies, 2006).

Conversely, it is reasonable to posit that Barrett's family members were simply in a state of denial concerning the severity of Barrett's "condition" (as Rosemary described it), there was a general consensus among others who knew him best that he was suffering from a legitimate mental health disorder. For instance, one biographer points out that, "Most of his band members and close associates have identified his mental illness as schizophrenia, and mental health professionals believe that he suffered from schizophrenia" (Syd Barrett dies, 2006, para. 9). Empirical observations from other close friends and associates of Barrett also support a diagnosis of schizophrenia as set forth in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Friend/Associate

Personal Description of Barrett

David Gilmour (collegiate friend)

Syd was a strange guy even back in Cambridge. I remember I really started to get worried when I went along to the session for 'See Emily Play.' Syd was still functioning, but he definitely wasn't the person I knew. He looked through you. He wasn't quite there. He was strange even then. That stare, you know?

Peter Jenner, Pink Floyd's first manager

He'd sit around with copious amounts of hash and grass and write these incredible songs. The acid brought out his latent madness. I'm sure it was his latent madness which gave him his creativity. The acid brought out the creativity, but more importantly, it brought out the madness. The creativity was there - dope was enough to get it going. He wrote all his songs, including the ones on his solo LP's, in an 18-month period.

Nick Mason (Pink Floyd's drummer)

Syd went mad on that first American tour in the autumn of 1967. He didn't know where he was most of the time. I remember he detuned his guitar onstage in Venice, LA, and he just stood there rattling the strings, which was a bit weird, even for us.