The truth about Syd's mental condition.

[moom]

yeah but i dont think he had it, i mean if music is a way to get your emotions out and it didnt start sounding depressed in any way at all until after he was on the drugs and being threatened of getting kicked out of the band..

But he did things "over the edge", and why live as a recluse if you're not ashamed. Maybe not a very obvious sign, but it might be depression. Btw, a common reason for using drugs is being in depression.

[bpmolder]

These biographies also say that when his father died, when he was about 12 years old, it affected him on a deep level and his family sensed a certain amount of disconnectedness thereafter. That could have possibly been the beginning, with that, the family history of depression (which science has proven is linked to schizophrenia) and the drug use. No doubt about it, though, the drug use pretty much ruined the odds of him having a happy, healthy life emotionally and mentally. It's another "burn out" case and he is yet another casualty of the drug use in that era. Very sad!

[GilmourGirl]

aah well i dunno i guess he was leading up that path 4 quite a while.
how did he die anyway?
was it an easy death like in his sleep or what?

Syd had diabetes and his sister said he rarely if ever took his meds for that, but his cause of death was pancreatic cancer.

When his father passed away, all he had mentioned about it in his journal was "Poor old dad died today." I thought he was 14 when his dad died. When he started tripping at 19, Gilmour said that the drugs were a catalyst for his underlying mental illness. Mental illness creeps upon you slowly, not all at once, and taking so many drugs simultaneously is sure to cause some kind of permanent damage.

That's all I have to say about Barrett.

[bpmolder]

I thought he was 14 when his dad died.

I was guesstimating about his age. Wasn't quite sure of it exactly. I do remember various sources saying that he was really affected by his father's death, despite the terse journal entry. The fact is, people often don't let their feelings out about some things. From what his family has said, maybe that was one of those cases. When my father died, I didn't really mourn it until months later. I don't think that Syd really ever did. Who knows? Just more wonderings.

But that's what makes these discussions interesting at times. We have no conclusive proof of anything like this, only speculation.

[GilmourGirl]

Yea, but some weirdo die-hard Barrett fans don't much care to try and pick the man's mind apart. Like me. Barrett's just sacred to me and I just like for him to R.I.P. But, carry on!

[bpmolder]

Yea, but some weirdo die-hard Barrett fans don't much care to try and pick the man's mind apart. Like me. Barrett's just sacred to me and I just like for him to R.I.P. But, carry on!

I see you, GG! I study it myself because I suffered from a similar thing for most of my life. I try to look everywhere I can for answers. Sooner or later, the road always leads back to him. Know what I mean?

[GilmourGirl]

Oh goodness I doubt you'll find your answers within Barrett's brain! As he himself said, "I've got a very irregular head."

Frankly his head looked pretty damm good to me!

[bpmolder]

Oh goodness I doubt you'll find your answers within Barrett's brain! As he himself said, "I've got a very irregular head."

Frankly his head looked pretty damm good to me!

Probably not, but I don't leave any stones unturned when learning about anything.....

[Metal Mickey]

Not that I'm disputing your statement, but how do you know he had a history of mental illness in his family? Where's the evidence/source?

Read just about any biography.....his father was diagnosed as clinically depressed......

Although I too think it's highly probable that Syd had a history of mental illness in his family, I still wouldn't trust the accuracy of any of those biographies though...I mean, where would they get that kind of information? I doubt the family would offer up such intimate details about their lineage for public consumption nor do I believe records of that diagnosis would have been made available to the public. It all seems highly speculative to me.

[bpmolder]

Although I too think it's highly probable that Syd had a history of mental illness in his family, I still wouldn't trust the accuracy of any of those biographies though...I mean, where would they get that kind of information? I doubt the family would offer up such intimate details about their lineage for public consumption nor do I believe records of that diagnosis would have been made available to the public. It all seems highly speculative to me.

Honestly, I wouldn't trust these sources as anything more than speculation unless the info came directly from his immediate family or himself. Seeing that his family has no reason to come out with it at all, and he has no way of telling us now, we will never have anything besides just that, speculation.

[Metal Mickey]

Honestly, I wouldn't trust these sources as anything more than speculation unless the info came directly from his immediate family or himself. Seeing that his family has no reason to come out with it at all, and he has no way of telling us now, we will never have anything besides just that, speculation.

So very true, my dear! Too much about Syd's life is just speculation. Hopefully this new book coming out in 2009 will have more input from the family now that Syd/Roger is gone, so that most of these rumours and innuendos can finally be laid to rest.

[bpmolder]

Sad how it takes someone to die before you get a chance to really know him......ironic.....

[lostplay]

i would like to counter the idea that syd was so mentally ill from 69 -71

professor frog here has posted some interviews that show syd to be pretty lucent and clear
i still stand by the thought that syd had an untreated diabetic condition
that with drinking alcohol made him very un stable .

over use of LSD also may have done some permanent damage
more or less making syd a bit of a burnout
if any one has bad trips they stop taking lsd

so in mid to late 67 syd may have still been tripping on lsd
and that combined with a diabetic or pre-diabetic condition coupled w/ alcohol w/ poor nutrition >> could have easily made syds mind extremely unstable

yet by 68 if syd stopped tripping .he would gave stablized.. leveled out
of course all of above added with 8 months of constant touring tool a permanent toll on syd . he still produced some fine music in this peridot

the open fun guy from 66 by 1975 had became closed dark inward
syd had big problems yes
but not as bad as people may think
he simply went home after a while
and shut the door . and lived his life on his own terms

and whose to say whose crazy and whose normal

[Syd'sSexy]

and whose to say whose crazy and whose normal

How true!

I still maintain that Syd's excessive Mandrax intake did far more serious damage physically and psychologically than the LSD. Just my opinion though.

[lostplay]

sorry syd but you have it backwards
i have taken both
qualudes are a despresent
and the more you take the more you need
after a while your dose can be 10 x normal doses
with no ill effects

any one or does speed or acid alot
at one point does downers
to calm there nerves

downers do not leave any mental footprint at all
if any thing syd was self medicating with ludes to calm his nerves

lsd does have lasting effects if your state of mind is not quite right to start with

i wonder syd where you heard this
google qualudes and read

peace my love

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