Was Lincoln's Depression a Blessing?

[L Verge]

One of our museum volunteers came to work today and handed me a copy of an article that appeared in a church booklet entitled Guideposts in February of this year. The article is entitled "A Sorrow So Deep" and was written by Elizabeth Sherrill. I will excerpt and condense the four pages here:

"It was my grandfather who gave me a lifelong love of Abraham Lincoln, one that was to help me in a way he would never have imagined. As a boy of seven, Grandfather had seen the funeral train carrying Lincoln's body home to Springfield, Illinois. From that moment, sobbing by the tracks, he's taken Lincoln as the model for his own life of battling injustice.

"I was seven when Grandfather gave me my first book about Lincoln..."Abraham Lincoln, The Backwoods Boy"... At eight, I went to a new school. I remember going to its library, much bigger than the one in my old school. [Author then describes seeing color photos of FDR over the librarian's desk, a painting of Washington on one wall and another of Jefferson on the opposite wall. As she turned to leave, she then noticed a black-and-white photo of Lincoln over the door.]...a tall, thin man with his hand on a table and with the saddest, most pain-filled face I'd ever seen.

"...overtime that portrait made him more important to me than ever. Already I was experiencing the bouts of depression that, three years later, would lead my parents to the then-rare step of taking me to a psychiatrist. Despite her help, I continued to have (and still do) occasional descents into those bottomless depths. And at those times, my model continued to be Abraham Lincoln.

"My depression had no discernible cause. His had many [here she describes the various losses of siblings and mother - including a very detailed description of how one dies from white snakeroot poisoning.] That this disadvantaged young man was able to carve out a career for himself as a lawyer seems marvel enough. The fact that he did it while carrying the burden of depression was what astonished me. 'Lincoln was a sad, gloomy man, a man of sorrow,' his longtime friend and law partner said, noting once that 'his melancholy dripped from him as he walked.'"

The author describes his political life as being one of believing he would be defeated, despite his wins. 'How familiar I was with this I've-failed-and-now-it's-hopeless feeling! And yet, as despairing as he felt, Lincoln somehow managed to succeed in every way that mattered."

"By my own late twenties, when my depression became incapacitating, reading about Lincoln's life was a pathway back to the functioning world. Sometimes all I could do was stare at a photograph of his downcast face. Yet in the strange psychology of depression, this cheered me. If Lincoln could accomplish so much while feeling bad, surely I could get up and do a little."

The author then describes being introduced to the word "melancholia" and its 19th- century definition of "fear and sadness without apparent causes." Lincoln certainly had causes throughout his life, culminating in the loss of two children and the horrors of the Civil War. She began to see that Lincoln's medical condition would be recognized today as clinical, or persistent, irrational depression. It has only been within the past fifty years or so that medical researchers have delved into this aspect of Lincoln's life, and Sherrill outlines the study of his family traits of depression, "the Lincoln horrors;" his own conviction that he was constitutionally subject to melancholy, which he dubbed "my peculiar misfortune;" his talk of suicide; and his two breakdowns (mid-20s, the typical age for unset in men, and then in early-30s. "I am now the most miserable man living," he wrote at age 32.

"In an effort to escape his misery, Lincoln underwent the standard medical treatment of the times --a week-long torment that would have included starving, bleeding, dunking in icy water, purging with black pepper drinks, swallowing mercury, applying mustard rubs that burned his skin raw. He emerged emaciated, exhausted and unsurprisingly, feeling worse than ever.

"...if modern drugs and skilled counseling had been available to Lincoln, he might have been a less sad and tormented person. But would he have been so great?

"...Many researchers today, looking afresh at Lincoln's melancholia, are grateful that he was not 'cured.' From his chronic depression may have come the coping skills, the realism, the wisdom that steered the nation through its greatest crisis. What strengths may depression have bestowed on our greatest president?

"The author then lists and gives examples of what she sees as those strengths: HUMOR, HUMILITY, DEDICATION TO A GREAT CAUSE, and DEPENDENCE ON GOD.
'...these are qualities that I think all of us aim at...it was not despite his depression, but because of it, that Lincoln's character developed as it did -- this is the wondrous promise he holds out to people like me."

[Eva Elisabeth]

There are also two good articles here, the second suspects blue mass (mercury) partly added to Lincoln's "moods":
http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/...lns-moods/
http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/...ns-health/

[David Lockmiller]

(08-16-2018 08:51 PM)L Verge Wrote:  "...Many researchers today, looking afresh at Lincoln's melancholia, are grateful that he was not 'cured.' From his chronic depression may have come the coping skills, the realism, the wisdom that steered the nation through its greatest crisis. What strengths may depression have bestowed on our greatest president?

During the dark days of 1862, the Honorable Mr. Ashley, of Ohio, had occasion to call at the White House early one morning, just after news of a disaster. Mr. Lincoln commenced some trifling narration, to which the impulsive congressman was in no mood to listen. He rose to his feet and said: "Mr. President, I did not come here this morning to hear stories; it is too serious a time." Instantly, the smile faded from Mr. Lincoln's face. "Ashley," said he, "sit down! I respect you as an earnest, sincere man. You cannot be more anxious than I have been constantly since the beginning of the war; and I say to you now, that were it not for this occasional vent, I should die."

(F.B. Carpenter, "Six Months at the White House," pp. 151-152.)

[LincolnMan]

Excellent postings all! We know that those who have sufferred greatly mentally and emotionally have produced great works in literature, the arts, etc. Why would it be any different with Lincoln? It gave him perspectives he would not otherwise have had nor felt so strongly.

[L Verge]

(08-18-2018 04:10 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Excellent postings all! We know that those who have sufferred greatly mentally and emotionally have produced great works in literature, the arts, etc. Why would it be any different with Lincoln? It gave him perspectives he would not otherwise have had nor felt so strongly.

I see a different perspective that makes Lincoln even greater for overcoming (or at least coexisting with) his depression. It is a crippling illness for many because it causes one to withdraw from society - which Lincoln did periodically.

For those with clinical depression, some relief comes with painting, sculpture, literature, etc. But these are all talents that allow them to work in seclusion and not necessarily commune with those around them. Whereas, Lincoln managed to rise to the top in the field of politics, which meant that he had to make a great deal of contact with people and win their confidence even though he might be shaking inside.

We have all had days where we really don't want to deal with people, and we all have days where we feel "down in the dumps." To put your best foot forward and give a speech to a hundred potential voters would be very hard to do on such days. Imagine Lincoln doing it while under clinical depression and with no modern drugs.

[LincolnMan]

As I say to my patients: “You might be depressed but you don’t have to behave depressingly.”
Lincoln made choices to behave in ways that he felt he must do as President. In that way he didn’t permit his depression to rule him- he ruled it.

[Gene C]

I agree Bill, a good point.

In my opinion, one of Lincoln's personal characteristics helped him in dealing with his depression, his attitude towards other people.
He was a giving person, he cared about people.
He frequently placed other peoples needs above his own desires, with no apparent benefit to himself.
Helping someone in need can be therapeutic, can make you feel good inside. He had several examples where people had helped him, and he learned from their example. I believe he learned this from his parents, and from his friends in New Salem.

[LincolnMan]

Yes, Lincoln knew depression. When he began his letter “in this sad world of ours...”- one senses that he didn’t just know the sadness intellectually-but also personally and deeply.

[My Name Is Kate]

Was Lincoln always depressed from the beginning of his life, even before the death of his mother? In other words, did his depression have a physical origin? Imo, that kind of depression is mostly just debilitating, whereas depression caused by life events can build character and enhance intellect and wisdom, and be used as a powerful motivator to overcome obstacles and sometimes accomplish great things.

If Lincoln's sadness could be expressed musically, I think it would sound something like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7k2pmKUXxI

[RJNorton]

Joshua Wolf Shenk, who wrote a book on Lincoln and depression, felt there was a strong likelihood that there was a biological predisposition toward depression. He found that mental trouble was very common among Lincoln's paternal relations (his uncle and cousins). Shenk also mentions "the deep, persuasive sadness of his mother."

[Gene C]

I read Shenk's book. I found his comment about Nancy Lincoln, which you quoted, a little hard to justify.
I can't recall if he attributes that piece of information to Dennis Hanks?
Dennis, according to Herndon, wasn't always trustworthy and reliable in his statements.

[RJNorton]

(09-02-2018 02:09 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Dennis, according to Herndon, wasn't always trustworthy and reliable in his statements.

Agreed. Shenk writes, "Nearly all descriptions of Nancy Hanks have her as sad." Personally, I cannot agree with Shenk on this.

[LincolnMan]

Sidebar note: I don’t recall an image of Lincoln smiling. Yet we know Lincoln loved jokes and humor. Such a portrayal is overdue-whether it be a statue, painting, or a drawing. He was a depressive but he laughed like we all do!

[STS Lincolnite]

Bill,

I agree. I would like to see more artistic representations of Lincoln laughing. The ones I can think of are mostly in political cartoons and in those cases most are not meant to be flattering of Lincoln’s sense of humor.

I always thought Lincoln had a hint of a smile in the February 5, 1865 series photos by Gardner (see attached examples).

I also was very recently (today!) made aware of a new Lincoln statue where he is depicted laughing (Thanks Dave W!). It is in Naperville, IL and was just dedicated this past winter. (see attached photo).

[LincolnMan]

Hadn’t seen the smiling statue yet. Nice!
Yes, the photographs hint at a smile. Almost like he knew the war was all but done and he cautiously went there-but still held back.