The Tragic Life Of Kurt Vonnegut

May 2024 · 2 minute read

In the years following the success of "Slaughterhouse-Five," the Vonnegut family was also rocked by mental illness. On Valentine's Day, 1971, Kurt and Jane Vonnegut's son, Mark, was committed to Hollywood Psychiatric Hospital, Vancouver, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia (via The New York Times). By 1975, Mark had recovered sufficiently to write about his experiences, and he promoted the book alongside his father, who spoke about his guilt. "I thought perhaps he would never recover ... I'm deeply relieved that I'm not to blame for his insanity. You can make other persons insane by treating them badly."

But Vonnegut's own mental health was beginning to deteriorate. In a 1973 interview with Playboy, Vonnegut described how depression led to him sleeping round the clock, and that he experienced "periodic blowups" in which he would lash out at those around him (via Scraps From The Loft). He was prescribed Ritalin, he tells the interviewer, claiming: "It worked. It really impressed me ... I was so interested that my mood could be changed by a pill."

But Vonnegut's struggles with depression continued. In 1984, he attempted to die by suicide at his New York home. "I decided it was finally time," he said, according to the Washington Post. Thankfully, Vonnegut was found, and was taken to recover at a nearby hospital.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

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