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2.30am
27 April 2012
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Just throwing this out there…but when I think of George and how he apparently began to change toward the end of touring (according to various witnesses) i.e much less patient with people, easy to anger, etc…and then how he submerged himself so deeply in Eastern spirituality at about the same time…to me it seems as though his reaction to the unprecedented stresses of touring and of being a Beatle may have resulted in PTSD and that his answer was religion/spirituality, in a way that perhaps he would not have taken on to the extent he did, if not for what he endured for those years.
Almost everyone who has written about George says he changed greatly during that period…his anger at the music not being heard, at the lack of privacy, the banality of the press, etc…but then he seemed to rebound in the early to mid 70’s, regained his former humor, took himself less seriously, etc…
Not trying to play doctor here…it is just something I think about sometimes. George seems to have suffered the most trauma from Beatlemania, to me, followed by John, although I think John also just lost interest in the early songs, the traveling, etc…of the four, only Paul seems to have come through practically unaffected, having his breakdown when the group split up instead. Ringo, as we know, seems to have survived touring, but went on to have major issues in the 70’s and into the 80’s with addiction. Meanwhile, Paul smoked his weed and kept his head, for the most part.
Beatlemania is something that no one other than these 4 guys experienced in full…and it was such a phenomenon that it would be unrealistic to think that all four could emerge from it unscathed.
5.03am
5 November 2011
Offline I think that George might have had a very small case of Asbergers. This would explain why he got so angry during that period: he was overwhelmed by always being surrounded by so many people, and he expressed that through anger. That would also explain his obsession with India because that is sometimes a side effect of Asbergers
Though maybe I’m just over thinking all of this.
All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit
6.48am
27 April 2012
Offline unknown said
I think that George might have had a very small case of Asbergers. This would explain why he got so angry during that period: he was overwhelmed by always being surrounded by so many people, and he expressed that through anger. That would also explain his obsession with India because that is sometimes a side effect of AsbergersThough maybe I’m just over thinking all of this.
I am not certain, but wouldn’t those kinds of symptoms have shown up earlier in his life? Of course, they could have been increased by the overwhelming stress of those years…it seems as though he was grasping kind of desperately for something to hold on to by 1965-66, something that had nothing to do with the Beatles, that he could absorb all on his own and share as he chose. I can’t imagine what those 4 guys endured and am amazed that they all regained or kept some kind of balance in their lives after it was over. George is my alltime fav, so I don’t want it to seem like I am “picking” on him, in fact I spend a lot of time thinking about him, so that is why I thought of this. Thanks.
11.52am
26 March 2012
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I think it’s too tempting to slap mental illness labels on the Beatles just because of the way they acted.
I think there’s an overwhelming amount of evidence that John was bipolar, but just because George was getting angry towards the end of touring we reckon he may have had Aspergers or PTSD? These are quite serious claims and I think would have been exacerbated more by what he went through. I think anybody, with a mental condition or not, would be feeling caged in and uncomfortable after that amount of pressure, stardom and scrutiny during the Beatlemania years and any person would naturally search for a release, which George found in Indian spirituality.
Nobody ever mentions that Paul may have histrionic personality disorder, although at a far stretch you could argue that the evidence is there (enthusiastic, egocentric, wanting to impress, most comfortable with fame and fortune), because it just doesn’t seem likely. In the same way, just because George was ratty about Beatlemania, I don’t think means he had post traumatic stress disorder.
SHUT UP - Paulie's talkin'
11.03pm
4 December 2010
Offline unknown said
I think that George might have had a very small case of Asbergers. This would explain why he got so angry during that period: he was overwhelmed by always being surrounded by so many people, and he expressed that through anger. That would also explain his obsession with India because that is sometimes a side effect of AsbergersThough maybe I’m just over thinking all of this.
Okay, firstly it is Asperger’s, not Asbergers. If you struggle to spell, use the abbreviation AS.
Secondly, there aren’t “small cases”. People display different symptoms, people learn different coping strategies, and people learn at different rates (be they NT or Aspie), but nobody has a “small case”, not to the extent of only displaying symptoms on a few occasions in their lives.
George was introverted, but he seemed perfectly capable in social situations, he didn’t seem at all distressed by being in sensory cauldrons like Shea (only made weary by constant touring and fame), his speech was neither overly formal nor pedantic, he had no trouble understanding nuanced speech, he did not seem to have issues with mind blindness. Furthermore, people with AS tend to be rather clumsy and struggle with fine motor control; they also commonly speak with a boring, blunted tone and little use of intonation or inflection. George Harrison was a world class guitarist, and not only a capable singer, but one who had a successful career and sang on more than one #1 hit.
I told her I didn’t
12.19am
27 April 2012
Offline George’s “anger” lasted for several years and helped to break up his marriage, at least according to Patty. She wrote that often during that period when she tried to talk to him, he ignored her as he was on a chanting binge, where he would chant for days nonstop. That is not typical/”normal” behavior for someone who is just seeking a deeper meaning to life. He alienated a lot of people, it seems, until he regained his equilibrium. Ringo referred to him as being “a bag of anger” half the time. So it was more than just a little stress from touring, in my opinion.
12.10am
19 September 2010
Offline George was exhausted in 1972/3/4, when his marriage hit the fan, or whatever stupid term we want to use. He was angered by how people tried to make money from The Concert For Bangladesh, he was irritated by legal wranglings, and entirely burned out and unhappy. That’s a pretty good pool of circumstance from which to say his actions were caused by circumstance.
As for the original point – No. Just No. In no way could someone get PTSD from Beatlemania. No one could act so cheerful in A Hard Day’s Night or be so amused by Lennon playing organ with his elbow during I’m Down at Shea as George was. And PTSD is no joke. This is nothing to be casually saying “Person X might have it – he was angry lots of the time!” It’s serious – and not something that should be thrown around with no pretext. I’m sorry, but that’s just my opinion.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
12.49am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Totally agree Sun King .
I have nothing else to add.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
1.17am
9 May 2012
Offline What’s with all these recent psychotic topics :)?
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
2.49am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline 
There was a couple regarding John and some possible illnessess began a while back which folks post in every now and again so there may seem more at the moment, if those have reappeared. Those may have also brought this threads topic to mind.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.02am
27 April 2012
Offline Well considering that for three years, they were (nonstop) pulled, pushed, dragged, chased, had their plane shot at, lives threatened in 3 countries…yes, that could lead to PTSD, in my opinion. Very few people have gone through what these 4 went through.
4.21am
5 November 2011
Offline The Walrus said
Okay, firstly it is Asperger’s, not Asbergers. If you struggle to spell, use the abbreviation AS.
Secondly, there aren’t “small cases”. People display different symptoms, people learn different coping strategies, and people learn at different rates (be they NT or Aspie), but nobody has a “small case”, not to the extent of only displaying symptoms on a few occasions in their lives.
George was introverted, but he seemed perfectly capable in social situations, he didn’t seem at all distressed by being in sensory cauldrons like Shea (only made weary by constant touring and fame), his speech was neither overly formal nor pedantic, he had no trouble understanding nuanced speech, he did not seem to have issues with mind blindness. Furthermore, people with AS tend to be rather clumsy and struggle with fine motor control; they also commonly speak with a boring, blunted tone and little use of intonation or inflection. George Harrison was a world class guitarist, and not only a capable singer, but one who had a successful career and sang on more than one #1 hit.
Thanks, Walrus. I do struggle sometimes, and I thought it looked wrong.
You are probably right in that he did not have Asperger’s, though it is still a possibility. We did not know him, so we do not know that he did not show other signs of all that. Maybe he did show many other signs of it, and maybe he was scared at Shea.
These are things that will never be known. Only can they be assumed.
All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit
12.41pm
9 May 2012
Offline meanmistermustard said
There was a couple regarding John and some possible illnessess began a while back which folks post in every now and again so there may seem more at the moment, if those have reappeared. Those may have also brought this threads topic to mind.
Yeah I guess but it is hard to have a discussion about these things since none of us are doctors or have had opportunity to analyze them .
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
2.03am
19 September 2010
Offline Constance said
Well considering that for three years, they were (nonstop) pulled, pushed, dragged, chased, had their plane shot at, lives threatened in 3 countries…yes, that could lead to PTSD, in my opinion. Very few people have gone through what these 4 went through.
That might be a possible theory if it weren’t for the fact the same situations happened for all four. It can’t be PTSD for George if no one else got it. Get it?
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
2.27am
27 April 2012
Offline mr. Sun king coming together said
Constance said
Well considering that for three years, they were (nonstop) pulled, pushed, dragged, chased, had their plane shot at, lives threatened in 3 countries…yes, that could lead to PTSD, in my opinion. Very few people have gone through what these 4 went through.That might be a possible theory if it weren’t for the fact the same situations happened for all four. It can’t be PTSD for George if no one else got it. Get it?
Not every solider who has been in battle gets PTSD either…
And you do not have to be rude…it was always only a theory.
2.48am
19 September 2010
Offline Because not every soldier sees the same things. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr all saw the exact same thing (except for when Ringo got sick in 1964, of course) on tour. So it’s an imperfect analogy.
If I came off as rude, I actually meant to come off irritated by your willingness to slap a serious disorder on George from constant touring, sessions and looney acts. I think it’s disrespectful to those who have PTSD to demean it by saying it could be gotten from being famous. So don’t get high and mighty with me.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
5.03am
1 May 2010
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Honestly, I don’t think Beatlemania is not a traumatic event. If George ever had PTSD, probably it was after New Year’s Eve incident.
Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……
Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…
Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.
Beware of Darkness…
9.16pm
4 December 2010
Offline mr. Sun king coming together said
That might be a possible theory if it weren’t for the fact the same situations happened for all four. It can’t be PTSD for George if no one else got it. Get it?
Not everybody gets PTSD, it probably depends on the character of the individual. What shocks or frightens one person doesn’t necessarily frighten everyone else.
To be honest, I don’t think Beatlemania is “traumatic” in the way that a car accident or a war is, but at least that theory is better than the ridiculous autism one.
I told her I didn’t
9.58pm
19 April 2010
Offline If George suffered from any type of trauma it would have been from living under the heel of oppression of John and Paul’s massive egos combined with their dismissive attitude towards him and his music. An oppressive atmosphere that didn’t go away even after the break up.
My opinion.
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1.10am
9 May 2012
Offline robert said
If George suffered from any type of trauma it would have been from living under the heel of oppression of John and Paul’s massive egos combined with their dismissive attitude towards him and his music. An oppressive atmosphere that didn’t go away even after the break up.My opinion.
You too would have ego if you were part of the most successful music partnership in history of music.
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
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