What is Schizoaffective disorder? Brian Wilson's health explored as Beach Boys star's documentary hits theatres 

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, a new documentary about the Beach Boys star, was recently released in theaters. Directed by Brent Wilson (no relation), the film follows the highs and lows of the musician’s life through a conversation with Rolling Stone editor and longtime friend, Jason Fine.

The documentary shows the duo driving around Los Angeles and visiting key locations important to Wilson’s past. The singer remains in the passenger seat while reflecting on the memories of his legacy.

The film also features archival footage from different phases of Wilson’s life as well as current interviews of personalities like Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Jim James, Linda Perry and Nick Jonas, among others.

While Brian Wilson is considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all time, his personal life is marked by several tragedies including paternal abuse, familial loss, battle with addiction and a lifelong struggle with schizoaffective disorder.

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Learning about schizoaffective disorder

Schizoaffective disorder is a mental condition that involves a combination of schizophrenic symptoms including hallucinations or delusions as well as mood disorder symptoms like depression or mania.

According to The Mayo Clinic, there are two types of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar and depressive type. While the first involves episodes of mania and major depression, the latter mainly includes episodes of major depression.

The institution mentioned symptoms of the condition include but are not limited to hallucinations, delusions, manic mood swings, depression, impaired speech and communication, weakened occupational, social and academic functioning along with difficulty in managing personal care.

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A look into Brian Wilson's health issues

Brian Wilson has been suffering from schizoaffective disorder for more than four decades (Image via Michael Ochs/Getty Images)

Brian Wilson's health struggles began when he experienced a slightly diminished hearing in his right ear at the age of 11. He was later diagnosed with nerve impingement but the underlying cause of the disease remained unclear.

The singer’s mother once said the damage occurred after his father Murry allegedly hit him with an iron while he was asleep. On another occasion, she mentioned that the deafness was caused after a neighborhood boy “whacked him in the ear.”

Meanwhile, his father said the musician suffered some injuries during a football game when he was young. The Beach Boys founder himself provided different accounts of the incident. He once mentioned that he was “born deaf” but in another instance he suggested his father hit him in the ear.

In his 2016 memoir, Brian Wilson blamed a neighborhood boy for the injury. The condition led to the singer speaking from the side of his mouth. He also suffers from a ringing in his right ear due to the disease. The rocker attempted to undergo corrective surgery in 1960s but remained unsuccessful in the process.

Wilson was at the height of his career and international success when he suffered his first nervous breakdown incident. The increasing pressures of fame and constant demands of a successful career took a toll on his psychological well-being.

In December 1964, Wilson uncontrollably sobbed about his sudden marriage to Marilyn Rovell while traveling on a plane with his bandmates for a two-week U.S. tour. Following the incident, the singer was replaced by Glen Campbell for the majority of their gigs.

The Grammy Award winner later described it as "the first of a series of three breakdowns” he had experienced at the time. Over the years, the singer distanced himself from the band and started using substances like marijuana and h**hish with his newfound social circle in Hollywood.

Brian Wilson's struggle with addiction grew worse after he started taking psychedelic drugs and went on “L** trips.” Following his growing drug usage, the pop star started having auditory hallucinations during his early 20s.

The Pet Sounds creator was admitted to a psychiatric ward in 1968 and treated for severe anxiety disorder. He was then diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and mild manic depression. Brian Wilson was later admitted to Landy’s program and diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Doctors claimed to have found signs of brain damage due to the singer's recurring drug use. However, Landy’s diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia was later withdrawn. At the time, Wilson reportedly developed a condition called tardive dyskinesia, a form of facial tics.

After his departure from Landy’s program, the musician was diagnosed with organic personality disorder in another healthcare facility. Brian Wilson opened up about living with schizoaffective disorder for nearly four decades during a 2006 interview with Ability Magazine:

“Well, for the past 40 years I’ve had auditory hallucinations in my head, all day every day, and I can’t get them out. Every few minutes the voices say something derogatory to me, which discourages me a little bit, but I have to be strong enough to say to them, “Hey, would you quit stalking me? Don’t talk to me—leave me alone!”

Brian Wilson also shared that the voices in his head told him negative things about himself and worsened when he got on stage. He also revealed about experiencing episodes of “intense fear.”

The musician admitted that he realized the condition began due to his usage of psychedelic drugs but he did not get help until he was at least 40:

“A lot of times people don’t get help as early as they should.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer also shared that treatment has helped him deal with the critical situation:

“It has made my symptoms bearable so I don’t have to go screaming down the street yelling, “Leave me alone, leave me alone,” and that kind of thing.”

Although Wilson’s mental health got better with treatment, the auditory hallucinations stayed with him and made it difficult for him to perform onstage. He postponed his concert dates in 2019 due to his worsening mental condition. At the time the performer wrote:

"I've been struggling with stuff in my head and saying things I don’t mean and I don't know why. Its something I've never dealt with before and we can't quite figure it out just yet."

However, Brian Wilson made another comeback the following month and resumed touring after his recovery. The musician continues to fight with the “voices” in his head but has also learned to combat the demons and emerge stronger.