3. Ernest Hemingway Survived World War I, Malaria, Skin Cancer, Pneumonia, Two Plane Crashes, Hepatitis, and a Fractured Skull. But Depression Killed Him.
Hemingway, arguably the most celebrated American author of all time, was as manly as a man can be. The image of his father, a moody, bullying, and depressive man, haunted his life. He wanted to resurrect himself in order to release himself from the responsibility for his death and chose to do so by killing himself with his favorite shotgun. The real cause of his death remains unknown though. Was it an accident, a suicide, or a prevalent genetic killer that caused toxic levels of iron to flood the body, ultimately inciting depression and agony? Historians still debate the reasons behind Hemingway’s pulling of the trigger.
At the time of his death, Hemingway was 61 years old. According to Mayo Clinic, just days before his tragic death, the famous author was receiving treatment for what was thought to be hypertension and a “very old” case of hepatitis at Mayo Clinic, a reputable not-for-profit medical hospital. His doctor described his health as “excellent” just a month before he commits suicide. Ernest’s father, brother, sister, and granddaughter also ended their lives, a fact that seems to verify contemporary psychiatry’s suggestion that depression and suicide are in many cases inherited.