Antisocial personality disorder is a type of chronic mental condition in which a person's ways of thinking, perceiving situations and relating to others are dysfunctional and destructive. People with antisocial personality disorder typically have no regard for right and wrong and often disregard the rights, wishes and feelings of others. Those with antisocial personality disorder tend to antagonize, manipulate or treat others either harshly or with callous indifference. They may often violate the law, landing in frequent trouble, yet they show no guilt or remorse. They may lie, behave violently or impulsively, and have problems with drug and alcohol use. These characteristics typically make people with antisocial personality disorder unable to fulfill responsibilities related to family, work or school.
The great
Indian playback singer and actor Kishore Kumar (1929 - 1987) had many talents.
He was a creative man throughout his life. However he had roller coaster of
moods and impulses that affected his relationship with others sometimes
impacting his professional career. Those who knew him reported that at times
Kishore Kumar had unusual behavior patterns. Considering these evidences one
can merely conclude that Kishore Kumar mayhave suffered fromCyclothymia.
Cyclothymia
is a relatively mild mood disorder. In cyclothymic disorder, moods
swing between short periods of mild depression and hypomania, an elevated mood.
The low and high mood swings never reach the severity of major depression or
full mania. Cyclothymia is characterized by fluctuating low-level depression
along with periods of hypomania. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of
an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate
depressive symptoms.
The German
psychiatrist Ewald Hecker first used the term “cyclothymiain 1877.
Historically, cyclothymia has been used broadly to refer either to a
temperament or the entire range of bipolar disorders (van Valkenburg et al.,
2006). The DSM-IV and ICD-10 define "cyclothymia" or "cyclothymic
disorder" as a long lasting, sub-affective disorder with
frequent shifts between hypomanic and (sub) depressive states (Brieger &
Marneros, 1997).Cyclothymia is
best identified as an exaggeration of cyclothymic temperament (basic
mood and emotional instability) with early onset and extreme mood reactivity
linked with interpersonal and separation sensitivity, frequent mixed features
during depressive states(Perugi et al.,
2015).
Howland and Thase
(1993) believed that some forms of cyclothymia are strongly
associated with bipolar disorder. Akiskal et al (2003) stated that
Depressions arising from a cyclothymic temperament-even when meeting full
criteria for hypomania-are likely to be misdiagnosed as personality disorders.
In Kishore Kumar’s
casehe seemed to havemost of the symptomatology ofcyclothymia. He had periods of
euphoria, periods of depression, irritability and agitated behavior etc.Kishore Kumar married four times and
had unstable relationships.
Following behavior
indicate Kishore Kumar’s unusual mental state.
Kumaris said to havebeen paranoid about not being paid. During recordings, he
would sing only after his secretary confirmed that the producer had made the
payment. On one occasion, when he discovered that his dues had not been fully
paid, he appeared on set with makeup on only one side of his face. When the
director questioned him, he replied “Half make-up for half payment” (Filmfare
1–15 November 1987).
According to another
reported incident, once Kumar was due to record a song for producer-director G.
P. Sippy. As Sippy approached his bungalow, he saw Kumar going out in his car.
Sippy asked Kumar to stop his car but Kumar increased his speed. Sippy chased
him to Madh Island where Kumar finally stopped his car near the ruined Madh
Fort. When Sippy questioned his strange behavior, Kumar refused to recognize or
talk to him and threatened to call the police. The next morning, Kumar reported
for the recording session. An angry Sippy questioned him about his behaviour
the previous day but Kumar said that Sippy must have dreamt the incident and
said that he was in Khandwa on the previous day(One evening with Kishore Kumar Khandwewala".
India FM. 1 February 2007).
Once, a producer went
to court to get a decree that Kumar must follow the director's orders. As a
consequence, he obeyed the director to the letter. He refused to alight from
his car until the director ordered him to do so. After filming a car scene in
Mumbai, Kumar drove until he reached Khandala because the director forgot to
say "Cut" (Valicha, Kishore (1998) [1998]. Kishore Kumar: The
Definitive Biography. Penguin Books).
Kishore
Kumar had put a "Beware of Kishore" sign at the door of his Warden
Road flat, where he stayed for some time while his bungalow was being done up.
Once, producer-director H. S. Rawail, who owed him some money, visited his flat
to pay the dues. Kishore Kumar took the money, and when Rawail offered to shake
hands with him, he reportedly put Rawail's hand in his mouth, bit it, and asked
"Didn’t you see the sign?". Rawail laughed off the incident and left
quickly.
Kishore Kumar was a
loner; in an interview with Pritish Nandy (1985) he said that he had no
friends—he preferred talking to his trees instead. Once, when a reporter made a
comment about how lonely he must be, Kishore Kumar took her to his garden,
named some of the trees there and introduced them to the reporter as his
closest friends (Valicha, Kishore (1998).
Professor Giulio
Perugi University of Pisa, Institute of Behavioral Sciences "G.DeLisio",
Pisa, Italy (Personal Communication, 2016) surmises thatKishore Kumarmay have hadCyclothymia. In additionhe had hypomanic and depressive period of
the Bipolar II type. Professor Giulio Perugi further states that this is the
most common combination among artists and very creative people.
Anna Van Meter -Assistant Professor of psychology at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology (Personal Communication , 2016) states that the description of Kishore Kumar does sound consistent with a mood or psychotic disorder. If he met diagnostic criteria for mania and/or major depression at any point, then it is likely that he had bipolar I or II, rather than cyclothymic disorder. The psychotic symptoms might also be explained by one of these diagnoses, if they occurred only within a mood episode – otherwise, it may have been schizoaffective disorder. Without knowing more about the chronicity (versus distinct episodes) and severity of Mr. Kumar’s symptoms, it is hard to say which diagnosis fits best.
Acknowledgements 1) Professor Giulio Perugi University of Pisa, Institute of Behavioral Sciences "G.DeLisio", Pisa, Italy 2) Professor Anna Van Meter - The Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
References
Akiskal HS Hantouche
EG, Allilaire JF.(2003).JBipolar II with and without cyclothymic temperament:
"dark" and "sunny" expressions of soft bipolarity. Affect
Disord. ;73(1-2):49-57.
Brieger, P., Marneros
A.(1997).[What is cyclothymia?].Nervenarzt. ;68(7):531-44.
Howland RH1, Thase
ME.(1993).A comprehensive review of cyclothymic disorder.J Nerv Ment Dis.
;181(8):485-93.
Perugi, G .,
Hantouche, E ., Vannucchi, G ., Pinto O.(2015).Cyclothymia reloaded: A
reappraisal of the most misconceived affective disorder.J Affect
Disord. 1;183:119-33.
van Valkenburg, C .,
Kluznik, J.C., Speed, N., Akiskal, H.S.(2006).Cyclothymia and labile
personality: is all folie circulaire?J Affect Disord. ;96(3):177-81.
