The amazing careers of Hincks and Beers

The personalities and mental health problems of Clifford W. Beers and Clarence M. Hincks are described. Both became internationally acclaimed leaders in the development of the voluntary mental health movement in the United States and Canada. Both had sudden and dramatic onsets of mental disorder during early adulthood. Both had cyclothymic personalities, the down swings being sufficiently serious to interrupt their work. Beers' initial breakdown developed into a profound mental illness requiring institutional care for three years. The final diagnosis was manic-depressive psychosis. Hincks was never psychotic although his repeated depressions were often deep and painful. Both were very creative and achieved remarkable success in spite of significant mental health handicaps.