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Essay about Mental Disorders: Glenn Gould

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Glenn Gould

People face anxiety many times in their lives; this may be before a new experience or while making big life decisions. Imagine a person’s career being a major reason for their anxiety for over ten years. Glenn Gould was a remarkable man whose constant struggle with anxiety and narcissistic behavior led to unconventional coping methods. Glenn Gould started to experience anxiety every time he played the piano on stage starting in his pre-adolescence and throughout the rest of his life (although he stopped playing in public at the age of thirty-one). Considering Glenn Gould played in many piano concerts, this proves to be a huge accomplishment. However, Gould’s anxiety and social phobia was heightened by his narcissistic …show more content…

She caused him to be afraid of crowds by constantly warning him not to go to crowded places (Ostwald, 1997). This is a warning he obeyed throughout his life, which is another example of how compliant he was to his mother’s instruction. She also instilled his perfectionist behavior in him, especially when it came to piano playing. She did this by “[encouraging him] to strike the “right” notes, and if he hit a “wrong” one, [she] grimaced, her body became tense, and words of disapproval crossed her lips” (Ostwald, 1997, p.44). Since music was a great part of Glenn’s life it was apparent that his bond with his mother was stronger, since they both shared their love for music. Therefore, I believe it is evident that Gould’s mother’s role in his life was one of great significance, and his relationship with his father was not as strong in comparison to his relationship with his mother. The interesting thing about this is that his father made him a chair to use while he played the piano, and he continued to use this chair till the end of his piano playing in public. The wear and tear of the chair eventually began to cause Glenn problems, which Ostwald notes, “the weight of his body had to come down on his perineum and genitals” (Ostwald, 1997, pg. 304-305). Therefore, the chair was causing him discomfort, but this did not stop Gould from using the chair his father had built for him. I believe this

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