PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT
AGE: 51 DATE OF REPORT: 08/03/16
Description of client:
M.J.J. was a symbol of glamour and musical genius. A man with dark, curly hair, light skin, 5 feet 7 inches in height, steps on the stage to a crowd of cheering millions awaiting his performance. He wears a black jacket embellished with silver stones, a white shirt and black trousers with his iconic black leather Florsheim loafers and white socks showing through. He appears to seem different from what he looked like during his childhood, with traces of his African American identity visible only in the accent he holds, however apart from that his facial features have seen a complete alteration. His dark complexion as held from childhood changed due to the rare skin condition of Vitiligo, which stopped skin pigmentation. His pointed, aquiline nose, high yet sunken cheekbones, and perfectly set eyebrows define his concern for his appearance, as his features differ greatly from those of his own race. He has no tattoos or marks on his skin; rather he keeps himself covered at times, and setting a fashion statement as he represents the typical pop culture of his era. Whenever M.J. stepped out in the crowd, he had a smile on his face, typically waving at the fans or flashing a peace sign. He is well-responsive in the crowd but has suffered breakdowns, and faced criminal charges which threw him off the limelight for a short period of time. His death was sudden and controversial, which came as a shock to many fans all over the world that lost an iconic celebrity who was confident and steadfast in his beliefs.
Developmental History:
The client is an eight of a total of eight children, born to Joseph Jackson and Katherine Esther Jackson. He had been exposed to the world of show business since his early childhood because he belonged to the Jackson family, which is an American family of singers originating in Gary, Indiana. Beginning his career as a child artist and singing along with his older brothers, M.J. soon came to the limelight as a lead singer of the Jackson 5. His mother was a devout Jehovah’s Witness and his father was a guitarist, who later became a crane operator to support the family. However, he pushed his sons to perform since he saw talent in them.
M.J. had no ordinary childhood as he was a musical sensation since he was 5 years of age. He performed all over the country and was an exemplary figure for the African American community as he was exceptionally gifted as an artist. At the age of 13, he began a solo career, in the year 1972. He had nothing like a boy of his own age. While others were probably in middle school and preparing for high school, M.J. was touring the country, holding concerts and busy in making music videos round the clock.
One thing that M.J. never faced was a failure. As a solo artist, he exposed his creative mind to the world with his musical genius and cleverly executed music videos, which gained him worldwide fame and fortune, which was more than enough to handle.
In the year 1994, he married Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley however before the marriage, M.J. was facing allegations of molesting boys and having sleepovers with them. The marriage ended in 1996, and later that year, M.J. married a nurse, Debbie Rowe. He had a girl and a boy through artificial insemination; however, the marriage ended in 1999, where M.J. had full custody of the children.
His abnormal behavior surfaced when seemed disoriented and perplexed on stage and once he was caught on camera dangling his son from the balcony when he was a baby. In the 2000s, he was constantly caught up in legal suits where he was persecuted and charged with molestation of a 13-year-old boy and intoxication and keeping the boy on his Neverland Ranch. Although he was acquitted not guilty, he faced financial problems and moved to Bahrain. While on his way of making a comeback tour, he suffered death from cardiac failure and died in L.A.
Presenting Problem:
The client is reported to have been a child molester, a pedophile and addicted to medication and drugs. As far as his behavior was concerned, M.J. was reported of being disoriented, and a little out of place, especially since the color of his skin, changed, and he altered his appearance with cosmetic surgery. He had had a huge share of his fame and fortune, and it was following him wherever he went. There was no evidence proved against his molestation charges, yet he was always involved in such lawsuits during the latter part of his career. Moreover, it was troubling for him to face the media when his skin began whitening. The Vitiligo- which is a rare skin condition where pigmentation stops, and the skin begins to whiten- happened to him and the media proposed he was bleaching his skin as a turn to the whites in society. His skin dysmorphism and the allegations were a mental burden he bore to a large extent.
History of the Problem:
The client was never keen on showing the world what he felt and what he was internally going through. It was only after the media questioned his skin’s color, when M.J. revealed the condition and why it was happening. As far as his addiction to medication and the death due to overdose and eventually cardiac failure is concerned, he was a person whose mental difference led to his mental illness. He had skipped a lot of steps growing up as compared to normal individual faces in his life. His childhood was burdensome as he had to be good to be famous and the ‘child’ part of that time period escaped him. He was different from the teenagers of that time, and he felt the neglect that the rest of the world experienced. He had broken relationships, perhaps some that came because of the successful career he had and the financial burdens he faced due to the lifestyle he was then accustomed to. M.J. was burying the pain with medication and his cocktail of drugs that calmed the pain he was harboring. Since he has never spoken of his problems, his internal dilemma gives way to suppositions and various theories.
Previous Interventions:
The client reported no previous interventions.
Personal Strengths:
The client was an icon in his own self. He was creative, talented and very confident and he carried himself with grace and charisma. He did not have strong ties in his personal life, however, he cared well about the children he had from his second marriage and ensured they would live good lives. He had a financial breakdown, yet he was going to make a comeback to society, to regain his confidence and uphold his image.
Diagnosis:
Manic Depression
Severity:
Moderate to severe symptoms of manic depression. Severity resulted in changing his appearance, cosmetic surgery, hair, and makeup too obvious and overdosing on medication resulting in death.
Additional Information:
Having a strong career is a demanding job; when this is coupled with the responsibility of family and choosing between the two, financial outcomes outweigh the results. However, the pain of losing one’s familial relations is unbearable and can cause serious psychological issues.
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https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mining-the-headlines/201006/michael-jackson-king-painhttp://www.biography.com/people/michael-jackson-38211#dr-conrad-murrays-investigation-and-trialhttp://blogs.psychcentral.com/manic-depression/2015/11/05/michael-jackson-mental-illness-versus-mental-difference/
