The Bipolar Brain and the Creative Mind Essay - 1434 Words

The Bipolar Brain and the Creative Mind Our hospital was famous and had housed many great poets and singers. Did the hospital specialize in poets and singers, or was it that poets and singers specialized in madness? ... What is it about meter and cadence and rhythm that makes their makers mad? (1) The link between madness and creativity is one that has been hotly debated in both medical and literary circles for a long time. The two most common types of mental illness theorized to be an influence on creative people such as writers, artists, and poets were schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (2). However, various studies comparing the characteristics of schizophrenics, bipolars, and writers have concluded that schizophrenics do not†¦show more content†¦The other half of bipolar disorder is that which accounts for the great number of suicides among the ranks of bipolar patients: depression (3). Roughly 20% of bipolars committed suicide before effective treatments for the ailment became available (2). Depression is characterized by such symptoms as feelings of exhaustion, sleeping either much more or much less than usual, lowered self-worth, lowered enthusiasm for life, and contemplation of suicide (3). These depressions can last as long as six months to a year. They are f rustrating and frightening to deal with, for unlike other forms of depression there is often no cause for the reversal in mood (3). Patients can cycle rapidly through depressive and manic phases, from four times a year to as often as three or four times a day (3). Manic depression can also be associated with such behavioral problems such as attention deficit disorder (3). Other problems that can appear as a result of the disease are addiction to drugs and alcohol as an attempt to self-medicate, using depressants like alcohol to slow down the manic thought process or using stimulants such as cocaine to attempt to prolong the sense of euphoria also associated with a manic phase (2). Most frightening of all, the disease has been found to be genetic; if one identical twin is bipolar, the other is 80% likely to suffer from it, whether the two are raised together orShow MoreRelatedThe Correlation between Creativity and Madness1594 Words   |  7 Pagesstatement There lies a link between creativity and madness and the association stems from the need of an unconventional thought process to spark creativity and biological factors surrounding the brains of both creative individuals, and mentally ill patients. Could it be Madness? A correlation between a more creative individual and a mentally ill patient exists, and it is highly likeable that the former could be the latter. The issue of whether great mental abilities, whether it’s creativity in crafts suchRead MoreMental Illness And Musicians : Writing A Song Essay1242 Words   |  5 Pagesthere. Without an emotional basis to stimulate inspiration, nothing of creative value can be accomplished. Musicians consistently look to their emotions when it comes to song writing. Passion is a key ingredient in producing something of artistic significance. By that logic, a more emotional person should also be a more creative one. But what about those with bipolar disorder? Wouldn’t their periods of mania be a sort of creative gold mine? Mental illness can drive creativity and can be proven throughRead MoreEssay about Bipolar Disorder: Illness and Treatment693 Words   |  3 PagesBipolar disorder is characterized by unusual and sudden changes in mood, e nergy, activity levels affecting the ability to perform everyday tasks, impacting negatively relationships, professional life and often leading to suicide. Bipolar disorder usually show signs in adolescence or early adulthood and is a long term condition that must be appropriately treated in order to improve the life quality of the patient. Often people suffering from bipolar disorder also suffer addiction to drugs and alcoholRead MoreBipolar Vs. Depression - Bipolar And Depression974 Words   |  4 PagesBipolar vs. Depression When you think of someone with bipolar disorder or depression you automatically think of someone who is crazy. A lot of very successful people life day to day with this disorder.At the age of 22 ,Demi Lovato, started rehab for her bipolar disorder. Demi got to the point where she would cut herself along with getting addicted to drugs. Demi once said, It s possible to live well, fell well, and also find happiness with bipolar disorder or any other mental illness they reRead MoreBipolar Disorder And Schizophrenia Disorder1354 Words   |  6 PagesAn Unquiet mind was a fascinating book about the life of Kay Redfield Jamison and her battle with manic-depressive disorder, otherwise known as bipolar disorder. This memoir gave an intelligent perspective of the emotional battle people face when dealing with bipolar disorder, as well as an understanding on the reality and nature of this illness. This book follows very closely to the research based on bipolar disorder, which gave a good info rmational perspective as well as emotional insight. ThroughRead MoreBipolar Disorder : Mental Health Diagnosis797 Words   |  4 PagesBipolar disorder is a mental health diagnosis when a person can experience extremely different moods. It also can affect the brain during the progression of the illness. A person with this diagnosis usually experiences mood changes of extremely high moods/ manic or extremely low moods which look like depression. There are two different types of Bipolar disorders. The first is Bipolar I which is when a person’s mood can go to severe mania or severe depression. The second type is Bipolar II whichRead MoreThe Surfacing Field Of Posttraumatic Growth1748 Words   |  7 Pagesmental illness one’s mind travels to other thoughts; this is how creative processes form in their mind. They see the world differently than others and create their visions or thoughts onto paper or sculpt it. Creativity can also be an escape from the suffering. Th e surfacing field of posttraumatic growth is showing how people can turn trauma into creative growth. There is evidence that shows links between mental illness and artistic ability. Affective disorders, such as bipolar disorder, have beenRead MoreMarasco 10. . Depression. By. Mary Katherine Marasco. Ms.3212 Words   |  13 Pageschanges in brain chemistry. Interestingly, the same changes in brain chemistry associated with mental illness also contribute to higher levels of creativity, higher IQs, and overall cognitive function, creating the famous characterization of the Mad Genius. Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:, Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:h Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:ghe Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:at Comment by Grammarly: Deleted:, Instead, the brain controls emotion. Many abnormalities in the brain lead to depressionRead MoreEssay on Edgar Allen Poes Fall of House of Usher1733 Words   |  7 PagesBipolar disorder affects many people today as well as in the time of Edgar Allen Poe when it was then called melancholia. Poe was diagnosed with this disorder and it plays an integral role in his story, â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† (1839). This story is heavily influenced by this disorder or its presently associated symptoms and also describes one way that bipolar disorder can genetically affect an entire family. To fully understand a story involving this disorder, it is cardinal to know theRead MoreThe, The And, And Artist, Georgia O Keefee, By Edgar Allen Poe1108 Words   |  5 Pagesmust be some scientific explanation to account for so many creative minds succumbing to their darkness. Not until 1987 did researchers begin to explore this link. Dr. Nancy Andreason of the University of Iowa found that a sample of creative writers had significantly higher levels of bipolar disorder than a control group of similar intelligence. She also discovered that â€Å" the writer’s first-degree relatives were more likely both to be creative and predisposed to mental illness, implying that the two