Mental illness and creativity are popularly considered to be related, particularly in the case of bipolar disorder. A mental illness, as defined in psychiatry and other mental health professions, is an abnormal mental condition or disorder associated with significant distress and/or disfunction. ... Look up Creativity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Manic Depression redirects here. ...

Bipolar disorder and creativity

The Starry Night painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 in the hospital for mentally disturbed people in St. Rémy de Provence. Van Gogh is considered to have been affected by bipolar disorder and this painting captures the vibrancy associated with mania.

One of the most interesting and misunderstood aspects of bipolar disorder is its general increase in 'creative energy'. It is perhaps one of the best known symptom of the bipolar spectrum. Bipolar disorder is found in disproportionate numbers in people with creative talent such as artists, musicians, authors, performers, poets, and scientists, and some credit the condition for their creativity.^[1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1879x1500, 761 KB) Description: Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh painted 1889. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1879x1500, 761 KB) Description: Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh painted 1889. ... The Starry Night is one of the best known paintings by Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. ... Vincent Willem van Gogh (Dutch pronunciation: ) (March 30, 1853 in Zundert – July 29, 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise) was a Dutch draughtsman and painter, classified as a Post-Impressionist. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Saint-Rémy or Saint-Remy is the name or part of the name of many communes in France: Saint-Rémy, in the Ain département Saint-Rémy, in the Aveyron département Saint-Rémy, in the Calvados département Saint-Rémy, in the Corrèze... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur. ... Look up artist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... An author is the person who creates a written work, such as a book, story, article or the like. ... The performing arts include theater, motion pictures, drama, comedy, music, dance, opera, magic and the marching arts, such as brass bands, etc. ... „The poor poet“ A poet is a person who writes poetry. ... The physicist Albert Einstein is probably the most famous scientist of our time. ... Look up Creativity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Many famous historical figures gifted with creative talents commonly are believed to have been affected by bipolar disorder, and were "diagnosed" after their deaths based on letters, correspondence, contemporaneous accounts, or other material. While the disorder often adds life and energy to creative works, the disorder's depression symptoms can soon push sufferers into a spin of anger and frustration. It is a cycle that many famous talents have had to live with their entire lives.^{[citation needed]}

It has been speculated that the mechanisms which cause the disorder may also spur creativity.^[1]

Kay Redfield Jamison, who herself has the disorder, is considered a leading expert on its relationship to creativity.^[1] Research indicates that while mania may contribute to creativity (see Andreasen, 1988), hypomanic phases experienced in bipolar I, II, and in cyclothymia appear to have the greatest contribution in creativity (see Richards, 1988). This is perhaps due to the distress and impairment associated with full-blown mania, which may be preceded by symptoms of hypomania (i.e. increased energy, confidence, activity), but soon spirals into a state much too debilitating to allow creative endeavor. Kay Redfield Jamison (born October 14, 1946) is an American psychologist and science writer who is an expert on bipolar disorder. ... Cyclothymia is a chronic, but less extreme, form of bipolar disorder that consists of short periods of mild depression alternating with short periods of hypomania. ...

One theory for this is that hypomanic phases of the illness allow for heightened concentration on activities, and the manic phases allow for around-the-clock work with minimal need for sleep. Another theory is that the rapid thinking associated with mania generates a higher volume of ideas, and as well associations drawn between a wide range of seemingly unrelated information.^[1]

The increased energy also allows for greater volume of production.^[1]

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Main article: bipolar disorder

Once known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is a mental illness recognized in the United States of America by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as well as in many other countries throughout the world. It is seen by psychiatrists and other mental health workers as a real and treatable disease. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder alternate between manic (or hypomanic) and depressive states. This change of states is qualitatively different from what an average person would call a mood swing. Manic Depression redirects here. ... Manic Depression redirects here. ... The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association The poopDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, is the handbook used most often in diagnosing mental disorders in the United States. ... For the classical mythological figures named Mania, see Mania (mythology). ... It is common to feel sad, discouraged , or down once in a while, and anyone in this state might say they are suffering from depression. ... A mood swing is an extreme change in mood. ...

Some of the signs of bipolar disorder (Mayo Clinic, 2004) are:

1. A feeling of extreme optimism and an exaggerated self esteem, i.e. euphoria, during manic states.
2. Hasty speech, racing thoughts, anxiety, and increased physical activity.
3. Poor judgment and increased risky behaviors.
4. Trouble sleeping.
5. Being easily distracted and having trouble concentrating.
6. Severe irritability.

Bipolar disorder is a serious and complex illness. Many treatments are available. One common treatment is the medication lithium carbonate. It is one of the oldest effective medication for this illness. It is being replaced by newer medications with less profound side effects. In April 2002, the American Psychiatric Association suggested using lithium or lamotrigine (Lamictal) as the first-line treatment for people in the acute depressive phase of bipolar disorder who were not already taking mood stabilizer medication.^{[citation needed]} Anxiety is an unpleasant complex combination of emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath. ... Irritability is an excessive response to stimuli. ... Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) is a chemical compound of lithium and carbonate that is used as a mood stabilizer in psychiatric treatment of manic states and bipolar disorder. ... The American Psychiatric Association is a professional organization of psychiatrists whose members are American and international physicians who are trained in psychiatry. ... Lamotrigine (marketed as Lamictal by GlaxoSmithKline) is an anticonvulsant drug used in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. ... A mood stabilizer is a psychiatric medication used to treat mood disorders characterized by rapid and unstable mood shifts. ...

Statistics Regarding Bipolar Disorder

1. It is estimated that of the 36 20th century poets represented in the New Oxford Book of American Poetry, 20% were manic depressive. (Jamison, 1990)^{[citation needed]}
2. "2.3 million adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with manic depression." (Princeton University, 2004)
3. "The mortality rate for persons with untreated bipolar illness is higher than those for most types of heart disease and many types of cancer." (Carroll Consulting, 2002)^{[citation needed]}
4. "Twenty to thirty percent of adult bipolar patients report having their first episode prior to age 20. In a survey by the National Depressive and Manic-depressive Association, 59% of respondents reported the onset during childhood or adolescence." (Carroll Consulting, 2004) ^{[citation needed]}
5. "Bipolar children are at higher risk for suicide, substance abuse, violence, and academic failure." (Carroll Consulting, 2004)^{[citation needed]}

(19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... „The poor poet“ A poet is a person who writes poetry. ...

What is Creativity?

One way to conceptualize creativity is to break it into the following three aspects:

1. The product of creative activity.
2. The person behind the creative activity.
3. The process by which a person creates the end product.

Does this actually answer what creativity is? No. According to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, creativity is the ability to produce something new through imaginative skill, whether it is a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form. Many of the major aspects of creativity are considered controversial. These include:

1. Are there creative people and non-creative people, or are some people simply more creative than others?
2. Are differences in creativity innate and unchangeable, or can people be taught to be creative? If there is such a thing as "corporate creativity", or creativity in the business world, is this a different type of creativity? Do these two types of creativity share common properties?
3. Does the creative process produce an "Aha!" moment, like a light bulb going on, or does it happen more gradually, in a series of smaller steps? The "Aha" model can involve a large amount of subconscious activity, but the conscious activity is sudden and happens all at once. This is often called a Gestalt view of creativity, after the Gestalt psychologists, who held that visual details cannot be perceived until the overall visual layout is perceived (Wayne State University, 1999).

Gestalt is a German word whose meaning is only roughly approximated by the English words shape or form. ...

How Creativity Relates to Bipolar Disorder

Studies show that creativity is linked with personality traits sometimes associated with mental illnesses^{[citation needed]}. Bipolar disorder can be linked with “sharpened and unusually creative thinking.” According to Ludwig’s study, it does suggest that the state of general unease contributes to an artist’s accomplishments.

“Studies have been consistently discussed in popular as well as professional publication as having proven connection between affective illness - depression, mania, or both together - and creativity, despite the fact that the first had not been published or reviewed in a scientific journal until quite recently, and the other has a flawed research methodology. The need to believe in a connection between creativity and madness appears to be so strong that the affirmations are welcomed and quoted rather uncritically.”(Albert Rothenberg, M.D., 1990)

Strong added that it was important to note that bipolar disorder patients showed high creativity despite the fact that they were being treated for their condition. Many patients are afraid to take medication for their disorder out of fear that it will impair their creativity, but these findings seem to suggest otherwise (Reuters, 2002). Some studies have shown that people with bipolar disorders and very creative people tend to share some of the same traits.

Below is a graph showing the studies that link bipolar disorder with creativity.

Image File history File links Chart. ...

(Princeton University, 2000)

There may be a link between manic depression and creativity but even if there was, it would only be relevant for a very small percentage of people. “An estimated 2 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorders, with roughly 1/3 of those individuals going untreated. This is a particularly grave statistic, considering that the suicide rate among untreated individuals is up to 20%"(Redfield, 1995).

Works Cited

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Kay Redfield Jamison. Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. ISBN 978-0684831831. 

• Princeton University student Web Project (2000) Retrieved July 19, 2004 from (http://www.molbio.princeton.edu/courses/mb427/2000/projects/002/artists.html)

• Wayne State University College of Lifelong Learning Interdisciplinary Studies Program (winter, 1999) Retrieved July 22, 2004 from (http://www.molbio.princeton.edu/courses/mb427/2000/projects/0002/index3.html)

• Knowledge Projects, book review site, Retrieved July 23, 2004 from (http://www.knowledgeproducts.net/whatiscreat.html)

• Alison McCook Reuters (2002) retrieved July 19, 2004 from (http://www.namiscc.org/Research/2002/Creativity.htm)

• Jamison, Kay Redfield, "Manic-Depressive Illness and Creativity," Mysteries of the Mind, February 1995

• Albert Rothenberg, M.D.(1990), Creativity and Madness, London, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press

• Gutin, "That Fine Madness."

• Chart adapted from chart in Jamison, Kay Redfield, "Manic-Depressive Illness and Creativity," Mysteries of the Mind, February 1995.- also from Princeton University Course site above