A It appears to be a growing problem not only in the United States, but also worldwide. And that leads many people, including author Michael Fitzgerald, to ask a question. Does the now, widespread treatment of manic depression somehow suppress some of the richest creativity that accompanies this problem?
Fitzgerald is the author of a new book, Genius Genes, in which he suggests that special forms of creativity are associated with a variety of cognitive disorders, including manic depression.
Einstein, for example, worked as a patent clerk for so long, according to Fitzgerald because he was too disruptive to hold a professorship at a university. Not only that, but Charles de Gaulle was said to suffer from a cognitive disorder as well – Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.
Kay Jamison, herself afflicted with manic depression, is the author of the book, Touched by Fire, and a clinical psychologist at Johns Hopkins University, said that creativity and mental illness is a theme that recurs throughout the history and study of psychiatry.
The eccentricity of many great writers, for example, is well-documented. A high proportion of them – poets in particular – had symptoms that could well be described as manic depression.
But these questions about creative and mental disorders are not idle ruminations. Some individuals worry that the ability to effectively “weed out” genes that may cause these mental disorders, including manic depression, may in some way stunt the creativity of our culture.
The fact that the gene is even present in the DNA gives scientists a moment of reflection. They point to the gene that causes sickle-cell anemia as an analogy. Many scientists wondered for many years why the gene persisted. According to Darwin’s theory, it should have been bred out of the human race long ago.
Then, the scientific community realized that the same gene which caused sickle cell anemia also protected those individuals from acquiring malaria, then it became ever clearer why the presence of that gene exists. It indeed was necessary to the survival of the human race.
Could it be the same theory with the genes that may trigger these mental disorders, including manic depression? After all, the richness of humanity and the very fabric of our culture are in a large part attributable to the diversity of each individual’s minds.
Having said that though, the creativeness associated with such health disorders as manic depression must be weighed against the despair, drug addiction and other problems that are routinely associated with the condition.
For every individual who may be a creative genius, how many individuals are losing their lives . . . destroying not only their lives but the lives of those around them . . . because of untreated manic depression?
Manic depression is characterized by swings of emotion that range from euphoric mania to severe depression. Those who are afflicted with manic depression are subject to the possibility of suicide as well as wild manic episodes whose characteristics may include feelings of grandeur, psychotic episodes, several sleepless nights in a row, as well as racing thoughts, and inappropriate risk taking.
For more resources regarding bipolar or even about symptom of bipolar disorder and especially about bipolar medication please review these pages.
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