Creativity and Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a disorder
that affects a realitive small part of the population. Unlike unipolar
disorder, also known as major affective disorder or depression, bipolar
disorder is characterized by vacillating between periods of elation
and depression.
Bipolar disorder is not an illness that remedies itself over time; people affected with
manic depression are manic-depressives for their entire lives. Researchers have been trying to
diagnose the onset of bipolar disorder in a patient faster and to more
effectively treat it. Studies have been performed on
this disease, the occurrence between extreme creativity and manic
depression have been uncovered.
　
Patients with bipolar disorder swing between major depressive, mixed,
hypomanic, and manic episodes. A major depressive episode is when
the patient has either a depressed mood or a loss of interest/pleasure in
normal activities for a period of at least two weeks. The patient
should have a depressed mood for most of the day, nearly every
day; decreased interest or pleasure in activities; weight loss or gain
di insomnia or increased sleep
psychomotor agitation or retardation; fatigue or loss of
energy; diminished ability to think or concentrate; feelings of
worthlessness; recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation or
attempt.

With the major depressive episodes, patients with manic depression also feel
periods of hypomania. A hypomanic episode must be a period of at least
four days, during which the affected person feels elevated or irritated
inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, more
talkative than usual, flight of ideas or racing thoughts, distractibility,
psychomotor agitation or an increase in goal-directed activity, excessive
involvement in pleasurable activities that may have negative consequences
and marked poor judgement. This change in mood is observable by others and medications,
substance abuse, or another medical condition does not cause the symptoms.

The next progression from hypomania is mania, which is a more extreme case of
hypomania. A manic episode is a period of an elevated or irritable mood
for at least one week. The symptoms must cause problems in daily
functioning and cannot be caused by a medical condition or drugs.
Manic symptoms are: inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need
for sleep, more talkative than usual, flight of ideas or racing thoughts,
attention easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant items, increase in
goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation, and excessive involvement
in pleasurable activities which may have negative consequences and psychotic
tendencies with hallucinations may occur.

Also bipolar disorder patients may also go through mixed episodes,
which are periods when the patient has both a manic
episode and a major depressive episode every day for at least one week.
The person may not mind the mania or may be in denial of the disease, and since it only lasts a
few hours, no one else may even notice. By the time people actually
begin to notice the manic-depressive cycle or the mania it has
reached a point where the patient is barely able to function
normally. the difference between mania and hypomania.
　
Researchers are still seeking the cause of manic depression. The most
popular theory is that the disorder is caused by an imbalance of
norepinephrine and serotonin. During manic periods there are unusually
high levels of norepinephrine and serotonin while, during depressed
periods, there are unusually low levels. The biological explanation is
also supported by genetic features. Many twin studies have been
performed which have shown a predominance of bipolar disorder among
identical and fraternal twins with the chance of inheritance in identical twins
Bipolar patients often have a family history of both bipolar and unipolar
disorder. In addition the preferred method of treatment for bipolar disorder
is medication.
　
Treatment for manic depression consists of mood stabilizers, medications
that balance the manic and depressive states experienced by patients with
bipolar disorder. The most common treatment, or the first medication
attempted, is Lithium. Lithium increases the serotonin and norepinephrine
this causes its counterbalancing effects of mania and depression.
However, many patients do not respond to Lithium
Some say that this is due to the drug, while others maintain that
it is due to lack of consistency in taking the drug.
Lithium is not effective for all types of bipolar disorder, so other
medications have been produced to help Lithium resistant individuals.

Anticonvulsants are the second medications to control the
symptoms of bipolar disorder. Valproate and Carbamazepine are
the two used more frequently. Medication seems to be the best treatment for
bipolar disorder. Psychotherapy is also helpful, particularly
a therapy which focuses on readjusting patient's
perceptions of life. However, patients still experience symptoms.


One interesting factor with bipolar disorder is the creativity of those afflicted.
This is not the normal creativity experienced by the
above-average people. This creativity is the
creative genius, which is so rare, yet a large percentage of the
well-known creative people were/are afflicted with manic depression.
Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky.
Psychiatrists, realizing a connection that is not just coincidence, have
performed studies all over the world in an attempt to establish a link
between bipolar disorder and creativity.
　

Biographical studies of earlier generations of artists and writers which show that they a
greater rate of suicide as compared to the general population
The results of these studies provide proof that there is a link between
bipolar disorder and creative genius
The studies show that it is not is not whether or not there exists a connection
between the two, but why it exists.

One common feature in mania or hypomania is the increase in unusually
creative thinking and productivity. The thought processes of mania is faster and more fluent than normal
which influences creative thought,. Manic people often
speak and think in rhyme more than non-manic people.
The lifestyles of manic-depressives in their manic phase
is comparable to those of creative people. Both groups function on very
little sleep, restless attitudes, and they both exhibit depth and emotion
beyond normal. Biologically speaking, the brain functioons at a faster rate
and it can respond quickly and intellectually with
a range of changes.
The manic state is speeded upand allows more room for creativity because the person feels capable of anything.
Inhibitions do not exist in manic people, allowing
them to become creative geniuses. They understand a part of art, music,
and literature which normal people can not attempt.

The manic state is in complete opposite to the depressive phase of bipolar patients.

In the depressed phase, patients only see gloom and boundaries. They feel
helpless, and out of this helplessness comes the creativity. The only
way bipolar patients can survive their depressed phases, oftentimes, is to
release their despondency through some creative work.
Since the states of mania and depression are so different,
the two ends up being chaotic. Looking at some works of literature
or music, it can be noticed which phase the creator was in at the time of
composition. . Researchers say that most actual compositions result from this
in-between period because this is the only time when the patient can
physically deliver something worthwhile. Because the phases are so
chaotic, the ideas flow during the manic and depressive states, but the
final, developed products are formed during the normal periods.
The major problem with bipolar disorder is that drug
treatment often decreases or takes away the creativity in the patient. Before
drug therapy was not used, the creativity would be free.
But in order for the bipolar to cope with day to day
living, their creativity must be sacrificed. Doctors and
researchers are constantly searching to provide treatment for the
symptoms. In the case of bipolar disorder, the world benefits
from the mood swings exhibitedby these patients.
Though their ability to function properly in life since the
cycling between manic and depressive phases is so traumatic and energy
depleting, creativity is something to conserve. With more effective drug treatment
hopefully there will be medication that will allo the
creative genius of the patients to survive and allow them to function in society
with a better quality of life.