Creativity a Mental Illness?
 

Creative people won't enjoy flipping burgers all day in McDonalds for minimum wage, so best give them some happy pills to get them working hard :upsidedow

The world will be a different place if we start medicating these 'Creative' types to make them into robots who just do stuff. :2 cents:


Creativity 'closely entwined with mental illness'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19959565

Creativity is often part of a mental illness, with writers particularly susceptible, according to a study of more than a million people.

Writers had a higher risk of anxiety and bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, unipolar depression, and substance abuse, the Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institute found.

They were almost twice as likely as the general population to kill themselves.

The dancers and photographers were also more likely to have bipolar disorder.
Continue reading the main story

As a group, those in the creative professions were no more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders than other people.

But they were more likely to have a close relative with a disorder, including anorexia and, to some extent, autism, the Journal of Psychiatric Research reports.

Lead researcher Dr Simon Kyaga said the findings suggested disorders should be viewed in a new light and that certain traits might be beneficial or desirable.

For example, the restrictive and intense interests of someone with autism and the manic drive of a person with bipolar disorder might provide the necessary focus and determination for genius and creativity.

Similarly, the disordered thoughts associated with schizophrenia might spark the all-important originality element of a masterpiece.

Dr Kyaga said: "If one takes the view that certain phenomena associated with the patient's illness are beneficial, it opens the way for a new approach to treatment.

"In that case, the doctor and patient must come to an agreement on what is to be treated, and at what cost.

"In psychiatry and medicine generally there has been a tradition to see the disease in black-and-white terms and to endeavour to treat the patient by removing everything regarded as morbid."

Beth Murphy, head of information at Mind, said bipolar disorder personality traits could be beneficial to those in creative professions, but it may also be that people with bipolar disorder are more attracted to professions where they can use their creative skills.

"It is important that we do not romanticise people with mental health problems, who are too often portrayed as struggling creative geniuses.

"We know that one in four people will be diagnosed with a mental health problem this year and that these individuals will come from a range of different backgrounds, professions and walks of live. Our main concern is that they get the information and support that they need and deserve."

I just got done making sweet love to a baloney and apricot jam sandwich. All makes sense now. Thank you for the article.

I've been told I'm "savant-like" with my artwork, so I'd agree.

I barely know a seriously talented musician or writer that doesn't have some sort of mental health issue and very often it has been bipolar and/or ADHD. I have some sort of draw to these types. I guess, I am writer too so maybe that is why but it makes for some of the most interesting and enriching people to know while at the same time the most challenging.

Actually it makes perfect sense. It takes a person to think "outside of the box" to be creative. Most times, that involves people that are astute to alternative likes, beliefs, outlooks on life, etc. Things that mainstream moms and dads at soccer games may find "out there". That's what makes them unique.

Joe Smith on the corner driving his BMW back and forth to the office daily like clockwork is not exactly interesting. He's a fucking robot, designed for one thing. Support and sustenance. Yay, sounds like fun, right? Nope.

The same goes for women. I'm in your boat, always have been.

Yeah, people with ADHD are often very creative. They're also a lot more likely to never be able to hold a job and end up being self-employed. Also more likely to end up as junkies and/or alcoholics.

Every man I have been in love with, apart from my current boyfriend and many of my dearest friends, have turned out to be (or I knew going in) to be ADHD. I am still not fully positive my current one isn't somewhere on the spectrum. He is a poet and musician and my experience tells me if I love him, he is going to turn out to have something. I am just drawn to those mental types in a way I can not explain but is obvious when I look back.

I guess maybe it also takes a certain type of woman/man to be able to deal with partners like that. You can't be somebody who is going to bolt at every moody snap that comes your way. The difficult part is not allowing their ADHD/Bi Polar, etc become an excuse for stuff you should leave them for. I have an ex husband who is learning the difference on his own now.

Ever seen how many of us in this game have insomnia and other 'issues'?

Creativity dude..what an interesting matter...I'm not kidding, I'm serious..

I honestly wish there were more women like you. There are way too many lonely men with mental health problems, because so many women think that male with mental illness = fail.

Maybe the "beauty" of creativity is some form of redemption. Trouble is that it's not always a beautiful thing, and it's not always possessed by beautiful men.

Wait, what?!? You're female?