the biggest thing about bi-polars is their creativity. van gogh was one. when they have their manic episodes they create. wonderful art. photgraphs, paintings, drawings, movies. but once they start being medicated for this disorder, that all goes away.
For what it's worth, I know quite a few people who are bipolar (and medicated for it). Overall I'd probably agree that people who are bipolar are more likely to be artistic, and certainly are more likely to dig into grandiose projects while manic.
I would definately disagree that the creativity goes away with medication. It can, in the sense that if you're too heavily medicated you can't be creative. I mean, you can't do *anything* if you're too heavily medicated as any number of people here on fhdc will agree, I'm sure. When I was taking trazadone it was all I could do to keep my eyes open through most of the day...
Taking medication does not imply losing yourself. Bursts of manic energy are not necessarily creativity; you do not lose your soul when you take medication.
Perhaps I'm a hypocrite though, because you'll note that I refuse medication myself. *shrugs*
she thinks my father might be one. this is the first i've heard her mention that theory. but the whole session she kept referring to "erica's father's bi-polarism", like it was something we always knew existed. i certainly didn't.
I'd take all her comments with a grain of salt. Was your father diagnosed bipolar? No? Then let's be more accurate, perhaps he has bipolar tendencies or maybe he had bipolar-type behavior. You can't just claim that someone has some form of mental illness, the DSM-IV has pretty clear guidelines on what constitutes mental illness.
i hate the thought of this. that the only reason i can do what i do is the side effect of some terrible inbalance of my brain. i'm not eccentric, or talented. just crazy. again, fabulous.
Assume that we disregard all the stuff about a soul, etc, and focus on the physical world. You, the person, your personality is entirely the inbalances in your brain... the hormones that make up your mood, the electrical impulses that are your thoughts, the burnt-in pattern of synapses that is your memory, etc. Your creativity then is entirely based on the physical reality of your body, of your brain.
But, sadly, I think the world slightly more complicated than that. You are more than the chemicals in your head, and you are more than the electric impulses that course through your brain. Your creations, whether they are paintings, poetry, children, whatever, are worth more than the goo in your skull. They are the sum total of your experiences, your personal taste, your moods and a trillion other random factors.
Don't judge yourself for suffering mental illness. Don't blindly call yourself crazy as if it's a dismissive thing. You suffer an illness that you need to learn to manage. That does not make you less of a person, it makes you more of a person.
