The Link Between Artists and Bipolar Disease
"About 1% of the world's population is thought to have some form of bipolar disorder, from mild to severe. Statistically, men and women are equally represented. Approximately 1 in 5 people with bipolar disorder eventually commit suicide. This is 30 times higher than the general population!" Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive illness. It is a brain disorder that causes shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. What happens when a person has bipolar disorder is they go through current episodes of mania and major depression. Unlike the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are very serious. A person that has this illness can have mood swings that go from a very high point (mania) to a very low point (depression) and can usually have periods of normal mood in between. Some people may have symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time, while others may have only slight symptoms of mania. These symptoms worsen and usually result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. The only positive aspect of bipolar disorder is that
She found that 80% of the writers said they had experienced either manic-depressive illness or major depression, while only 30% of the people in noncreative jobs had. In comparison, only 3% to 9% of future scientists, athletes and businesspeople suffered similar symptoms. He argues that people in many professions, including sports, politics and business, are extremely creative. Others still believe that artistic occupations cause bigger symptoms of mental illness. Ludwig, however, believes other factors also contribute to the high rate of mood disorders among artists. Second, both researchers interviewed the artists themselves or had the artists fill out questionnaires. Some people do have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life. The most important thing to recognize is that most artists are not mentally ill, and most mentally ill people are not artists. Ludwig's findings seemed to agree with the link between mental illness and the artistic temperament. Many people with mood disorders turn to alcohol or illegal drugs. They could have been biased or the artists could have misrepresented their mental state. I will conclude this essay by saying that I was very touched by the artists I read about and Kay Jamison wrote about. Artists make this world and interesting world full of creativity and color.
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