Health Spirit Body

Menu
  • Home
  • Health
  • Weight Loss
  • Nutrition
Home
Health
Scientists Say Mood Disorders Often Related To High Intelligence And Creativity
Health

Scientists Say Mood Disorders Often Related To High Intelligence And Creativity

Don Patrick July 13, 2017

Throughout history, some of the most creative artists, actors, musicians, and intellectuals have proven to be among the most volatile in temperament, often experiencing significant mood swings and personality disorders.

Some such as painter Vincent Van Gogh, composer Beethoven, and writers Virginia Woolf and Silvia Plath became quite notorious for their outbursts — often displaying erratic behavior littered with violent outbursts.

Though the aforementioned lived long before the introduction of mood stabilizing pharmaceuticals, it is certain that if they were alive today, they’d be among the millions of people prescribed drugs to help level their emotions/mood. Unfortunately, this scenario doesn’t require any great stretch of the imagination, considering almost seventy-nine million Americans take some form of psychiatric drug — including over a million children under the age of five.

But, at what cost?

A Modern Take On The Classic Temperamental Artist

Throughout history, many great thinkers and artists have been known to possess “eccentric” personalities, exemplifying behaviors that could be considered downright bizarre.

Thankfully, there was a time that society overlooked such behavior and gave many of these individuals a relative wide-berth of freedom to express their gift as they recognized the creative genius within.

Today, we might classify these same people as eccentric, or bipolar — a chronic mental illness or extreme changes in mood, alternating between euphoric mania and the depths of depression. The episodes can occur a couple of times a week or just a few times a year.

There are three primary types of the disorder, which include:

Bipolar I: One or more manic cycles either before or after a depressive episode.

Bipolar II: One or more major depressive episodes lasting at least two weeks, with a mild manic cycle lasting at least four days.

Cyclothymic Disorder: Cycles of mild mania and depressive episodes that last for two years or longer. The mood swings are generally less severe in this particular form of the disorder.

Even though there are different categories of the disorder, the symptoms tend to be similar in most people. Here are the most common exhibited traits:

Mania

  • Overly happy or outgoing mood for a long period of time
  • Severe irritability
  • Talking quickly, rapidly transitioning different ideas during a conversation, or having racing thoughts
  • Inability to focus
  • Starting numerous new activities or projects
  • Feeling very fidgety
  • Sleeping too little or not at all
  • Acting impulsively and partaking in dangerous behaviors

Depression

  • Persistent feelings of extreme grief or despair (depression) for a long period of time
  • Loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable
  • Sleeping too much or too little
  • Thinking or talking about death or suicide
  • Attempted suicide
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, and making decisions
  • Irritability or anxiety
  • Eating too much or too little

Hypomania

Hypomania symptoms are the same as mania symptoms, but differ in two distinct ways:

  • With hypomania, mood swings usually aren’t severe enough to interfere significantly with a person’s ability to carry out daily activities.
  • No psychotic symptoms occur during a hypomanic episode. During a manic episode, psychotic symptoms may include delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia.

What these clinical classifications fail to address is that in many cases, the disorder is also linked to high levels of creativity and intelligence.

Bipolar Disorder: The Flip Side

When an individual experiences a manic or hypomanic episode, they often feel inspired and ambitious, which in turn, fosters a willingness to engage in a new creative endeavor. In fact, a large number of remarkably creative people are also bipolar. And now the results of several scientific studies may help explain why this may be the case.

In one study, the team examined the IQ of nearly 2,000 8-year-old children and compared the data with those same children who developed manic traits by the age of 22 or 23. What they discovered is that high childhood IQ was positively associated with bipolar symptoms later in life.

“There is something about the genetics underlying the disorder that is advantageous. One possibility is that serious disorders of mood – such as bipolar disorder – are the price that human beings have had to pay for more adaptive traits such as intelligence, creativity, and verbal proficiency,” said lead researcher Daniel Smith of the University of Glasgow.

But he’s quick to add that having a high IQ is not a clear-cut risk factor for developing the disorder. Instead, other variables — such as environmental influences like exposure to maternal influenza in the womb or childhood sexual abuse — may trigger the illness if there is a genetic tendency for it.

Another study found a link between genetics, bipolar disorder, and creativity. The researchers reviewed the DNA of over 86,000 people in the search for specific genes that increased the risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. They also took care to document if the participants were involved in the arts — such as music, dancing, acting, and writing. Results of the data showed that creative’s are up to 25% more likely to carry genes associated with bipolar and schizophrenia, compared to their noncreative counterparts.

“Our findings suggest that creative people may have a genetic predisposition toward thinking differently, which, when combined with other harmful biological or environmental factors, could lead to mental illness,” Robert A. Power of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King’s College London.

In closing, for those diagnosed with the disorder, it could be argued that the creative and highly intelligent individuals are sacrificed on the altar of “normalcy” by way of the pharmaceutical industry. Are we doing a disservice to the arts by medicating our geniuses to a state of mental mediocrity?

Sound off in the comments and share this article with friends and family by clicking the button below!

Share
Tweet
Email
Prev Article
Next Article

Related Articles

marijuana weightloss
If you’ve smoked marijuana, you’re likely familiar with the “munchies” …

Studies Show Marijuana May Help Fight Obesity

Sleeping On Your Left Side
While getting enough sleep is important for our physical and …

Health Benefits Of Sleeping On Your Left Side

baking soda for puffy eyes
Tiredness is one of the most common causes of under-eye …

How To Use Baking Soda For Puffy Eyes

do eggs cause constipation
Do Eggs Cause Constipation? What Can You Do To Prevent …

Do Eggs Cause Constipation? What Can You Do To Prevent It?

Popular Posts

  • Can you eat pizza with braces
    Can You Eat Pizza With Braces? How …
    February 6, 2023 0
  • Why am I craving milk
    Why Am I Craving Milk? What Does …
    February 7, 2023 0
  • Do cherries make you poop
    Do Cherries Make You Poop? Everything Explained …
    February 9, 2023 0
  • Vaginal Whitening
    Vaginal Whitening: Safety Vaginal Bleaching Alternatives in …
    February 10, 2023 0
  • how to get rid of knee fat
    How to Get Rid of Knee Fat …
    February 11, 2023 0

Related Posts

  • slimming drink
    Try This Simple Slimming Drink With Powerful …
    October 31, 2021 0
  • Being in a Happy Relationship is Making You Fat, Scientist Confirms
    Being in a Happy Relationship is Making …
    October 27, 2021 0
  • chocolate health benefits
    Harvard Scientists Reveal Eating Chocolate Regularly Reduces …
    January 4, 2022 0
  • Best Female Endomorph Workout Plan
    Best Female Endomorph Workout Plan
    March 9, 2022 0
  • affordable insulin road trip
    $34 In Canada, $380 In The U.S.: …
    July 9, 2019 0

Health Spirit Body

Health Information For A Better You
Copyright © 2023 Health Spirit Body
About | DMCA | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT