DISCUSSION ON THE LINK BETWEEN MENTAL ILLNESS AND CREATIVITY 4

          SALVADOR DALI

 

   

                                VIRGINIA WOOLF   SYLVIA PLATH 

 

THIS IS PART FOUR IN THE SERIES "IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN MENTAL ILLNESS AND CREATIVITY"

Discussion of the Link Between Mental Illness and Creativity

Although the motivations of subjects in the rumination study may be questionable, the sample size small, and the measure of creativity limited, most other aspects of the study appear to be solid and valid. The discrepancy of past studies on creativity and mental illness and the difficulty in defining those terms have been considered.

They, then, creatively implemented a study to show support for a new view on the mental illness/creativity causal link. A relatively recent study in 2005 provides a solid basis from which to formulate their hypothesis. It appears that the link of rumination may indeed be the key between creativity and mental illness. According to their findings, the 2005 study states, “…that self-rumination independently (a) increases the risk for depression and (b) spurs interest in and ability for creative behavior.”

Despite the contradictions and flaws in the many studies cited above, it seems overwhelmingly possible that the creativity/mental illness link exists when taking into account the numerous possible connections made by these studies.

How to be Effective with Highly Creative Clients

How can this information help counselors become more effective when treating highly creative clients? A goal for mental health professionals is to help clients find the most healthy way possible to live with mental illness and yet not sacrifice creativity. Creativity is generally considered valuable. Abraham Maslow (1971) and Carl Rogers (1970), two important and innovative founders of psychology theory, both support the notion that “…creativity is the epitome of mental health.” The flexibility inherent in the creative process is necessary to help people navigate our present world where things are constantly changing. Much of the research shows that creativity is beneficial and healthy. Creativity helps people to problem solve, and problem solving is essential in therapeutic treatment.

Not only counseling professionals, but also the public, need to understand better the causal links between mental disorders and creativity. Not every creative client is affected or responds in the same way.  For example, even though the manic swings in bipolar individuals can be both inspirational and debilitating, the disorder ultimately appears to cause more suffering than good.

Can the creative process be used to help soothe individuals with mental illness? Many of the abstractionist artists used their creativity to help their dysfunction, therefore, demonstrating that creative expression is healing to both clients and others. However, the self-reflective rumination involved in creating poetry may increase symptoms of mental illness in poets, especially female poets, according to Kaufman and Baer (2002). By understanding these differences counselors can apply more sensitivity and individuality in their individual treatment approach!

Is creativity a good thing or a bad thing? Should counselors encourage creativity in their clients? One researcher maintains “…the line between creativity and madness is a fine one, probably permeable.” To cross the line into the primitive self too often is dangerous, however—like bouncing between insanity and sanity. This bodes especially badly for abstractionists.

Perhaps one of the best methods of helping creative clients with their issues is to educate others. Debunk traditional beliefs:  (1) that suffering for art and an imbalance of emotions is inevitable in the creative process;  (2) that even though creative people are necessarily original and therefore, deviate from the norm, creative achievement and deviant behavior do not necessarily go hand-in-hand;  (3) that, contrary to the opinions of many mentally ill creative clients, diminishing the symptoms of mental illness will help, not hurt the creative process.

These creative clients need help with coping strategies in managing moods and improving self-care. It is important to apprise clients of the psychological risks associated with the creative process and ways they can avoid these risks. Be aware that the thought process of psychosis and bipolar illness are fundamentally different from the thought processes of highly creative people, and learn to distinguish between creative thinking and disturbed, psychotic thinking.

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IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN CREATIVITY AND MENTAL ILLNESS 3

 

A Cow Ruminating

"What if Schopenhauer was wrong and cows don't have rights?"

Supports: The Case for the Link

A famous study on Abstract Expressionist artists by Schildkraut et al. (1994) refutes other researchers’ findings that there is a lack of evidence to support the link between creativity and mental illness. Schildkraut et al. made an empirical study on case studies of 15 contemporary artists of the New York School of Abstractionism. While the article admits that criteria for including subjects into a study are usually somewhat arbitrary, it maintains that the amazingly high coincidence of psychopathology in these creative artists show a link between mental disorders and creative individuals.

Despite possible questions that can be raised regarding the time perspective in the experimental design of their study, these researchers found impressive ratios that showed most artists suffered from depressive disorders compounded by alcoholism. Noteworthy is that seven of the 15 artists were dead before the age of 60 and most suffered dysfunctions in relationships, specifically shown by the high rate of divorce among these artists.

Some researchers agree that they find a common thread in the ability and/or willingness of creative people to regress into primitive thought and cross the line between rationality and irrationality. Artists, themselves, claim that they need to keep in touch with their primitive selves because it is a well-spring of inspiration.

Based on several case studies, the process of "dedifferentiation" in manic states is explained—that it is a process of regression involving the denial of loss. In the regression process, for example, the individual with bipolar illness does not lose sense of self, but refuses to choose between various aspects of the self. The regression process appears to be similar to primitive thinking and, therefore, may support the hypothesis that creativity requires the ability to cross back and forth between rational and irrational states. It seems the importance of abstractionist artists being in touch with their primitive sides to create their unique modern art may be paramount. The manic regressive state found in bipolar subjects is also similar to the Janusian thought process. It is noteworthy that most research on creativity makes a link between mental illness and the requisite cognitive processes involved in the creative process.

Janusian thinking, therefore, is required to form creative ideas. Many researchers maintain that bipolar patients, having a high tendency for Janusian thinking, are inclined to be more creative than the general population. Other research uncovered higher correlations between bipolar illness and creativity in studies that were more solidly designed. Therefore, the more rigorous and in-depth investigations support the link between the cognitive processes of bipolar patients and creativity, thereby supporting a general link between mental illness and creativity.

As remarkable the link between creativity and mental illness seems, some researchers doubt that the link is direct. When considering the importance of creative cognitive processes in creative people compared to the high incidence of depressive disorders found in them as well, these findings are puzzling. These researchers claim that because depression is debilitating, causing the sufferer to lose interest, focus, decisiveness, and energy, it seems unlikely that creativity is associated with these symptoms. Their conclusion:  depression decreases creative activity.

Due to the apparent lack of a direct causal link, the researchers hypothesize that there may be an underlying factor linking creativity and mental illness, particularly depression. They assert that that rumination is the causal link between depression and creativity. This appears to be another possible key to discovering the mental illness/creativity link.

One definition of rumination is, conscious thoughts that revolve around a common theme, with the caveat that the thoughts recur without the presence of immediate environmental demands requiring the thought. However, rumination is a process that most people use and is not necessarily negative. Rumination implies a focus on self that can be both helpful in the creative process and hurtful when rumination becomes negative. However, because creative thought requires intrinsic thought, and self-reflective rumination, being intrinsic, is often motivated by negative events, much of self-reflective rumination involves negative thought. Therefore, it appears that rumination and negativity have a reciprocal relationship, implying an indirect effect on mental health and creativity.

The Creating Cow Ruminating

(To those "not in the know", ruminating is a double-entendre for the process in which cows digest their food!)

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