Comments on: The Insanity Defense

By: Dyane Harwood

Dyane Harwood — Mon, 25 May 2015 14:25:45 +0000

Thanks so much Daniella! I’m glad I checked back here on a whim 🙂

One thing I neglected to mention in my previous comment was that when I became hypomanic immediately after my baby Marilla (“Anne of Green Gables”-inspired name) was born, I became hypergraphic.

Hypergraphia is a condition in which one feels an overwhelming compulsion to write & it can be triggered by bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder, especially during mania or hypomania, may find themselves writing for hours and hours, which is what I did night and day and although I simultaneously breastfed my child, I was obviously out of whack with my focus. Hypergraphia may be associated with temporal lobe epilepsy and schizophrenia, as well as certain brain injuries. I wrote hundreds of pages during the first postpartum week, both on my laptop and by hand.

I knew something weird was up so I Googled a few terms and I came up with Dr. Alice W. Flaherty, author of the bestselling book “The Midnight Brain: The Drive to Write, Writer’s Block and the Creative Brain”. (a fascinating book, by the way.) What happened next was truly serendipitous and bizarre, but that will go in my book and save this comment from becoming a novel. I hope this remark may be of some interest…

All my best to you! I’m off to retweet this link & follow you on Twitter.
take care,

Dyane

By: Daniella (Dee) Latham

Daniella (Dee) Latham — Sat, 16 May 2015 02:45:22 +0000

In reply to Chandana Roy. Hello Chandana, thank you for reading the article and your comments. Your last sentence made me smile! Best, Daniella

By: Daniella (Dee) Latham

Daniella (Dee) Latham — Sat, 16 May 2015 02:42:44 +0000

In reply to Dyane Harwood. Hello Dyane, thank you for reading the article and sharing your story, Congratulations on your book and it sounds like you indeed will be helping many people by sharing your experience. I'm sure in some way, shape, or form, your dad is triumphantly watching. Best, Daniella

By: Dyane Harwood

Dyane Harwood — Thu, 14 May 2015 03:09:42 +0000

I’ve been a freelance writer for almost twenty years and interviewed such luminaries as Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, SARK and Anthony Bourdain for magazine articles.

In 2007 I was diagnosed with postpartum bipolar disorder when my baby was six weeks old. In March, 2015 I landed a book deal with Post Hill Press for my memoir “Birth of a New Brain – Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder” with a foreword by Dr. Walker Karraa. I never imagined that my first book would be about living with bipolar disorder,but it has been a triumph to write about my experience. It comforts me to know that my book will help other women who suffer with postpartum mood disorders. Writing about my journey has been incredibly challenging but therapeutic. I only wish that my father, a brilliant professional violinist who had bipolar (and who was a voracious reader) was alive to see my realize my writing dream.

By: Chandana Roy

Chandana Roy — Thu, 14 May 2015 02:09:00 +0000

Writing and painting are lonely jobs and I’m not surprised many authors and artists suffer from depression. If they are famous authors or artists, their condition is more likely to be recorded for posterity or reported in the newspapers. However, one must not forget the fact that depression and mental illnesses are more common than one would like to believe. Most people are reluctant to admit that they suffer from any mental condition. Depression has more to do with poor dietary habits and unhealthy lifestyle than your being a genius. When you’re obsessed with your writing or painting, who has the time for cooking healthy meals or going out for that much needed fresh air or long walk? If you’re cooped up in your room for months without proper nourishment , outing or socializing, your mental health as well as relationships are bound to suffer. Add to this drugs, drinks and smoking, and one gets the entire picture. Not to forget the perpetual lack of sleep nights after nights.
This said, I will not deny there is a strong link between being a genius and suffering from mental illness. And why not? After all, an author or an artist lays bare her/his emotions and soul on paper or canvas, lives with the characters for months, even years, feels their pain deeply – deeply enough to be disturbed and depressed. Only when go through a turmoil in your inner world, can you create something that stirs emotions. The more of a genius you are, the more poignant your creations are.. I’m happy though that authors like Jane Austen and Pearl S Buck were sane enough to create some of the most insanely lovable characters in the history of English literature.

By: The Insanity Defense | deathbyhoney

The Insanity Defense | deathbyhoney — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 05:58:41 +0000

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By: Zenobia

Zenobia — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 20:05:11 +0000

That last bit summed up my idea about creativity; it takes great emotion.

Those of us who have experienced depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses can take solace in the arts. Therapy, almost, because it’s a positive way to dealwith some difficult emotions.

It’s not a prerequisite though.

The other thing I remember is that creativity is not shown in the arts. Scientists, teachers, programmers, planners… so many jobs require creativity.