Creative proclivities may be tied with mental disorders

According to BBC News, a new study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that writers are more likely to have bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, unipolar depression and suffer from substance abuse when compared to the general population. Dancers and photographers also have an increased chance of being bipolar.

While mental disorders usually have negative connotations, one of the lead researchers, Simon Kyaga, M.D., suggested that the results of the research may indicate benefits. For example, the manic stage for someone who's bipolar may provide the motivation and drive to finish a piece of work. Other examples include the steadfast interest in a topic of someone who has autism and a distinguished original thought that results from schizophrenia. This perspective may offer new prospects of treatment in the future.

"If one takes the view that certain phenomena associated with the patient's illness are beneficial, it opens the way for a new approach to treatment," said Dr. Kyaga. "In that case, the doctor and patient must come to an agreement on what is to be treated, and at what cost."

Schizophrenia facts
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), schizophrenia usually becomes apparent during the teenage years and early adulthood. There are a variety of symptoms that characterize the disorder, notably delusions, when a person believes that someone is trying to inflict harm on him or her, as well as hallucinations, in which someone may taste, hear, smell or see something or someone that is not real. Other symptoms of schizophrenia include disorganized speech, which is characterized by randomly changing topics in the middle of a conversation or speech that's difficult to understand.

Schizophrenia can be treated through medication and individual or group therapy JHM reported. Getting educated about the disorder and support groups may also be helpful.

Bipolar facts
The Stanford School of Medicine (SSM) noted that bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive illness, has two main symptoms: Extreme highs (mania) and crippling lows (depression). Mania is characterized by high self-esteem, lack of sleep, talkativeness, distractibility, goal-oriented activity and indulgence in pleasurable activities that may have negative consequences, such as sex, shopping sprees and unwise business decisions. When someone experiences a bout of depression, they usually display little interest in most activities, suffer from insomnia and lose unhealthy amounts of weight. An episode of lowness may also include tiredness and morbid, masochistic thoughts.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, clinical trials suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may be effective in helping control the symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. You can get these essential fatty acids from chia seeds, flax seeds as well as an Omegakrill supplement from Dr. Newton's Naturals.

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