Mental Illness in the Creative Mind Psychology Assignment (Essay Sample)

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Mental illness in the Creative Mind
Introduction
Research has indicated that creative minds are more likely to carry genetic coding that predisposes them to the risk of mental illness such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. However, some scientists still dismiss this argument concerning it as fanciful. According to research done by Iceland researchers, creative people including painters, writers, musicians, and dancers were 25% more likely to be carrying gene variants compared to other less creative professionals. This subject matter has been in existence since ancient times. For instance, Aristotle asserted that no genius had ever existed without having to suffer from mental madness.
Case studies also indicate that the correlation between creativity and mental illness may not be a coincidence. To mention a few, some of the most brilliant minds such as Abraham Lincoln, Robin Williams, Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent Van Gogh have who have excelled in their field have all been associated with some form of mental madness. In spite of their positive influences on the society, all of the above-talented persons were tormented by their inner demons that caused their emotional, psychological and physical breakdown. Although it may be evident that some of the world’s creative minds may have suffered from mental illness as a consequence of their creativity, these incidences have gone unnoticed or unmentioned by the larger society with only tales of their sad endings that are speculated to have been propagated by their “inner demons.”
Case examples of brilliant minds who suffered from a mental illness
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is said to have fought clinical depression for the most of his life since childhood. Ironically, it was the content of his character that was a source of his depression that provided him with the tools he needed to save the nation. Lincoln is said to have periodically wept in public, told jokes during odd times, and even talked of committing suicide in more than one occasion. Those around him referred to his mysterious and ingrained character as profound melancholy (Shenk par. 3). Unfortunately during his time, little was known about his clinical condition. Researchers of Lincoln and new clinical experts have all agreed that Lincoln did indeed suffer from depression based on a comparison of his life events and the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used for diagnosis of mental health problems (Shenk par. 11).
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh is one of the most celebrated and a legendary artist who is renowned for his talent and passion for creating exceptional artworks that have stood the test of time to this day. However, Vincent is recorded to have had a bizarre and unstable personality characterized by recurrent psychotic episodes particularly in the last two years of his life. His condition is said to have been a contributing factor to his alleged suicide at the youthful age of 37. In spite of the limitation of evidence, clinical experts have suggested a variety of diagnosis for his perplexing illness. According to a group of French physicians who reviewed his life and letters, van Gogh suffered two distinct episodes: reactive depression and bipolar disorder. These two events were usually followed by periods of high energy and excitement (Dietrich 1).
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist and a prominent figure in the genres of classical music in the era of Western art music. Through his unusual talent, he remains to be one of the most renowned and influential composers of all time. However, besides suffering deafness, recent studies indicate that Beethoven also suffered from bipolar disorder, a psychological disorder that affected his mood and was featured with alternating periods of major depression and mania. According to some experts, his mental condition was closely linked to his creativity as an artist. Moreover, his status also helped Ludwig create a fertile ground for the harvest of his originality that was an essential component of his creative work (Philip 1).
Robin Williams
Robin Williams is regarded as one of the most talented creative award winning comedians that ever lived. However, Robin suffered from bipolar disorder, a condition that led to his inevitable death. The actor is said to have long struggled with mental illness and addiction throughout his adult life and career in comedy (Grohol par.1).In the early 1980s, William was already using cocaine and only went to rehab in 2006 when his addiction had spiraled out of his control. According to experts, individuals suffering from depression as Williams did often decide to use drugs and alcohol as a form of treatment for their condition. Additionally, there is a reasonable overlap between substance abuse, alcohol, and suicide such as in William’s case (Chai and Calahan 13).
Why the link between creativity and mental illness is not a coincidence
Many of our talented artists, comedians, philosophers, musicians, etc., that are successful in their field are tormented by mental illness during most of their career lives. Therefore, this goes on to illustrate the correlation between creativity and mental illness is not a coincidence but a sad fact. A recent study was carried out by Simon et al. (373) to investigate the likelihood of individuals who were involved in creative careers to suffer from mental illnesses such as unipolar depression, bipolar depression, and schizophrenia. The results of the study highlighted an overrepresentation of individuals in creative occupations who illustrated an existing bipolar disorder or with siblings with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
The people mentioned above are just but a few of the many examples of creative minds suffering from mental illness. In fact, according to Aristotle, no great minds considered to be geniuses had ever survived without having a strain of mental madness. This argument is an indication that the link between creativity and mental illness has been a subject of discussion since ancient times. Today, this view has continued to gain interest, by both the public and scientists, with more and more prominent creative individuals who have mental illness and even succumbing after having been tormented by their “inner demons” (Simon et al. 373). Robin Williams is one of the recent victims of such predicament. Robin Williams’ autopsy confirmed that his death was a result of suicide. According to investigators, Williams was battling severe depression in the later part of his life which may have compelled him to take his life.
It has also been purported that these inner demons were an important vessel for their extraordinary gift. According to Sussman (26), mental illness may supply an artist or a genius with innovative ideas that he/she can use to attain success in his/her field. For instance, a talented painter such as a van Gogh who suffered from manic-depressive disorder may have been heavily influenced by recurrent manic episodes that epitomized his inspiration to create creative pieces of art. Emotions such as excitement are more exaggerated during manic episodes causing the manic artist to portray more confidence in his implausible ideas. Moreover, the artist displays an overwhelming boost of energy that assists him or her to focus an enormous amount of work in an insanely short period. Also, during an artist’s period of depression, he can generate insightful images inspired by feelings of suffering, pain, turmoil, etc. that the artist can manifest in his work (Sussman23).
Positive influences of Abraham Lincoln, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Robin Williams on society in the context of creative minds
Abraham Lincoln’s legacy was his depiction as a self-made liberal who set the slaves free from the torture of their evil masters. Lincoln is regarded as a mythological hero who provided African Americans their much-deserved freedom. Through his humor and compassion, he was often presented as a beacon of emulation for humanity. According to historians, Lincoln occupies a mythic place in the American culture due to his commitment to preserving the liberal Union and as a result succeeded in vindicating the spirit of democracy regardless of the consequences that were aligned along his path. Due to his unwavering vision of ending slavery, Lincoln managed to save the Union and bury slavery with the result of attaining his ultimate goal of integrating liberty and economic equality into the American culture (Fredrickson 100).
Ludwig van Beethoven had a great influence on the musical world. Through his creative innovations, Beethoven was able to change the musical sound and the role of composition in music. As a result of his work, the structure, form, orchestration, and. For instance, in regards to musical form, Beethoven developed on the principles of motivic development and sonata form that he had inherited from Mozart and Haydn but with greater writing extensions. Regarding romantic music, Beethoven was able to influence the integration of the aspect of emotional expression. In fact, some of his late compositions expressed and emphasized on emotional and romantic feelings setting the trend for those who would follow in his footsteps (Conrad 2).
Comedians such as Robin Williams have positively contributed to society through their influence on culture e.g. the American culture. For instance, in his character in Mrs. Doubtfire, Robin was able to reach out to divorced couples and relayed a message of the never-ending relation that exists between a parent and a child. Additionally, through his stand-up performances and comic movies, Robin was able to bring joy and laughter to the lives of many people both in the older generation and the newer generation (Kelly par. 6).
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