In my opinion and based on years of observation going back to childhood, I think that people without manic phases are at a competitive disadvantage with people who do have such phases when it comes to the field of entertainment. Under the circumstances we shouldn’t be surprised that there are a lot of bipolar entertainers.
A bipolar mania is unbelievable. On a scale of 1 – 10, everything is cranked up to 15+. The ideas come so fast you cannot keep up with them.
But, what goes up must come down. A bipolar depression is 15+. It is a hell that cannot be fully described.
I hope that doesn’t come from experience, Tasty.
My brother is bipolar. Awful. Ridiculous and bizarre thoughts on the mania. Stares at the ceiling for weeks on the lows. Like so many, won’t take his meds when he feels well. Rinse, lather, repeat. Broken marriage, lost jobs, estranged kids and family, alcohol abuse and on and on. Hard to watch, but almost impenetrable. Too bad he didn’t pick up a gee-tar early in life.
While trying to protect privacy, let’s just say I have a close relative who is an adolescent boy with juvenile onset bipolar disorder. Struggling with how to help him find a career path, and while the entertainment industry seems like a logical one to consider it is also fraught with risks (drugs, exploitation, etc) that he is ill equipped to handle. He just broke up with a girl whose bipolar uncle was a Disney series star who had seemingly transitioned successfully to major acting roles as an adult, only to commit suicide at the age of 29.
Definitely a horrible illness that takes more than it gives, even if many of its sufferers do have a creative spark.
@Drew
Yes.
I suspect that what you think is bizarre makes perfect sense to your brother. In his head, it is logical.
My wife says that I seems to begin in the middle of a discussion, but she gets me to start at the beginning. Because I am on medication, it is not a problem, but before, it would not have been pleasant.
(I try to describe what it is like, but it is easy. Somebody described it as having a radio blaring in your head and not being tuned correctly.)
His brain has a chemical imbalance like a diabetic has an insulin imbalance. Medication and lifestyle changes help to managed it, but it can never be cured. Your brother needs a good psychiatrist to work out a mix of medications.
Hopefully, your brother can get the help he needs.
@CStanley
You have never been in a bi-polar mania. I re-design an application in one night, and it took a year to re-code it. Another company has been working to turn it into a web application, and after 10 years, they are still have not finished.
Creativity is applicable to anything. It is just making connections that have never existed. Any of the STEM fields are a possibility. He could go into video games or CGI.
He does not need a bi-polar girlfriend, boyfriend, or dog. One crazy person in a relationship is enough.
(I know I am not supposed to say crazy.)
The good thing about juvenile onset is that he doesn’t know life without meds and he wants the stability (so far, at least.) The bad part is, well, just about everything else.
Even the manias are not that productive. The racing brain and flight of ideas is very evident, but the ideas and goal setting can’t get to the next stage for implementation.
He does not need a bi-polar girlfriend, boyfriend, or dog. One crazy person in a relationship is enough
Ha, no argument there (but try telling a teenager who they should or shouldn’t date…usually better to let things run their course, which they did.) But the funny thing about your comment is that his dog does share some of his traits.
I’m sorry to hear that, Tasty.
Oh, it seems logical to my brother allright. It’s just sad to watch. For example, I’ve learned that there are special medical lawyers and medical courts that he can sue his ex in because “she’s mentally ill.†When I asked where those might be found he pulled out the yellow pages and……..showed me ambulance chasers. Oy. And don’t get me started on Sting, who apparently know all the secrets of the universe.
It’s just hard to watch.
@Drew
Thanks, but because of the VA, I am good.
@CStanley
I have always had a destructive tendency, but it was after the First Gulf War that it got really bad.
When I was young, the DSM was not as thick, and your medication was going outside and playing or a spanking. Until later, the depression was not severe enough to cause a problem or notice. Today, I would probably have been diagnosed as being hyperactive and having ADD or some variant. Instead, I was diagnosed as “having ants in your pants”.
I do not recall being any more “moody” than other teenagers. For most of my life, the mania was the problem, but I do not recall it being drastic. (In college, I did have a girl tell me that I had a death wish.)
I advocate medication because they work for me, but “work” does not mean cure or eliminate. They make it manageable, and I can catch myself before the spiral begins. Even if the spiral does begin, they still slow it down, and it gives me enough time to realize what is happening.
I still have the bizarre thoughts, but I can manage them. The radio is still in my head, but it is not as loud and without the static.
If you all work with a good psychiatrist, he should be fine. I am exceedingly self-aware, and therefore, I am able to tell my doctor what she needs. In the end, it is your young man’s head, and he has to work it out for himself. You can only do so much.
Thanks for your perspective Tasty. He has an excellent psychiatrist though unfortunately he is in his 80s so it’s only a matter of time…
By the way, if I’m not mistaken you’ve mentioned that you went to high school in New Orleans. I’d be interested to know where and when if you care to divulge. I’m a Ben Franklin alum, class of ’82.