"O femeie" ridica niste probleme foarte interesante ca raspuns in articolul precedent din serie, motiv pentru care ma vad nevoit sa le raspund. Si cum raspunsul meu este cel putin la fel de lung pe cat comentariul dumneaei, il pun intr-un articol.

Povestea noastra, scrisa de ctp in 198x, este probabil un raspuns la teoriile in voga in 197x, cand “bipolar disorders” incepeau sa fie mai clar definite si asemanarea cu romantismul clasic era clara.

Inainte de a continua cu povestea, as raspunde “unei femei”, care a completat o parte din spatiul gol lasat de mine in ce priveste alte teorii similare cu cateva teorii care merg pana in antichitate.

1. Eu nu am facut intentionat o asociere cu teorii precedente, tocmai fiindca foarte multe sunt eronate. In afara de legatura istorica, nu exista nici un drum logic de la teoria romantismului bipolar la bila neagra a lui Aristotel. Ori legatura istorica, prin asociere, este mai degraba o eroare logica. A accepta ca expunerea la durere / tragedie este necesara unei sensibilitati artistice avansate sau ca ar exista o proportionalitate directa intre acestea nu implica acceptarea teoriilor precedente si, cred eu, nu implica nici un risc ca acestea sa devina mainstream.
2. Nu stiu in ce masura ii putem considera pe unii creatori intregi la minte si pe altii nu. In fond, diagnozele puse la cateva sute de ani de la moarte sunt oarecum speculative. Este posibil ca unii dintre cei considerati nebuni sa nu fi fost nebuni, cel putin in acceptia ultimei versiuni DSM, si altii considerati intregi la minte sa fi fost, de fapt, nebuni. Insusi DSM-ul este la a IV-a –> V-a versiune, sugerand ca definitiile unor probleme psiho s-au schimbat cu timpul.  Accept insa ca exista multi creatori care nu intrunesc criteriile vreunei boli psihice, dar nu despre asta este povestea sau articolul, ci mai degraba despre expunerea la suferinta.
3. “Tanarul din film nu era un geniu.” Aici va contrazic. Tanarul era un geniu pentru simplul motiv ca era prezentat si definit ca geniu, inclusiv de catre psihologul sau. Geniul inseamna “excelenta”, i.e., excellent intellect, excellent work or an excellent achievement ori el daduse dovada de asa ceva prin munca sa matematica. Desigur, filmul este bazat pe un caz real, dar daca discutam cazul real, nu mai poate fi vorba despre “tanarul din film”.
4. “Fapt este ca situatia este exact pe dos: stilul de viata al creatorului poate duce adesea catre episoade de nebunie. Si bolile de nervi au si o componenta genetica, asa cum au si o componenta sociala, dar nu exista de fapt nicio dovada in vreun sens sau in altul, poate si pt. ca e greu sa masori geniul (cine e genial si cine nu? este macedonski un geniu doar pt. ca era poet si a publicat? este tocqueville geniu?).” Intotdeauna cand avem de-a face cu creierul, am impresia ca avem de-a face cu o contopire a cauzei si a efectului, ca medicamentele psihoactive v. placebo. Un subiect fascinant, in orice caz..
5. “Teoria asta, simpatica asa cum este, e de fapt o rationalizare a unei vechi superstitii” – asta ar fi o concluzie faina la o demontare a teoriei, dar asa, in conditiile in care atacul principal este un “association fallacy”, nu prea e palatabil.  Eu nu sustin ca legatura dintre creativitate si expunerea la durere este certa, dar hai sa analizam pe ce se bazeaza, de-a dreptul:

I Legatura intre circumstante tragice si bipolar disorder / boli mintale

Din wikipedia:

Evidence suggests that environmental factors play a significant role in the development and course of bipolar disorder, and that individual psychosocial variables may interact with genetic dispositions.[43] There is fairly consistent evidence from prospective studies that recent life events and interpersonal relationships contribute to the likelihood of onsets and recurrences of bipolar mood episodes, as they do for onsets and recurrences of unipolar depression.[48] There have been repeated findings that between a third and a half of adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder report traumatic/abusive experiences in childhood, which is associated on average with earlier onset, a worse course, and more co-occurring disorders such as PTSD.[49] The total number of reported stressful events in childhood is higher in those with an adult diagnosis of bipolar spectrum disorder compared to those without, particularly events stemming from a harsh environment rather than from the child's own behavior.[50] Early experiences of adversity and conflict are likely to make subsequent developmental challenges in adolescence more difficult, and are likely a potentiating factor in those at risk of developing bipolar disorder.

II Legatura intre boli mintale si creativitate

Mai departe,

Mental disorders and creativity are popularly considered to be related, particularly in the case of bipolar disorder, whereas Major depressive disorder appears to be significantly more common among playwrights, novelists, biographers, and artists.[1] Although the association between bipolar disorder and creativity first appeared in literature in the 1970s, the idea of a link between "madness" and "genius" is much older, dating back at least to the time of Aristotle, and reinforced by the views of the Romanticism era.

Many famous historical figures gifted with creative talents may have been affected by bipolar disorder. In many instances, creativity and psychopathology share some common traits, such as a tendency for "thinking outside the box." In addition, many people with bipolar disorder may feel very powerful emotion, potentially aiding in creativity. [4] As a consequence, creators commonly exhibit characteristics often associated with mental illness. The frequency and intensity of these symptoms appear to vary according to the magnitude and domain of creative achievement. At the same time, these symptoms are not equivalent to the full-blown psychopathology of a clinical manic episode which, by definition, entails significant impairment.[2] Many of these have been posthumously diagnosed as suffering from bipolar or unipolar disorder based on biographies, letters, correspondence, contemporaneous accounts, or other anecdotal material, most notably in Kay Redfield Jamison's book Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament.[5] Touched With Fire presents the argument that bipolar disorder, and affective disorders more generally,[6] may be found in a disproportionate number of people with creative talent such as actors, artists, comedians, musicians, authors, performers and poets.

Several recent clinical studies have also suggested that there is a positive correlation between creativity and bipolar disorder, although the relationship between the two is unclear.[7][8][9] Temperament may be an intervening variable.[8]

A 2005 study at the Stanford University School of Medicine showed for the first time that a sample of children who either have or are at high risk for bipolar disorder score higher on a creativity index. Children with bipolar parents who were not bipolar themselves also scored higher.[10]

bipolar kids

In Chapter 4 of her book, "Bipolar Kids: Helping Your Child Find Calm in the Mood Storm", Rosalie Greenberg gives the positive characteristics of children with bipolar disorder.

Children with bipolar disorder have a tendency towards excelling in creative arts, although, as the author states, the longer the child suffers impaired functioning, the creative ability lowers.  The author also writes that children with bipolar disorder tend to persevere when faced with physical illness.  It would be interesting to address, in a future edition of the book, whether a child with bipolar disorder may have a higher threshold for pain.

Civ III

Civilizations este un joc creat de Sid Meyer, care este, printre altele, francmason, in care te joci de-a “inginerul social”. Este similar cu Sim City, diferenta fiind ca in loc sa construiesti cladiri, iti calauzesti societatea pe drumul descoperirilor stiintifice.

Una dintre fatetele jocului colt cu realitatea este conceptul de “fericire”. Cand nu-ti faci treaba bine sau pur si simplu cand orasele au prea multi oameni, acestia devin nefericiti. Daca sunt mai multi nefericiti decat fericiti, oamenii se rascoala si toata societatea se duce de rapa. In astfel de situatii, tot ce poti face este fie sa-i imprastii cu armata (dar nu in democratie), fie sa le dai mai mult lux, fie sa-i faci pe cativa “entertainers”. Entertainers-ii in joc sunt oameni nefericiti care capata infatisari de Britney sau Elvis Costello, nu mai figureaza ca "nefericiti". Entertainer-ii nu produc mare lucru, ei fiind sustinuti de muncitori, dar ii fac pe oameni fericiti, ceea ce-i determina pe-acestia sa nu se rascoale si sa continue sa faca bani pentru tine si sa-ti plateasca taxe.

Cam asta ar fi, pe scurt, rolul artistului in societate. Povestea ctp-ului continua in partea a III-a.

In anticiparea unei noi versiuni, versiunile III si IV ale jocului pot fi cumparate pe Steam pentru mai putin de $10. Ma gandesc sa le ofer ca premii de consolare celor care nu se vor califica pe locul I in concursul actual, in masura in care mi-o cer in termenele limita.

Stiind ca exista un oarecare dispret pentru wikipedia in academic circles, listez aici referintele de mai sus:

43. a b Serretti A & Mandelli L. (2008) The genetics of bipolar disorder: genome 'hot regions,' genes, new potential candidates and future directions. Mol Psychiatry. 2008 August;13(8):742–71. PMID 18332878
44. a b David J. Miklowitz and Kiki D. Chan Prevention of Bipolar Disorder in At-Risk Children: Theoretical Assumptions and Empirical Foundations Dev Psychopathol. Dev Psychopathol. 2008; 20(3): 881–897. doi: 10.1017/S0954579408000424.
47. Soutullo CA, DelBello MP, Ochsner JE (August 2002). "Severity of bipolarity in hospitalized manic adolescents with history of stimulant or antidepressant treatment". J Affect Disord 70 (3): 323–7. doi:10.1016/S0165-0327(01)00336-6. PMID 12128245.
48. Alloy LB, Abramson LY, Urosevic S, Walshaw PD, Nusslock R, Neeren AM. (2005) The psychosocial context of bipolar disorder: environmental, cognitive, and developmental risk factors. Clin Psychol Rev. 2005 December;25(8):1043–75. PMID 16140445
49. Gabriele S Leverich a, Robert M Post Course of bipolar illness after history of childhood trauma The Lancet, Volume 367, Issue 9516, Pages 1040–1042, April 1, 2006 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68450-XCite
50. Louisa D. Grandin, Lauren B. Alloy, Lyn Y. Abramson (2007) Childhood Stressful Life Events and Bipolar Spectrum Disorders Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26 (4) pp460–478 doi: 10.1521/jscp.2007.26.4.460

1. Goodwin, F. and Jamison, K. R., Manic-Depressive Illness: Bipolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression, Oxford University Press (Oxford, 1990), p. 353.
2. a b Dean Keith Simonton (June 2005). "Are Genius and Madness Related? Contemporary Answers to an Ancient Question". Psychiatric Times. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
3. Beveridge A (November 2001). "A disquieting feeling of strangeness?: the art of the mentally ill". J R Soc Med 94 (11): 595–9. PMID 11691904. PMC 1282252.
4. http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/52456?pageNumber=3
5. Kay Redfield Jamison (1996). Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. Free Press. ISBN 978-0684831831.
6. Jamison, K. R., Touched With Fire, Free Press (New York, 1993), pp 82 ff.
7. Santosa CM, Strong CM, Nowakowska C, Wang PW, Rennicke CM, Ketter TA (June 2007). "Enhanced creativity in bipolar disorder patients: a controlled study". J Affect Disord 100 (1-3): 31–9. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.10.013. PMID 17126406.
8. a b Rihmer Z, Gonda X, Rihmer A (2006). "[Creativity and mental illness]" (in Hungarian). Psychiatr Hung 21 (4): 288–94. PMID 17170470.
9. Nowakowska C, Strong CM, Santosa CM, Wang PW, Ketter TA (March 2005). "Temperamental commonalities and differences in euthymic mood disorder patients, creative controls, and healthy controls". J Affect Disord 85 (1-2): 207–15. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2003.11.012. PMID 15780691.
10. Children Of Bipolar Parents Score Higher On Creativity Test, Stanford Study Finds

Sources / More info: wiki-bipolar, wiki-creativity, wiki-tortured, yt-ent, yt-civ