Relationship Between Mental Disorders and Creativity: Research Report
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By Brooke Birrenkott
22:19, 8 May 2006 (PDT)
Contents |
Abstract
There has been an evident association between creativity (see Definition of creativity) and mental illness, or psychopathological and neurological disorders that has been seen over many years. This relationship can be seen through the shared characteristics of both entities. Bipolar disorder, autism, dementia, ADD/ADHD and epilepsy all fall under the category of mental illness. These disorders separately have a strong relationship to that of creativity. Although this relationship is evident within all of the latter disorders, no evidence can localize the link that relates each disorder exactly to creativity. This is to say that researchers cannot find an answer as to why or how creativy and these disorders are connected. Researchers continue to search for this relationship.
Description
The relationship between creativity (see Definition of creativity) and mental illness or disorders. Includes disorders such as autism, dementia, ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, autism and epilepsy.
Analysis and Evaluation
The relationship between mental illness, or psychopathological and neurological disorders, with creativity has been evident for centuries. This antique association is exemplified through the contradiction seen within Einstein’s disposition. Strangely, Einstein’s intelligence is seemingly contrasted by the fact that he had disorders: developmental language disorders and developmental dyslexia. There are two ways in which one may respond to such a fact. One may view Einstein’s intelligence and his disorders as a miracle. On the other hand, one may consider a relationship between such disorders and that of the intelligence and creativity of Einstein. The validity of the latter consideration is supplemented with the strange association between creativity and disorders of other extremely creative individuals, as well as the similarities between creative and mentally ill individuals. Although there is evidence which suggests that there is a relationship between creativity and disorders, there is not a definite answer to whether there is a cause-and-effect relationships or even a direct relationship between the two entities at all. This inability to understand the exact relationship is because it is impossible to find an answer to this situation on both scientific and psychological levels. However, it is important to recognize that creativity and mental illness have mutual traits. It is additionally essential to recognize that the rate and intensity of psychopathological symptoms is seemingly higher in creators than in a normal individual. The question to be asked is whether the evident relationship between creativity (see Definition of creativity) and mental illness is simply a coincidence or if they have strong connections to one another. Current evidence can only describe an association between the two; there is no proof that thoroughly describes the relationship.
The relationship between mental disorders and creativity can be seen within their common characteristics. To be creative, one must think outside of the normal constraints. This abnormality in thinking can be associated to that of a psychopathological disordered individual. Although there is an evident association between traits of mental disorders, psychopathology symptoms are not the only possible source for creativity. Other possible sources include earlier traumatic experiences or even a good, enriched upbringing. This is to say that even if creativity and mental disorders had an effect on one another, there are other factors to the development of one’s creativity.
Literature and various studies have demonstrated a strong relationship between creativity (particularly within literature, arts and music) and bipolar disorder. A study done in 1949, supported the relationship between creativity and bipolar disorder and the idea that both are genetically predisposed. The study involved artists and their family members. These German artists included writers, architects, artists and composers. The findings stated that two-thirds of the artists and their relatives were “psychically normal” (Creativity and Bipolar Disorder). However, in comparison to the general public, this group had a greater number of “insane and neurotic” people and those in the group had a larger amount of suicides. The experiment also found that 50% of poets and 38% of musicians were described as having “psychiatric abnormality” (Creativity and Bipolar Disorder). Another study, which compared those within the creative arts to those of professions such as public officials, scientists and businessmen, the creative arts individuals portrayed two to three times the rate of suicide attempts, mood disorders, substance abuse and psychosis. Another study found that 80% of writers met formal diagnostic criteria for major mood disorder compared to 30% of the general public. This again suggests that artists are more likely to have bipolar disorder than those of the general public. Just as there is a proven genetic predisposition for bipolar disorder, other recent studies have shown that the same goes for creativity. One study in particular depicted that manic-depressed individuals and their relatives scored higher on creativity tests than the control groups. This suggests that creativity may have genetic predisposition, just as manic-depression is additionally seen through family lines. This further implies that their may be a link between this particular mental disorder to creativity. Furthermore, the mere idea that these two entities are linked brings about a questioning of a "third factor", which would provide the link. It is additionally important to think about the point of the disorder’s onset and its effect on creativity within individuals.
Similar situations suggest that there is a heightening of creativity, which coincides with the onset of the disorder. There are a few plausible explanations for the former reactions. One involves the eventual deficit in information-processing systems, which in turn allows for a tendency towards creativity or innovation. Additionally, bipolar disorder has an effect upon the following neurological structures: the prefrontal cortex, the frontal lobe, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus and the cerebellum. The alteration of these numerous structures may strengthen creativity. Also, the sensitivity of those with bipolar disorders, in combination with their limited frontal lobe processes allows for unrestrained expressions. The lowered inhibition of an individual with bipolar disorder additionally explains their ability to have multiple perspectives, since they now express previously contained ideas. Lastly, evidence shows that there is a relationship between bipolar disorder and creativity. Much more studies will have to take place in order to configure the exact relationship and the "third factor," which links the two entities, as it must involve genetic isolation techniques and brain scans.
A 13-year old student named, Matthew Kutz, explained his ADD as the following: “Being ADD means you see things other people miss. When you see a peach you see a piece of fruit. I see the color, the texture, and the field where it grew.” One can see how this definition could additionally apply to that of creativity. Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD and ADHD) are associated to creativity. Not only do Attention Deficit Disorders relate to creativity, but the disorders may have even evolved due to a necessity for creativity. Because these disorders are apparent in 5% of the American population and have a genetic basis, modern theories suggest that ADD and ADHD are correlated with a positive factor. This positive factor may be that of creativity. Additionally, those with the disorder and creative individuals have many of the same characteristics: impulsiveness, restlessness, daydreaming, academic underachievement, sensation seeking, difficult temperament, mood swings, hypersensitivity to stimulation, inattention, lack of social skills, hyperactivity, having difficulty finishing papers and enthusiasm. Furthermore, those with ADD/ADHD score higher on creativity tests than the norm and creative individuals are more hyperactive than most. In order to support this association further, there are many famously creative individuals who have had Attention Deficit Disorders. These individuals include Nikola Tesla, Mozart, Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin. All of this suggests that ADD/ADHD has come about due to creativity. However, if this is the case, then we cannot refer to ADD/ADHD as a disorder; rather, it is a temperament.
Although it is difficult to understand the relationship between ADD/ADHD and creativity, since both are extremely complicated and not all is known about either, there are possibilities that have been looked over. The first possibility is that there is no relationship between the two at all; however, this is unlikely based on the great similarities between the two. Another possibility is that both creativity and ADD/ADHD are one in the same. This is to say that creativity and ADD/ADHD as a combined force would characterize those with ADD/ADHD as one side of the spectrum and inventive individuals as the other side. However, this is additionally highly unlikely since there are many cases in which creative people do not have ADD/ADHD and those with ADD/ADHD who are not creative. This leaves the idea that there is an overlap between the two entities. Although this idea is widely agreed upon, the way in which and where the overlap occurs is controversial. There is evidence that both could have psychological, temperament, and/or cognitive bases. The brain structures of the creative and the ADD/ADHD individuals are similar as well. The brains of both Attention Deficit Disordered people and highly creative people have weak “braking” mechanisms. Researchers hypothesize that this weak “braking” mechanism allows for creative thought since unchecked ideas collide over time. Researchers have found that this “braking” mechanism is a neurological defect (The Coincidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity). Also, researchers believe that mild damage to the forebrain can cause both ADD/ADHD and a heightened sense of creativity. A 1992 study exemplified the relationship between these two entities. The study involved ADHD children and showed that these children, in comparison to normal children, had a higher sense of creativity.
Many creative writers have been epileptic. These include Machado de Assis, Gustave Flaubert, Fyodor Dostoevsky and possibly, Edgar Allen Poe. Epileptic poet, Charlies Lloyd, was studied by Trimble in 2000. Trimble hypothesized that epilepsy probably destroyed his creative writing process. However, the fact that many creative writers have been epileptic seems to pose a quite opposite hypothesis. Again, nobody seems to have actually found a direct relationship between epilepsy and creativity, just like many other psychological disorders. However, there is another possible relationship between creativity and epilepsy, other than the mere association between affected disorders and epilepsy; Norman Geschwind found that patients who suffered from complex partial seizures, all seemed to write extensive notes and expressed emotions on a deeper level than those without the seizures. These reactions to epilepsy may describe how a patient may become more creative. Although this reaction is seen within many patients, the reasoning for such circumstances is currently unknown.
Dementia and creativity also seem to have a close relationship. Bruce Miller and his coworkers studied the emergence of artistic talents that coincided with a form of dementia called, frontal temporal lobar atrophy, or frontotemporal dementia. Despite their dementia, the patients continued to utilize and even enhance their artistic skills, as seen through their means of painting. The explanation for the continued artistic skills is that the dementia’s location on the brain may have a particular effect. The left side of the brain is mainly associated with verbal activities and the right side seems to be important for visual spatial skills, which are essential in painting. Since most of Miller’s patients with dementia only had degeneration in the left side of the brain, the right side’s visual spatial skills were saved. Although this description of dementia and its effect on the brain describes the maintenance of painting and other visual spatial artistic abilities, it does not explain why dementia seems to enhance these same abilities. One possible explanation involves inhibition of the brain. If one side of the brain is degenerate, it no longer has the ability to inhibit the other side of the brain. This, in turn, would mean that there would be no inhibition on the other side of the brain and allow for a seemingly greater emphasis on the abilities of that side. However, this finding does not mean that this degenerative process, in respect to dementia, directly leads to an enhancement of creativity (see Definition of creativity). This inability to localize the association is because Miller and his coworkers could not test how the disinhibition process worked within their participants. However, when doctors remove the left temporal lobe, there is no noticeable artistic increase in the patients. One cannot simply reject the disinhibition hypothesis because of this evidence since experimental tests have not been done to confirm the rejection. Ultimately, despite the current evidence about the relationship between creativity (see Definition of creativity) and frontotemporal dementia, the painting can be viewed as a skill, rather than something derived from creativity. Additionally, Miller did not find enough evidence to prove that this particular type of dementia leads to an increase of creativity.
Finally, autism and creativity (see Definition of creativity) have an interesting relationship. Certain autistic individuals have extraordinary talents in one specific area or another. An example of this is seen in Thomas Fuller. Fuller has the ability to perform calendar computations. Additionally, Langdon Down defined those autistic individuals who had these particular talents as “idiot savants” (Heilman 114). Hou studied six artistic savants, only to find that each had a particular interest, and each was limited to this specialty. Craig and Baron-Cohen also found there was a paucity of creativity despite each patient’s unique interest. However, the savants have problems with reorganizing information. Creativity is dependent upon manipulating stored information. Since savants cannot reorganize information and depend on memory or learned skill, they seemingly cannot be defined as creative. An explanation for this is that savants may have “all of their eggs in one basket” (Heilman 114). Moreover, savants seem to lack creativity, which seems to associate positively with most other disorders. On the other hand, one could reject the lack of creativity (see Definition of creativity) within an idiot savant by arguing that the savant’s creativity is placed only into one area. For example, an individual had the ability to dictate the amount of seconds any other person has been alive. Although, this individual was not creative through other means, there is a definite creativity (see Definition of creativity) seen within his ability. Since creativity is defined by a means of reorganizing already known information, this ability to count the seconds of life can be associated to this definition. The idiot savant reorganizes his knowledge about time as he figures out the seconds of each individual's life. This is to say that this example proves that the idiot savants are actually creative in some sort of way.
Ultimately, bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, dementia, and autism all seem to portray a relationship between creativity (see Definition of creativity) and mental illness based on their mutual characteristics. Although there seems to be an association, no evidence has shown a specific link between creativity (see Definition of creativity) and mental illness. Therefore, as of now one can only say that creativity and mental illness closely share characteristics.
Works Cited
- Are Genuis and Madness related?
- Creativity and Bipolar Disorder
- ADHD and Creativity
- Dementia
- Heilman, Kenneth M. Creativity and the Brain. New York: Psychology Press, 2005.
This report edited by Taylor Whitmer 01:29, 16 May 2006 (PDT)
