By Mauro Libi Crestani- "I only
know that summer sang in me a little while, that in me sings no more." That
excerpt from one of her sonnets expresses how much poet Edna St. Vincent Millay
probably knew of depression.
Psychiatrist
Kay Redfield Jamison, herself a person with bipolar disorder or manic
depression, notes in her book ‘Touched with Fire’ that the majority of
people suffering from mood disorder "do not possess extraordinary
imagination, and most accomplished artists do not suffer from recurring mood
swings."
She
writes, "To assume, then, that such
diseases usually promote artistic talent wrongly reinforces simplistic notions
of the 'mad genius.' But, it seems that these diseases can sometimes enhance or
otherwise contribute to creativity in some people. Biographical studies of
earlier generations of artists and writers also show consistently high rates of
suicide, depression and manic-depression."
In
simple terms, there may be some poets, some writers and other great genius who
are very depressed and can still be creative. President Abraham Lincoln was
such a person. He had bouts of manic depression and he was very creative in his
speeches, in his thinking. But the fact is that some people can still remain positive
despite having depression. They are the exceptions. Abraham Lincoln was such an
exception. Besides, their quality of life very poor. Even the ones who
are depressed that can still maintain creativity , they do not know how to
enjoy life.
Being
successful in your career is of no value if you can not enjoy life. But like I
said, most people with depression lose their creativity. Marie osmond sumed it
up best, "I'm collapsed in a pile
of shoes on my closet floor. I have no memory of what it feels like to be
happy. I sit with my knees pulled up to my chest. It's not that I want to be
still. I am numb." This is what depression usually does. It takes away
your ability to be of any value business wise, family wise and to have a
personal life. Doctors think the combination of short-term treatment with
medications plus the long-term use of positive thinking might reduce
depressive symptoms. Mauro LibiCrestani.
“Brain
scans have shown that positive thinking stimulates the dorsolateral prefrontal
cortex, which regulates the relationship between mood and thought.. A positive
mental attitude may also influence the brain’s reward system, which involves
the chemical dopamine, helping to restore a sense of pleasure that’s often lost
with depression” ,Dr. Doraiswamy says.
