Saw Neurologist today

[karadinart]

My sons neurologist, and I happened to mention that someone had commented on a blog that the brains of artists and schizophrenics were similar, and you had to be 'wired' to be an artist, he and my sons pediatrician laughed and said that even at the cutting edge of science we are no where near the ability to tell where creativity comes from, not even a general part of the brain, and that any study that stated this, was much as the same as the old belief in reading bumps on the skull (phrenology) could tell you who was a genius.

The neurologist also said, (as I believe) that creativity is a learned trait. He said among his patients who are artists, they can confuse a 'quirk' as he put it, with a 'disorder', and the difference is in control.

For disorders my son's pediatrician who specializes with autistic patients is careful that the level of medications doesn't blunt creativity. Much in the way that my sons medications for his ADHD have to be kept level so he remains more verbal.

In answer to the person who said, we shouldn't treat our artists for mental illness, both the neurologist and pediatrician said without treatments, we wouldn't have more artists, we'd have more dead artists.

Comments

[intravenusann.livejournal.com]

We know some things, but only about savants who really are totally nonfunctional except for their talents and about child geniuses. In both people, parts of their brains totally, totally overwhelm other parts because of development or disease or injury.

There's current work done on creativity and FMRI, which would show what parts of your brain are working when you're being creative, but it seems, pretty much, that anyone is capable of being creative. Just like everyone is capable of lying, unless they're damaged something.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Yup, so I'm not certain if this person was so vehement because they a) don't think they can be an artist b) are an artist and want to make sure they are special in some way.

[intravenusann.livejournal.com]

Either way, I don't think it's healthy. I was told for years that my depression was just a matter of an "artistic disposition" and that medicating it would kill my creativity. That was a hideous lie. I was literally killing myself because of how sick I was and that had nothing to do with the hours I spent devoted to writing or my creativity. Even now, I'm not writing as much as I did, but I'm also working to control depression without meds and getting my life together in other ways. I will write again, I'm just very busy doing other things. And actually... I'm totally writing porn right now, but it's just not "quality" as I say.

Creativity, like many other things, is a talent that you can be born with, yes, but you can also develop. Even fully mature brains can rewire themselves for all kinds of things, if they're encouraged to do so. I mean, just look at how Rep. Giffords is bouncing back from being SHOT THROUGH THE HEAD.The mind is a terribly complex thing that we only barely understand. And we don't understand fully what causes depression, nor creatvitiy. We have some idea where extreme creativity comes from, but most artists are not savants or geniuses. They are people who have worked very hard and continue to work very hard and they do something they ENJOY.

Sorry, this is just such a pet peeve for me. It's a thing that even talented people require HOURS AND MONTHS AND YEARS to be really good and people just throw their hands up when most of the time successful people are just a) talented or b) privileged.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, oh yes I agree completely, and too many young artists think they need to suffer or even develop neurosis, it's so bizzare, and for someone to say, don't treat artists or we will lose them, WTF? You want me to suffer for your entertainment, FUCK NO.

[intravenusann.livejournal.com]

I hate that. No, no, do not envy my illness. My illness did not make me creative. It's something that kills people. DO NOT ENVY IT, PLEASE.

And don't treat me like I'm less human or less worthy of kindness and care, because if I was loved I wouldn't make beautiful things. FUCK. FUUUUUUCK. That just makes me so angry. The people in my life have actually said things like that and it's just made getting well so much harder. No, no, if I am not at least neurologically and psychologically functional then I am not able to really write a full work and take crit and get published. That's just how it is. I want to explode this myth SO BAD.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

because if I was loved I wouldn't make beautiful things

THE HELL????????

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

I was told for years that my depression was just a matter of an "artistic disposition" and that medicating it would kill my creativity.

Oh, that made me see red. I'm really glad you survived such perniciously invalid 'advice'. *cheers you on*

[archea2.livejournal.com]

Yes, I quite agree. Thinking of Virginia Woolf in 1942, writing that the pain was too much before she collected river stones for her cardigan pockets, still tweaks my heart now and then.

And I hope your son's treatment is helping.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Yah, he's fine. We only have to worry about further tests if he develops mood swings and seizures, he already had the chromosome tests years ago, which ruled out a genetic cause for the autism (such as fragile-x)

[keitichan.livejournal.com]

I think the notion of not treating artists for mental illness is partially a reactionary response from the idea that "normalcy" is valued over creativity. I have had many patients who don't want treatment because they believe that it will kill their artistic drive and their ideas. And I've heard of other psych providers who will over medicate and not listen to patients' requests for med changes when they find their creativity tamped down so severely. But like all things in life, it's about balance. If you're so depressed that you can't even lift a finger, there's no way to express your ideas no matter how brilliant they are. And everyone deserves happiness. The notion of the suffering artist is so disgustingly romanticized. I think it the person who commented on your blog had severe depression or hallucinated horrifying things, they'd be singing a different tune on the matter.

[karadin.livejournal.com]

right.

[margi-lynn.livejournal.com]

In answer to the person who said, we shouldn't treat our artists for mental illness, both the neurologist and pediatrician said without treatments, we wouldn't have more artists, we'd have more dead artists.

This attitude irritates me because sometimes what looks like mental illness is another type of chemical imbalance.

And while treating both is incredibly important, this attitude means that people who buy into this stupidity might not ever realize their weight gain and hallucinations and period problems and depression and heart condition are all related, because of course "artists must suffer for their art."

For a long time, I couldn't get anyone to take my sudden onset of massive manic-depression and ear problems seriously, until I had a major cardiac episode (at 22).

Then with a simple blood panel, we discovered that I had a major thyroid imbalance causing every single one of my problems. The thing was, that it had been left so long at that point, I now had to fix all the problems left afterwards.

And I'm really thankful that it was finally caught and two years later I'm finally doing better.

But I wish more people would have treated what I was going through like it was a medical condition to be solved so I could actually get on with my life, rather than acting like it made me a typical college student, or a girl, or more creative or any other stupid rubbish that meant I was going to be dead sooner rather than later, you know?

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes, so we have to do our best for our own health, and those of our friends and colleagues, to let them know, these myths are just that, myths.