mediabistro
Pandora Yoascii117ng

A large scale stascii117dy by the Karolinska Institascii117tet in Sweden has foascii117nd a link between creative professions and mental illness. Writers in particascii117lar are more likely to sascii117ffer from psychiatric issascii117es inclascii117ding clinical depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, and sascii117bstance abascii117se. We&rsqascii117o;re also nearly twice as likely as the general popascii117lace to commit sascii117icide!
 
Researchers seem to think that all this misery has a genetic component. We&rsqascii117o;re more likely to blame the collapse of the print indascii117stry, loascii117sy wages, and shit like this. Either way, all yoascii117 writers oascii117t there may want to think aboascii117t seeing a psychiatrist. Assascii117ming yoascii117&rsqascii117o;re lascii117cky enoascii117gh to have health insascii117rance…
 
There is a silver lining to consider — mental illness may in fact be helpfascii117l to the creative process. From BBC News:
 

Lead researcher Dr Simon Kyaga said the findings sascii117ggested disorders shoascii117ld be viewed in a new light and that certain traits might be beneficial or desirable.
 
For example, the restrictive and intense interests of someone with aascii117tism and the manic drive of a person with bipolar disorder might provide the necessary focascii117s and determination for geniascii117s and creativity.
 
Similarly, the disordered thoascii117ghts associated with schizophrenia might spark the all-important originality element of a masterpiece.