Many Bipolars are creative, including myself. But in my experience, creativity alone is not sufficient to generate recovery. In my case, I was creative both before and after treatment. I think that now my mind is more focused, however, though my creativity quotient remains about the same, I suppose. I believe that many Bipolars believe that creativity can, by itself, serve as the curative mechanism for the disorder, or that treatment will snuff out the flame of creativity. Neither, I think, is true. However, I believe that once treatment is initiated, creativity can serve as an enormous catalyst of growth. It is an enormous potential asset for the mentally ill person to also
be creative.
I have been working more or less steadily now for the past six years, am re-married. I have regained my certification as a counselor. I am writing and submitting my work. My relationships with family and friends have stabilized greatly. I continue in treatment and am pursuing my spiritual growth. Finally, my economic situation is much improved..
I am thankful to all of the help I have received from family and friends, several shelters and health care personnel in Western New England, as well as mental health providers in several other states. I was afforded treatment at a reduced cost, and sometimes for nothing when I could not afford it.
The creative fires continue to burn. Now for a postscript: since 2005 I have been on a writing tear, and my work has been published in more than 60 periodicals. I have just resumed full-time work with at-risk kids. My family relationships have improved. I have made a contribution to the struggle against detainee abuse. Finally, I devoted a year to the grassroots campaign to elect Barack Obama President of the United States. And I continue with my treatment regime.
(This article was previously published, minus the postscript, in the UK periodical entitled "G21")
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