Robert Schumann and bipolar disorder
Manic-deppression is genetically associated with creativity and intelligence
Bipolar disorder, previously referred to as manic depression, is a severe mental illness characterized by extreme fluctuations in mood. These shifts range from intense manic episodes to severe depression, often interspersed with extended periods of stability. Manic phases can involve hallucinations, delusions, and risky behavior, and severe episodes of mania and depression sometimes require hospitalization.
Medical research points to a genetic link between bipolar disorder and intelligence and creativity. Studies have shown that young students with exceptional academic performance and the highest IQ scores are at a much higher risk of developing bipolar disorder later in life. Daniel Smith MD, a University of Glasgow psychiatrist and bipolar disorder specialist, says that mood disorders are often a consequence of heightened creativity and intelligence.
During manic episodes, normal cognitive functions are impaired, and sensory information is processed primarily through the emotional parts of the brain. The bipolar are more prone to experiencing mystical experiences and altered states of consciousness, sometimes leading to misdiagnosis as schizophrenia. It is during these manic phases that creativity and new emotional ideas emerge. Some bipolar patients refuse to take their medication because they feel it inhibits their artistic creativity.
Artists believed to be bipolar include Caravaggio, Van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, Kurt Cobain, and Ye (Kanye West). Van Gogh was hospitalized repeatedly for mania and depression, while the extreme and antisocial behaviors of Van Gogh, Ye, and Caravaggio are well documented.
Richard Kogan MD, a clinical psychiatry professor at Cornell, writes, “Creative people tend to see the world in novel and unconventional ways, and they often seek out intense and destabilizing experiences. Creative ideas are frequently generated during chaotic mental states characterized by loosening of associations that resemble the psychosis of mania or schizophrenia."
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Robert Schumann as bipolar
Robert Schumann (1810-1856), the renowned German classical composer, epitomizes the archetype of an artist with bipolar disorder. He exhibited hallmark traits of the disorder, and his prolific letter writing and self-awareness provide abundant firsthand documentation.
Schumann was a key figure in the Romantic era. His compositions for piano and orchestra were groundbreaking, expressing his innermost thoughts and feelings. He was disdainful of conventional musical structures, viewing music as a medium for personal expression rather than adherence to traditions.
Throughout his life, Schumann had periods of intense creative activity, aligned with his manic phases. During these periods, he composed prolifically and created what are now considered his masterpieces. These manic periods alternated with periods of debilitating depression. During the depression, he withdrew from social interactions, lost his energy, and had deep despair and suicidal thoughts. During both his mania and depression, Schumann had hallucinations, including angelic and demonic visions. As he became more mentally ill, he warned his pianist and composer wife, Clara, that he might cause her physical harm.
Kogan, who is also a classically trained pianist and the Artistic Director of Cornell’s Music and Medicine Program, and Marin Alsop, Director Laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, have explored how the highs and lows of Schumann's disorder are expressed in his music. Alsop wrote, "I perceive the music pulsating with Schumann's journey from profound depression to triumph and elation."
Following a suicide attempt in 1854, Schumann was admitted to a mental asylum, where he remained until his death two years later, never recovering.
Kogan warns not to romanticize mental illness and its link to creativity. The disorders also involve debilitating and life-threatening aspects, and many artists find themselves more productive when the effects of their disorders are subdued.
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References
Robert Schumann: Music Amid The Madness : by Marin Alsop
A Conversation With Dr Richard Kogan (Psychiatric Times)