Kay Redfield Jamison
Kay Redfield Jamison
Kay Redfield Jamisonis an American clinical psychologist and writer. Her work has centered on bipolar disorder, which she has had since her early adulthood. She holds a post of Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is an Honorary Professor of English at the University of St Andrews...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPsychologist
Date of Birth22 June 1946
CountryUnited States of America
enthusiasm intellect power recognize value vast
It is important to value intellect and discipline, of course, but it is also important to recognize the power of irrationality, enthusiasm and vast energy.
bipolar college common exactly illness knowing reasons spend start students talk terribly time
It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on college campuses is exactly that reason. It's terribly important to talk to students about knowing these things in advance.
bad books convinced cool doctors experience graduate impress intense learned sort students teach
An intense temperament has convinced me to teach not only from books but from what I have learned from experience. So I try to impress upon young doctors and graduate students that tumultuousness, if coupled to discipline and a cool mind, is not such a bad sort of thing.
psychiatry
I say I'm an academic: a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins. And I write.
hard
'An Unquiet Mind' wasn't hard to write in terms of the actual writing of it.
depressed middle people treated
In some cases, some people do get depressed in the middle of their grief, and they really need to be treated for depression.
creativity general higher rate studies suggest
There are a lot of studies that suggest a higher rate of creativity in bipolars than the general population.
believe bipolar combined compliance critical longer major medication patients remains work
Lithium remains the gold standard, but many drugs now treat bipolar disorder. Medication is critical and should be combined with psychotherapy. Compliance is a major problem. Patients believe that once they're better, they no longer need the medication. It doesn't work that way.
insane attractive periods
Mania can be as terrifying as it gets. It is certainly as insane as one gets and so it's frightening when it gets out of control, but there are periods of mania when it can be extremely attractive.
self-esteem sleep thinking
Who would not want an illness that has among its symptoms elevated and expansive mood, inflated self-esteem, abundance of energy, less need for sleep, intensified sexuality, and- most germane to our argument here-"sharpened and unusually creative thinking" and "increased productivity"?
human
With grief, you have reason to despair; it's a human thing.
understanding
Scientists have made extraordinary advances in understanding the brain and its disorders.
cancer expect heart less matters treatment
We expect well-informed treatment for cancer or heart disease; it matters no less for depression.
bad harder mania
Mania is as bad as it gets. If not treated, it will become worse, more frequent, and harder to treat.