Specific Psychological Distress

Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder)

Spitz, D. (2003) 'What Is the Role of Psychotherapy in Bipolar Disorder? -- Part I', Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health 8(2). [available online]

The author argues that for a particular subset of clients experiencing symptoms of manic depression, psychotherapy is a necessary and valuable component of treatment. She suggests that medication -- which she calls "the bedrock of treatment" for bipolar disorder -- cannot by itself foster acceptance of a chronic illness or teach preventive strategies.

Jamison, K.R. (1993) Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. New York: The Free Press. [Amazon UK-paperback | Amazon US-hardcover | Amazon US-paperback]

Written by a woman who knows manic-depressive illness intimately, from personal experience, this book explores the relationship between manic-depressive illness and cyclothymia on the one hand, and creativity and artistic expression on the other. Jamison shows there is a much higher rate of depression, manic-depressive illness and suicide amongst those frequently characterised as 'artistic', including writers and artists. (Lord Byron and Van Gogh are among her examples.) She asks: "Why should this be so? Is it only a coincidence? Do artists create in spite of their often-debilitating problems with moods? Or, as we will argue here, is there something about the experience of prolonged periods of melancholia -- broken at times by episodes of manic intensity and expansiveness -- that leads to a different kind of insight, compassion, and expression of the human condition?" (p. 102) The book is far ranging and extremely well researched, if a little heavy going at times due to its relentless attention to detail.