Vincent Van Gogh And Bipolar Disorder

In pop culture Bipolar Disorder is described as someone quickly switching emotions. The term gets flown around easily without evidence of the alleged diagnosis. This publication changed my perspective on mental illness due to always hearing society's opinion on the phrase. Kay’s experience shows an individual who suffered tremendously behind doors that no one else could relate to, having episodes last days to months not switching every minute like society's stereotypes. It is obvious that there is not control and while medication helps, there is a significant consequence when missing treatment. Additionally, material learned within this book can help fundamentally determine someone suffering this illness. For example, if someone has manic highs and lows that force them to change their daily lifestyle for a period of time and developes changing impulsive decisions there could be an underlying illness. Even though there are few details that can fall into the category of Bipolar, it is still rare and unless diagnosed by a doctor one should never jump to conclusions about another

In Van Gogh’s piece of art “Prisoners Exercising” (1890) is shown sadness, depression, and despair of the prisoners. You can say that prisoners are also hopeless, by how the artist drew faces of some of the prisoners. The artist used black, gray, dark blue, brown and dull orange colors, these colors make you feel sad and distressed. By looking at this painting and the colours that were used we can say that Van Gogh was feeling depressed and he had a life crisis. I believe that the artist’s message that he wanted to deliver is, this is how life can look like, making circles in a small room, loneliness, being controlled by other people who are watching your each and every step that you take. Maybe he wanted to show how people look like when they are freedomless.

In Marbles, Ellen Forney shares the story of an artist’s struggle with the effects of bipolar disorder on her abilities. Initially afraid of confronting the possibility that choosing to control her condition may extinguish her creativity, Forney chooses to isolate her experience from those of others. This fear and the resulting loneliness being unsustainable, Forney eventually makes the decision to explore the work of others and finds comfort in their experiences. Ultimately, she constructs her own work as a form of therapy that can help her come to terms with her own bipolar disorder, definitively resolving the question of whether it is possible to be a stable yet creative artist. In this context, Forney theorizes her memoir as a form of company in order to embrace her unrelenting condition as being an essential part of her identity.

story in a memoir titled Madness: A Bipolar Life, in an attempt to shed some light and insight on the

Aristotle famously asked why is it that all men who have become outstanding in philosophy, poetry and arts are melancholic. This question remains unanswered today. Bipolar disorder is one of the most distinctive conditions in psychiatry. Many famous musicians, writers, and leaders of society have had bipolar disorder. Many of these people — and some of their physicians — have been concerned that the pharmacologic treatment of their mood swings might

“In the earliest days of documentation, these people were viewed as 'crazy,” possessed by the devil or demons,” Dr. Gardenswartz says in Bipolar Magazine (Stephens, 2014). Bipolar disorder or manic-depressive disorder, consists of mood swings that range from the lows of depression to the highs of mania. Depending on the rapidness of the mood swings, the disorder can be classified as mixed or rapid. Mixed episodes last less than usual, while rapid cycling consists of four or more mood disordered episodes per year (“Bipolar Disorder,” 2012). The term “bipolar” logically emphasizes “the two poles, “usually experience both depressed and elevated moods in a cyclical manner, according to Robert L. Spitzer, MD, professor of psychiatry at

The two major types of Bipolar Disorder (BPD) set out in this paper are Bipolar 1 and 2. Bipolar 1 is diagnosed as guide lined by the DSM5. As the occurrence of a least one maniac episode preceding or post an episode of hypomania and/or Major depression. The DSM 5 highlights that Bipolar 2 is diagnosed by one major depressive episode in occurrence with one hypomanic episode with an absence of Mania. (Association:, 2013) Mania as defined by DSM5: “A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased goal-directed activity or energy, lasting at least 1 week and present most of the day, nearly every day.” Hypomania being: “A distinct period of abnormally and

Currently effecting between 2-4% of the overall population and as one of the leading causes of homelessness, suicide, and hospitalization, bipolar disorder is yet, still one of the most perplexing, as well as the most misunderstood mental disorders out there. With this particular disorder, the complexity arises given one’s predisposition, diversity, and non-specific range of hazards for said disorder; thusly, making a cure, or at best, prevention, difficult, if not impossible, if not for appropriate early intervention. Bipolar not only puts a strain on the economic condition of our country, but on the individual, as well as society as a whole; given, its propensity to bring about financial difficulties, employment difficulties, and poor self-esteem and this is simply three examples, out of quite possible a largely finite numeral of disparities realized within the afflicted, as well as the overall populace. Nothing left of what we deem normal will be left untainted, and with limited governmental funding and a lack of knowledge, mankind’s naïve, uncaring nature will only bring about less than desirable responses to treatment, medicinally or otherwise; given, the disorder is far more difficult to treat later in life. With the proximal factors of which occur within one 's own environment, such as acute

Before I truly understood Bipolar disorder, it was still a fairly common word in my vocabulary. Anytime I thought someone was being moody or fluctuating between emotions, I joked by claiming that person to be bipolar. Several incidents of this involved one of my roommates who seemed to be happy one day, and quite the polar opposite the next. However, it was not until my clinical experience on the psychiatric unit that I realized what true bipolar disorder was, and that she did not fit the criteria. Even though I always thought my roommate was bipolar, I quickly found after being exposed to a diagnosed bipolar patient that my roommate was instead just moody. I decided to write this paper on bipolar disorder, not because I have struggle with it or know a friend or family member with this disease, but because I had several misconceptions about what it entailed.

Observers of Van Gogh’s life believed that his eccentricities, compounded to create many distressing experiences that directly impacted the development of Expressionism. This was visible from his early childhood. Painting was no longer seen through pictures, it became a crucible that could hold all of the artist’s passions, conflicts, and unrealized dreams. (Encyclopedia.com)

There is no indication she has had a manic or hypomanic episode. Her depression may be complicated by grief due to her father’s death one year ago. Her symptoms seem to get worse after his passing.

High doses of thujone will also cause a person to see objects in yellow, which may also be the reason why he loved the color yellow. Yet, due to Van Gogh’s extreme commitment to religion, and enthusiastic speed in this art pieces, many doctors also assumed Van Gogh could have been bipolar. Van Gogh’s episodes were always followed by exhaustion, and depression, and eventually suicide (Meier-Graefe 46). Therefore, bipolar may be a logical reason of Van Gogh’s mental condition. Though, there may have been many arguments of Gogh’s mental condition, there is still a final agreement that throughout his Van Gogh still created intriguing art for the world to see.

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous artists of all time. He is known for his paintings and is hailed as the quintessential expressionist painter in history. Yet, Van Gogh lived one of the most troubling lives one could ever imagine. Almost every painting can be viewed as a look into his troubled soul. Van Gogh’s Paintings today can be sold for millions of dollars, but during his life time he sold a single painting for a measly 40 francs. Van Gogh’s legacy has left behind stories of greatness and sadness having to do with both his personal life and his career as an artist.