The Fine Line Between Madness and Genius, page 3

reply to post by jacygirl

reply to post by qualm91

reply to post by redoubt

I hope that I'm not too late for this party too

The common theme from these three posts is the seeming incompatibility of the person with the external harsh reality. I looked this up recently to re-check certain definitions:

Bipolar Disorder : Causes: Environmental

Evidence suggests that environmental factors play a significant role in the development and course of bipolar disorder, and that individual psychosocial variables may interact with genetic dispositions.[29] There is fairly consistent evidence from prospective studies that recent life events and interpersonal relationships contribute to the likelihood of onsets and recurrences of bipolar mood episodes, as they do for onsets and recurrences of unipolar depression.[42] There have been repeated findings that between a third and a half of adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder report traumatic/abusive experiences in childhood, which is associated on average with earlier onset, a worse course, and more co-occurring disorders such as PTSD.[43] The total number of reported stressful events in childhood is higher in those with an adult diagnosis of bipolar spectrum disorder compared to those without, particularly events stemming from a harsh environment rather than from the child's own behavior.[44]

The suggestion of meditation rather than medication (when appropriate) has my endorsement. Becoming familiar with yourself in various states seems the most desirable in my opinion.

For me it took the radical step of knowing my genius as a part of myself that I could interact with as if she were a separate individual. Compare the etymology of the word Genius and the word Daemon. Then read this article concerning the use in the Philip Pullman fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials

This seems to be the basis by which shamans are distinguished from others. I don't know how common this is.