title: Van Gogh and lithium. Creativity and bipolar disorder: perspective of a writer/photographer.
abstract: Diana Dennison has suffered from manic depression since her teenage years in the 1960s but only realised that she had the condition when, in her 30s, she learnt that her uncle was manic depressive. Diana endured her low states with either no medication or with what was for her the unsatisfactory effect of tricyclic antidepressants. Her untreated hypomanic states cut a swathe through her life. She has never been hospitalised for her condition. Her marriage did not survive but her daughters did and she is now a proud and doting grandmother who skis and scuba dives. Only in the last 4 years did Diana seek help for the treatment of her condition. Diana is a free-lance writer, researcher and photographer.
authors.affiliation: wild@wildlight.com.au
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dennison
mesh_terms: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001154:Art / Q000266:history; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003405:Creativity; D005197:Famous Persons; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D018692:Antimanic Agents; D016651:Lithium Carbonate