title: Van Gogh and lithium. Creativity and bipolar disorder: perspective of a psychologist/writer.
abstract: Margo Orum is the author of Fairytales in reality: My victory over manic depression. Manic depression first appeared in her life 14 years ago, when she was 31. In the first 5 years she had seven episodes (four manias and three depressions). She then embarked on a period of personal growth, including therapy with a psychologist: a period that she now sees as a turning point in helping her to better manage her illness. In the 9 years since then, she has had only two episodes. Both occurred when she was temporarily off lithium. Currently Margo is completing a PhD in psychology and is a casual teacher at Macquarie University.
authors.affiliation: morum@bunyip.psy.mq.edu.au
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orum
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001154:Art; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000266:history; D003405:Creativity; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012649:Self Concept
chemical_list: D018692:Antimanic Agents; D016651:Lithium Carbonate