[TheSeaCat]

I don't know if this has been discussed before but I would like to discuss it. Long story short a friend who has bipolar 1 and is a fourth year med student and I were discussing different medications I could try and we somehow got on the subject of how most people with some form of bipolar is usually very intelligent; which made me wonder what everyone else though of this. I also manage to find a few articles on the subject.

Intelligence Linked to Bipolar Disorder

Is bipolar disorder more common in highly intelligent people? A cohort study of a million men

Is Bipolar Disorder Correlated With High Intelligence? - bpHope : bpHope

So what does everything think about this subject. I kind of agree that I was always massively type A in school and would not accept anything less than a B when it came to my studies. I always had to make honor roll or some sort of Dean's list in college. Anyone else feel they are slightly more intelligent than others without Bipolar?

Hi TheSeaCat. I read the articles you referenced, and there were some interesting observations in them. This is definitely not the first time I've read about possible links between intelligence and/or creativity and bipolar disorder. I have met plenty of intelligent and creative people with the disorder over the last 14 years since my diagnosis, and plenty of others whose talents are not as apparently noteworthy.

What I fear is that this thread could become a brag fest, or make others wonder why they feel more "normal", or even challenged in these realms.

What I will say about myself is that I was always passionate about life, until the periods during and after my worst episodes. I was a very interested student, and raised my hand to contribute more than anyone else in my classes. I worked hard, when psychologically able. Extremely hard when hypomanic. During hyomanic periods, my brain and energy levels were supercharged. That definitely helped push me beyond more normal limits, at least for myself.

I have become full blown manic in the past, several times, even with psychosis. Though I can't speak for others who've experienced full mania, I can say that when I'm full manic, my thinking becomes disjointed/chaotic... often scary. When I, after-the-fact, compare any perceived creativity and brilliance during those periods with that of my hypomanic or stable periods, the latter is always superior.

I'm again passionate about a number of things, and yet disabled in ways. I have my creative moments mixed with some mental blockages. I'm happy that some past cognitive impairment has eased. I'm happy that my past adventures, struggles, and recovery have widened my knowledge about many things and opened my mind to things I could not fully see in my youthful "glory days".

[Pookyl]

I don’t believe that I’m more intelligent than anyone without bipolar. In fact when I’m having an episode I make incredibly stupid decisions.
Neither am I more creative.

I find the study about Finnish young men interesting. Finland has one of the top education systems in the world. Students score highly on tests. Maybe that is a variable that contributes to the study results??

[Wild Coyote]

I have read studies and have had lots of conversations about this.

If anything, I think the effects of BPII (and meds) make me lose IQ points.


WC

[WishfulThinker66]

I wouldn't say that bipolar individuals are more intelligent - smarter perhaps but not necessarily more intelligent. Intelligence incidentally is a measure of cognitive capacity. Smartness is experiential knowledge. I suggest that bipolar people tend to be more adept at gathering and recalling different knowledge. We have a thirst for expanding our world (to my understanding).

Creativity too I think goes hand in hand with this. It is no great leap to say that creativity and bipolar go hand in hand. Creativity itself takes a certain kind of smartness. And creativity takes multiple forms. While for some it may be the visual or performing arts, creativity also takes the form of elevated thought processes. Again, I don't believe a creative person is necessarily more intelligent but I DO think that they are able to use that intelligence in more creative ways. Thus, a bipolar person might seem to be more intelligent.

[*Laurie*]

Yes. Statistically of higher intelligence and generally extremely creative. Kay Redfield Jamison had written exceptional books about this topic.

Originally Posted by TheSeaCat

I don't know if this has been discussed before but I would like to discuss it. Long story short a friend who has bipolar 1 and is a fourth year med student and I were discussing different medications I could try and we somehow got on the subject of how most people with some form of bipolar is usually very intelligent; which made me wonder what everyone else though of this. I also manage to find a few articles on the subject.

Intelligence Linked to Bipolar Disorder

Is bipolar disorder more common in highly intelligent people? A cohort study of a million men

Is Bipolar Disorder Correlated With High Intelligence? - bpHope : bpHope

So what does everything think about this subject. I kind of agree that I was always massively type A in school and would not accept anything less than a B when it came to my studies. I always had to make honor roll or some sort of Dean's list in college. Anyone else feel they are slightly more intelligent than others without Bipolar?

I sucked during school, and was eventually withdrawn by the teacher

I also don't see myself as " inteligent"

when I play trivia, for example,, I hardly know the answers.. most of the time I'm either guessing, or if worst comes to worst, I cheat and look it up on google (lol!)

I really don't think someone that has bipolar is more inteligent than someone who doesn't. I probably only say that though because I had a less than good education, and because I don't believe you just naturally "know" things

[pirilin]

There are many dumb individuals with bipolar. Or bipolar wannabe.
I'm living proof.

Cheers.