[amicus_curiae]

Okay, so hypergraphia is the unrelenting compulsion to write. I had to go to Mass General (the best hospital in the US) to find understanding and treatment for it. Dr. A.F. wrote the definitive text on the disorder, The Midnight Disease and s/he also wrote The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Neurology which is the most “widely used neurology text in its class.” S/he is a big believer in brain functions being responsible for psychiatric disorders, as am I.

Dr. F. enjoys hypergraphia. S/he first experienced it after giving birth to twins who died. Later, after s/he gave birth to twins who lived s/he experienced hypergraphia again... and continues to wrestle with the compulsion.

I was fortunate to find her/him when I did as I was under the control of the disorder, writing 200+ pages per day, going through 2-3 notebooks per day. No paper was safe if I had a nearby pen.

Many people have told me that I “write too much” and I know that’s true. I don’t write as much as I did three years ago, though. Dr. F. has been a tremendous teacher in helping me to control the disorder. I’m down to a little under 50 pages per day and less than one notebook (my notebooks are where I write words, phrases or sentence fragments that I like — most are mine but I’ll note words and phrases from poetry, prose and song lyrics that move me. An example from V.N.’s Lolita: “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.” One of the greatest opening paragraphs in literature).

The disorder is not uncommon. It is believed to be caused by Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) or brain chemistry resultant from (in particular bipolar) severe depression. For me, it feels like ‘manic-lite,’ maybe. Hypergraphia can contribute to literary creativity but it seldom means that the writing is ‘good.’ There are extraordinarily great writers who’ve had hypergraphia (Dostoevsky is the first that comes to mind) but most of us write poorly; poorly and at length.

I, the poor rake, cannot help but do what I do. As I write, I am not cognizant of misspellings, poor grammar or unusual punctuation. Not here.

I think that the reasons that I’m writing this are 1) I feel that I need to explain the quantity of my words, and 2) I’m wondering if anyone else might have this disorder?

[amicus_curiae]

Oh, come on! I cannot be the only hypergraphic here!

Maybe this is the wrong place to post?

[eskielover]

I write a lot when I have something to say but mostly I don't have time to sit & put my thoughts into writing. Some thoughts I wish I had put doen because they can flit away as quickly as they came. I don't have the patience to write that much so obviously I don't suffer from it.

My larger amount of writing came from having to fine so many different ways to express things to my H. So figured if someone didn't understand how I write something one way they would understand the other(s).....I have become better at not feeling the need to do this

[*Laurie*]

I suspect that there are masses of people who are compelled by hypergraphia and ramble on with no particular talent for communication or for enlightening others through their writing. You are not one of those people. Your writing is highly literate, interesting, and I learn from it. i.e.: You posses the marks of a talented writer.
Therefore, it's difficult for me to label your urge to write as a problem.

I used to write quite a lot when I was younger, including writing poetry, some of which was published in reputable journals.

I don't write nearly as much now, probably because I do most of my writing online, communicating with others. I do, however, have a life-long and ongoing "burn" to create, to be creative. Being creative manifests in a variety of ways. I do believe that the extremely passionate urge to create is an aspect of hyper-mania and mania, but I don't care - creating is essential to me; it's my life's blood.

Is your hypergraphia disturbing you lately?

[Thunder Bow]

You are a good writer, keep it up. Write a book and have it published.

[Blueberrybook]

I had it happen once when I was very manic (so manic I only just managed not to be hospitalized). I found it so weird. I just wrote and wrote and wrote and couldn’t stop writing, but once the mania was under control, it stopped. Sorry, no advice for you about persistent hypergraphia.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

I suspect that there are masses of people who are compelled by hypergraphia and ramble on with no particular talent for communication or for enlightening others through their writing. You are not one of those people. Your writing is highly literate, interesting, and I learn from it. i.e.: You posses the marks of a talented writer.
Therefore, it's difficult for me to label your urge to write as a problem.

I used to write quite a lot when I was younger, including writing poetry, some of which was published in reputable journals.

I don't write nearly as much now, probably because I do most of my writing online, communicating with others. I do, however, have a life-long and ongoing "burn" to create, to be creative. Being creative manifests in a variety of ways. I do believe that the extremely passionate urge to create is an aspect of hyper-mania and mania, but I don't care - creating is essential to me; it's my life's blood.

Is your hypergraphia disturbing you lately?

Yes; very disturbing.

I can’t sleep and it’s not caused by a manic manifestation so much as the feeling that I cannot write while asleep so it’s better to continue writing than sleeping.

I have written my whole life; it’s only during the past 5-6 years that I’ve felt that I cannot stop.

The glyphs, the letters, that I can write, pen on paper, change so often that I have trouble reading what I’ve written.

Dr. F. addresses creativity and ‘writer’s block,’ too. I slipped into a kind of writer’s block this week — terrifying.

I’m not sure where I go next. I love the disease.

[*Laurie*]

I'm going to try my very best to make time today to take a look at the books you've mentioned. I will then get back to this interesting thread.