''Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament'' is a book by the American

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how ...

Kay Redfield Jamison Kay Redfield Jamison (born June 22, 1946) is an American clinical psychologist and writer. Her work has centered on bipolar disorder, which she has had since her early adulthood. She holds the post of the Dalio Professor in Mood Disorders and Ps ...

examining the relationship between

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

and artistic

creativity Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a printed literary w ...

. It contains extensive case studies of historic writers, artists, and composers assessed as probably having had

cyclothymia Cyclothymia ( ), also known as cyclothymic disorder, psychothemia/psychothymia, bipolar III, affective personality disorder and cyclothymic personality disorder, is a mental and behavioural disorder that involves numerous periods of symptoms of ...

major depressive disorder Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Introdu ...

, or manic-depressive/

Reception

The book has widely been very favourably received. It has been the basis for scholarship on the topic of the

relationship Relationship most often refers to: * Family relations and relatives: consanguinity * Interpersonal relationship, a strong, deep, or close association or acquaintance between two or more people * Correlation and dependence, relationships in mathem ...

between bipolar disorder and 'artistic temperament'.

Cultural references

The film of the same name, directed and written by

Paul Dalio Paul Dalio (born December 8, 1979) is an American screenwriter, director and composer. His first film, ''Touched with Fire'', inspired by his struggles overcoming bipolar disorder, premiered at SXSW in March 2015 and was released theatrically in ...

(who is bipolar), 'draws from' the book and the book is a significant feature in its plot.'Touched With Fire,' inspired by work of Johns Hopkins psychologist, explores life with bipolar disorder
Dec 16, 2015, ''hub.jhu.edu'', accessed 28 May 2021

Notes

References

*Jamison, Kay Redfield (1993): ''Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament,'' New York, The Free Press. Books about creativity Creativity and mental illness Books about bipolar disorder {{psych-book-stub

Reception

Cultural references

See also

Notes

References