Want to read a story? Did you know that at the age of four, the famous writer, Stephen King, witnessed a friend of his get hit by a train? The sight of the horrible event stuck with the well-known writer his entire life. Often famous writers experienced trauma in their lives that influenced their writing style or inspired them to pick up the pen in the first place. Please keep reading to learn about writers who witnessed trauma and writers with mental illness and how these conditions affected their careers.
Famous Writers With Mental Illness
You may be surprised to learn some of these great writers struggled with mental health conditions. For instance, Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist, and many of his short stories were favored by people all over the country. The man even earned a Nobel Peace Prize in Literature. No matter his successes, Heminway struggled with severe depression and alcoholism.
Another famous author includes Edgar Allen Poe, whose literature is often taught in civics or English classes. You may know his works like To Helen, The Raven, and The Tell-Tale Heart. The short story writer and poet had several conditions such as chronic depression, bipolar disorder symptoms, alcoholism, and substance abuse. Unfortunately, he died due to alcohol abuse-related circumstances.
Famous English writers with mental illness included Franz Kafka, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, and Ezra Pound. These authors were influenced by a specific way of thinking and used writing as a way to manage their emotions and thoughts inflicted by their mental health conditions. Many struggled with depression and substance abuse.
Bipolar Disorder and Writing
The effects of bipolar disorder and writing depend on the severity of the episodes the person experiences. Physical effects include shaking, blurred vision, and foggy memory or cognitive impairment. Bipolar inflicts depression or depressive episodes as well as extreme irritation or aggression, depending on the form of bipolar disorder. These intense mood swings can cause writer's block, which makes even the most basic of words hard to comprehend or think of.
Although many complications may arise from the mental health disorder, writers may be influenced by their excessive thoughts and extreme emotions. These feelings and thoughts can inspire stories, poems, and novels. Still, a person may struggle with low confidence and self-esteem issues, and this results in writing as a coping mechanism, producing memorable pieces of literature enjoyed by many.
Are People With Mental Illness Better Writers?
Although people with bipolar disorder and most other mental health conditions feel irritable, the effects can also lead to feeling sociable or artistic. Creativity is sparked through these emotions and overthinking, as well as feeling energized to write. Depressed poets like Sylvia Plath, one of the greatest female writers, were well known by psychologists like James C. Kaufman, who coined the term “The Sylvia Plath Effect.”
He suggested that poets are more likely to be more creative writers when suffering from illnesses like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. From past writers to famous authors today, like Stephen King, people with mental illness do not succumb to their condition but have proven that it can enhance their creativity and inspiration.
Mental Health Recovery at Banyan Treatment Center Boca
From schizophrenia treatment to bipolar treatment, the medical staff at Banyan Boca is prepared to guide patients through the process to equip them with the skills they need to reduce symptoms. We understand that mental health side effects affect everyone on a different level which is why we take the time to design a treatment plan that best fits your needs and goals. We establish crisis intervention techniques for mental health conditions so people can recognize the problem and get the help they deserve.
Contact a member at Banyan’s Boca Behavioral Health Center by calling 888-280-4763 today! Ask about our unique services like biofeedback therapy to get started!
Related Readings:
