This, frankly is a peculiar question because I don't think the creativity in itself can be an addiction, but the EXPRESSION of it most definitely can be. For example, a person who loves art and wants to have many pieces can go bankrupt or turn to crime to fullfill that need to "express" their creativity. THAT is an addiction.
The very definition of addiction is a physical or mental dependence on a behavior or substance that a person feels powerless to stop. If the person is UNABLE to stop what they are doing, then it is destructive and an addiction.
Posts: 9071 | Location: PA, USA | Registered: 06-05-02
You are saying that the expression of creativity and the reward of creativity can become addictive. I thought that you were saying that followers of an artist, scientist, etc. are addicts, too, which additional assessment looks correct to me. It seems that there is obsessive behavior involved in all three varieties of addiction.
Obsessive/Compulsive people make the world go round. How about Bill Gates? He created a computer format that our kids can use. He united people globally with his creation.
Do you think this guy is balanced? He isn't! Do you think he invented a computer format globally in his spare time? He didn't. Bill Gates is an obsessive/compulsive person.
The only problem there is with obsessive/compulsive people are the ones that just don't believe their doors are really locked or the ones are afraid to touch anything because it has germs.
Obsessive/Compulsive people make the most astounding contributions to the world. The successful are crazy too!!
"The only problem there is with obsessive/compulsive people are the ones that just don't believe their doors are really locked or the ones are afraid to touch anything because it has germs." - WF
While I have no idea if Gates has Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder (nor have I seen any evidence, even in this thread), I do know that some of those who suffer from OCD can make major contributions to society. Having said that, I find it necessary to point out that the World Health Organization lists OCD as one of the top twenty most disabling illnesses in terms of lost income and diminished quality of life.
To be considered truly OCD, the patient "must realize that his/her obsessions or compulsions are unreasonable or excessive. Moreover, the obsessions or compulsions must be time-consuming (taking up more than one hour per day), cause distress, or cause impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning. OCD often causes feelings similar to those of depression. OCD is placed in the anxiety class of mental illness, but like many chronic stress disorders it can lead to clinical depression over time. The constant stress of the condition can cause sufferers to develop a deadening of spirit, a numbing frustration, or sense of hopelessness. OCD's effects on day-to-day life—particularly its substantial consumption of time—can produce difficulties with work, finances and relationships." (Wikipedia)
Impairment ranges from minimal to severe. Sometimes the symptoms are crippling: frequent hospitalizations may become necessary and regular employment impossible. On the other hand, many successful doctors, lawyers, engineers, educators, homemakers, businessmen/women, factory workers, performers and entertainers continue to succeed, despite symptoms of OCD. For the majority of people who lead otherwise normal lives, life would be even more productive and fulfilling if they were free of symptoms. The emotional and economic costs of OCD to the individual, the family, and society are enormous. - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Support Group
Very obviously, OCD is a bit more complicated than WF realizes.
And I must point out that WF's last statement indicates her lack of understanding of mental illnesses in general.
Posts: 16978 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, IL, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
Right on the mark, Dorian. Not to mention that it is very unprofessional to make a diagnosis without seeing and interviewing the patient, given that one has the necessary qualifications to make a diagnosis. The very minimum examination would be in a one-hour session, and would include a physical exam, too.
Silly, off-the-cuff definitions trivialize mental illness, ignoring the immense suffering those afflicted have to endure, and will have to endure until better treatments are found.
Posts: 6256 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
Creativity has nothing to do with a disorder nor is it in any way linked to obsessive behavior. Most obsessives (with OCD) are decidedly uncreative in the way their behaviors manifest (as far as I understand it.) Creative people may become obsessed with their work but that is NOT the same thing as OCD... many people get consumed by their children's activities and achievements... does that make them OCD or addicted? (hint - it just means they have passion about their lives and work.)
What is this question getting at? Trying to say that creative people have something wrong with them or that they have a problem? I just don't understand the question nor any of the answers least of all the diatribe about Bill Gates... Do we really need to think that people who are creative have some kind of problem?
Posts: 3049 | Location: USA | Registered: 06-04-02
aminator2002: As you well know, too much of a good thing can become a problem. For example, if an artist neglects himself/herself to paint despite the fact that there is no demand for his/her paintings, then the artist has some type of challenge, if not a problem. Whether this is an obsession on the artist's part or something else is the type of thing at which we are looking, despite the facts that we should not be holding any particular individual in mind and most of us are amateurs in the area of mental health.
Having problems or creating problems for yourself is not an addiction problem, it's simply a problem. Some people let their lives get out of balance, priorities become skewed and some things are perhaps too much in focus while other things slide. This is not the same thing as addiction.
It seems to me people have a tendency to look at anything that they find a problem in their lives to be caused by an addiction (meaning that they have no control). This is not the case when it comes to someone being a workaholic - they are exercising their free will and whether you want to agree or not, they have no impairment to stopping except their passion. And in most cases if you took away that passion from them then they would consider life less worth living... it's their choice.
Posts: 3049 | Location: USA | Registered: 06-04-02
aminator2002: I like your use of the word "balance." When I cut my list of things to do in half, I'll aim for balance. In other words, I'll start by balancing my agenda, which if I do too many exercises with it, from the looks of it (raggedly pages clipped together), it will fall apart. Better that it should fall apart than that I should.
Better yet, throw out the list. If you are feeling stressed or run ragged then you need to stop, breathe and start trying to aim for having busy days alternating with slow "carefree" days. Nobody can endure a life of jam packed days for an extended period... breaks in action are the best times to gather your thoughts.
Posts: 3049 | Location: USA | Registered: 06-04-02
aminator2002: My days are very long and action packed. I have no patience with too many hours of relaxation. One of my secrets is that list system. BTW, it is 9:06 a.m., and I have not yet gone to sleep, which means that I had a very busy and fun-filled night--and there is no telling how many problems I will solve in my sleep! I will get near eight hours of sleep though. Perhaps you had better not try imitating me.
tsaeb says : "Perhaps you had better not try imitating me."
Good advice. Your prophecies are falling apart due to excess tiredness on your part, as you have explained in other threads. This is not a good thing, if you're a prophetess.
Posts: 6256 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
babthrower: Your remark indicates that you do not know what is a prophecy: it is a mental image, which can usually be put on paper as a design. Since I do not post my prophetic designs on this website, it may very well be that you have some type of disorder, the purpose of this particular forum.
1 : an inspired utterance of a prophet 2 : the function or vocation of a prophet; specifically : the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose 3 : a prediction of something to come
You struck out on all three.
Designs on paper may be creative, though, and that's the topic of this thread. I have some very pretty hand-made paper that I save for wrapping special gifts.
Posts: 6256 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
BTW, it is 9:06 a.m., and I have not yet gone to sleep,
Why would anyone want to imitate that? It's not an addiction, you are just be crazy. During my education I ran into plenty of people that stayed up all night on a regular basis to work on their projects. The problem is that they thought they were doing good work during those hours and they felt like they were giving the 110% that so many people imagine there is in the world. From my perspective as a student that regularly got her work done during normal hours and only occasionally had to burn the midnight oil - the work done in the middle of the night is very inefficient and can be done much better on a regular schedule. Grades supported my theories but there were these people that wanted to prove how much they cared about their work, wanted praise for putting themselves secondary to their craft and in many cases just wanted attention... they would stay up all night and sleep through some of their classes and basically... it was all a waste so they could gain the status of "all-nighters".
It's stupid and I wanted no part of it then and certainly want no part of it now.
Posts: 3049 | Location: USA | Registered: 06-04-02
aminator2002: You make the false assumption that I lose sleep, which I do not. If I stay up late, it is for a variety of necessary reasons, and I do then get adequate sleep, only in the daytime. Also, don't be so quick to call anyone crazy.
babthrower: Go with Merriam Webster: I think that he is dead.
Crazy was meant in a "you are nutty" kind of way rather than "you should check into a facility." I don't think it's quick to call someone a little crazy who says "It's 9:30 and I still haven't been to bed" when that person really hasn't given a full explanation of the pressing global crisis that could merit such a need to stay up all night.
So it's necessary, well that's fine if you say so, but in the context of a thread that you started where you are vaguely asserting that you have some sort compulsion to your creative endeavors, that seems a bit subjective. I hope you create the vaccine for bird flu in these all nighters.
Posts: 3049 | Location: USA | Registered: 06-04-02
tsaeb says: "... If I stay up late, it is for a variety of necessary reasons, and I do then get adequate sleep, only in the daytime."
Ah. Then the excuse that in three days you could not analyse the Aramaic test nor in another three days you could not analyze the dribble glass test were lies. And you said you never tell porkies. So THAT was a lie, too.
quote:
babthrower: Go with Merriam Webster: I think that he is dead.
Both Merriam and Webster are dead. They died sane and intelligent.
Posts: 6256 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
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