The Rough Guide to Psychology An Introduction to Human Behaviour and the Mind (Rough Guides)

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

sense that it feels awful but it serves a useful purpose. Specifically, they
say, the excessive rumination and withdrawal associated with depres-
sion can help a person find a solution to their problems. In support
of their claims, there’s research showing that low mood can harness a
highly analytical mode of thought, and that people with depression have
increased sensitivity to other people’s emotions. Inducing low mood in
research participants has also been shown to boost their performance on
memory tests and other tasks.
On a related theme, there’s also evidence for what’s become known
as depressive realism. Imagine you have to judge whether a switch
controls a light or not. Sometimes flicking the switch seems to turn
the light on and off, but other times it has no effect. In such a scenario,

Bipolar disorder

Far rarer than typical or “unipolar” depression, bipolar disorder is

associated not only with extreme lows of mood, but also periods,

lasting days to months, of intense exhilaration, energy and activity

known as mania. This state may sound appealing, but it can cause

problems such as chronic insomnia

and social inappropriateness, and in

fact occasionally manifests as excess

irritability rather than as a hyper-

positive mood. Mania can also

sometimes cross over into psychosis

when the surge of self-esteem

overflows into delusional beliefs of

invulnerability and omnipotence

(see Chapter 26).

Anecdotal evidence suggests

that bipolar disorder is experienced

more often by musicians, artists,

writers and actors than the general

population, and may even fuel bouts

of intense creativity. Historically,

composers like Tchaikovsky and

Handel are known to have experi-

enced extreme mood swings.

Modern-day celebrities diagnosed

with the condition include the

British writer and actor Stephen Fry

and the US film star and novelist

Carrie Fisher.

The actor, writer and general wit,

Stephen Fry. In 2006, Fry spoke

about his and others’ struggles

with bipolar disorder in a TV

documentary, Stephen Fry: The

Secret Life of the Manic-Depressive.