摘要：Abstract This self-study is based on first-hand experiences gained from 19 episodes of hypomania and mania that inform on the workings of the mind driven by the creative energy of madness. Diverse sources of data (e.g. diaries written during or around episodes) were used for self-diagnosis. Self-observations reveal no depression of clinical severity, compromised reality testing, or impulse control. Cognitive disturbances did not preclude outpourings of creativity. Moreover, a good many of the symptoms exhibited (e.g. literary-artistic-esthetic sensibilities, capacity to enjoy life) may be viewed as positive. Discussion centers on the atypical features and cultural context of my case, interaction between madness and creativity, and limitations of research on mood disorders based on the deficit model. I argue that it is unsound to accommodate cases such as mine under the rubric of bipolar disorders. Evidence derived from self-observations supports the contention that superefficiency in memory retrieval and ideational associations is a mechanism underlying creativity in euphoric states—probably, however, at the cost of mental fatigue, in line with recent research. More generally, the evidence provides support for viewing madness as creative energy in at least some cases.
关键词：self-diagnosis ; atypical mood disorders ; superefficient memory retrieval and ideational association ; mania and creativity ; abnormality in cultural context ; positive aspects of abnormality
