Mental Health Directory

Does a Desire for Fame and Success in a Bipolar Patient Indicate An Emerging Manic Episode?

By Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Mental health professional have long debated the relationship between manic episodes and the desire for fame. An article published in Medical News Today, March 2, 2009, examines this issue. The article reports on a study published online today, 2nd March 2009, in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology.The researchers studied, “….manic and depressive levels of 103 people including 27 people with diagnosed manic depression (also known as bipolar disorder), and compared with the results of questionnaires designed to assess their ambitious life goals, such as a desire for fame, material success or recognition. Participants rated the likelihood of various things happening to them, such as; ‘You will appear regularly on TV’, ‘You will have 20 million dollars or more’.” The results were very interesting. Th researchers found “…that the people who had experienced episodes of mania during their lives had the highest expectations of achieving popular success and financial success. This pattern suggests that people with manic or bipolar tendencies are drawn to focus on success, money and popular fame…mania, along with all of its costs, may also drive people to set higher goals. In some cases they achieve them, giving…a glimpse into the advantages that can accompany this highly painful disorder.” There are several implications of this study. First, this study confirms what mental health professionals who treat bipolar patients have seen clinically, i.e., that manic episodes are typically associated with  a strong belief in the importance of achievement, recognition by peers and the public, and an expectation of future success. Second, bipolar patients must remain vigilant about the emergence of a manic episode by monitoring their day to day desires for fame and recognition. Third, mental health professionals who treat bipolar patients should use the patient’s increasing desires for fame as a maker for an emerging manic episode. And, fourth, public health professionals should increase their efforts to educate the public about the link between manic episodes and desires for fame in bipolar patients.

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that increasing desires for fame and success in bipolar patients may be marker for an emerging manic episode.

This article is reprinted with permission from Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s blog at:  http://drjeffanddrtanya.typepad.com/

Source: Original Article

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

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