“Kay Jamison writes about her own experience with the illness. “I honestly believe that as a result of it I have felt more things, more deeply; had more experiences, more intensely; loved more, and been more loved; laughed more often for having cried more often; appreciated more… seen the finest and most terrible in people, and slowly learned the values of caring, loyalty, and seeing things through… But, normal or manic, I have run faster, thought faster, and loved faster than most I know… It has made me test the limits of my mind.

Extremes of emotions are a gift-the capacity to be passionately involved in life, to care deeply about things, to feel hurt; a lot of people don’t have that. It’s the transition in and out of the highs and lows, the constant contrast that fosters creativity. Impairment, the inability to function normally, does not occur until after the hypomanic stage has progressed into full blown mania.”