“Relationships can be wonderful but challenging under the best of circumstances. When one partner has a serious mental illness, the situation can become even more complex. Many times, the partner without a diagnosed disorder will assume more responsibilities, at least for the short term. For a person who is already worried about what is happening with his or her partner, having to spend more time maintaining the household or taking care of the children can be especially hard.

It is important for the couple to keep in mind that most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness improve over time, and that a partner’s attitude and behavior can make an important contribution to recovery. It helps to maintain an accepting and positive attitude, while holding realistic expectations for the partner with serious mental illness.” Source: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/serious-mental-illness.aspx

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“Because of the stigma and misunderstandings surrounding mental illness, many people are reluctant to tell their partners. You may think that ‘what they don’t know won’t hurt them.’  If you’re in a long-term relationship, it’s better to disclose your health condition when you are well than conceal it until an acute episode…To talk to your partner, choose a time when you aren’t actively experiencing mania, anxiety, depression or psychosis.” Source: NAMI

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Creative outlets can be extremely powerful to help cope with hardships. In 2015, I turned to writing, specifically poetry to help me through some of my more difficult times. Along that journey, I started writing not just when I was distressed, but all the time. Whether happy or sad, there was something extremely cathartic about putting my feelings on paper. And I’m not alone, it turns out.

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“No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness,” said Aristotle.

Imagine a bell curve that accurately represents the creativity of American adults. It would show a “normal distribution,” meaning it would be shaped like an upside down ‘U.’

The raised hump in the middle symbolizes those of an average level of creativity, where most of the population lie. It’s a  comfortable spot, with plenty of company and lots of good conversation, but it doesn’t inspire greatness or lethargy. Entrepreneurs would quickly become bored here.

The lowest points on either end of the distribution represent the ‘outliers’ of our society; on the left, those who are below average in creativity and on the right, those above average.

In these polar positions, life is a little lonelier than in the well-saturated middle, but it’s also potentially more exciting. Entrepreneurs often occupy that lower right corner of the bell curve, standing out from the crowd not just with uncommon ability, but also with extraordinary weaknesses.

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