Thassa me... that was the diagnosis, but nothing pharmacological helped
much either.
It really is an aphrodisiac for recruiters.
> Often the condition turns up in adolescence, and may worsen
> towardmidcareer
Which, on my accellerated schedule, should be any day now.
> deal maker who brought home gay
> men and held them prisoner for torture sessions -- all the while,
> according to one of his alleged victims, musing "I don't know why I
> have to do this."
At least my worst other-directed symptom of grandiosity is FoRK!
> Now the most interesting question: Many corporate maniacs later
> attribute their brilliant careers to their mental illness, but are
> they right? .... Later he was
> quoted saying his manic-depression was "the only reason I've been
> successful."
DAMN STRAIGHT! It's why I deeply suspect satisfied people :-)
> And even those who put themselves under a doctor's care often choose
> to go off their medication when facing an important deal or deadline,
> believing their illness gives them a creative boost.
Well, look, let's do the induction: 1) I am uniquely succesful 2) I am
uniquely crazy
3) that which makes me crazy makes me succeed. For bonus points, extend the
chain to 4) that which makes me normal makes me worthless.
> But back to the question: Is this the price of success? Not according
> to Dr. Speller, who says his patients succeed despite their
> illnesses. They happen to be very bright, which allows them to muddle
> through despite mood swings and attention deficit problems, which are
> oftenassociated with bipolar II.
Absolutely. Being smart enough to always slide by is a curse, not a
blessing --
though at any given point I loathe failing enough to slide by.
> "Get these guys on a little lithium
> for bipolar, a little Prozac for depression and attention deficit
> disorder," hesays, and they discover they can get "twice as much done
> in half the time."
Haven't found me a cocktail yet, and not so interested yet, really. Keep
running into very unsympathetic docs. That can be cured by $$$, though --
I tipped off a fairly successful person to ADD and he got the diagnosis he
expected within days -- by bypassing the company health plan.
> That may smack too much of using medication to optimize performance,
> but even practitioners of talk therapy agree that neurotic conditions
> are pure disability, no help to achieving a successful career.
No, neurosis can the spice of life -- at this point, I simply wouldn't
enjoy being
normal. I've grown so far past the point where retreat was an option. Now
the
only direction is onward, to the towering foibles of some of the subjects
of this
article.
> Nathan Kline, discoverer of lithium, liked to tell the story abouthow
> he once cured a notoriously "crazy" African village chief, only to
> havethe village fall apart. "Fortunately," Dr. Kline added, "he got
> crazy again."
We can't all be chiefs, some of us have to be Indians...
RK