They made it. So can you.

[Twitchy]

A list of famous people with manic depression/bipolar disorder. I realize not everyone here paddles that boat, but if you do, here you go. I'll spare you the "YOU CAN DO IT!" speech and just show the list.

Buzz Aldrin, astronaut
Lionel Aldridge
Hans Christian Andersen, writer
Ned Beatty, actor
Robert Boorstin, writer, assistant to Pres. Clinton,
Arthur Benson, writer
E F Benson, writer
William Blake (1757-1827), poet
Ralph Blakelock, artist
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), general
Tadeusz Borowski
Art Buchwald, writer, humorist
Tim Burton, artist, movie director
Robert Campeau, financier (Canada)
Drew Carey, actor
Jim Carrey, actor
Dick Cavett, writer, media personality
C.E. Chaffin, writer, poet
Agatha Christie, mystery writer
Winston Churchill, 1874-1965- British Prm Mnstr
John Clare, poet
Rosemary Clooney, singer
Garnet Coleman, legislator (Texas)
Francis Ford Coppola, director
Patricia Cornwell, writer
Richard Dadd
John Daly, athlete (golf)
John Davidson, poet
Edward Dayes, artist
Ray Davies, musician
Emily Dickinson
Kitty Dukakis, former First Lady of Massachusetts
Patty Duke (Anna Duke Pearce), actor, writer
Thomas Eagleton, lawyer, former U.S. Senator
T S Eliot, poet
Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist
Robert Evans, film producer
Carrie Fisher, writer, actor
Edward FitzGerald
Robert Frost
F Scott Fitzgerald, author
Larry Flynt, magazine publisher
Connie Francis, actor, musician
Sigmund Freud, physician
Cary Grant, actor
Kaye Gibbons, writer
Shecky Greene, comedian, actor
Linda Hamilton, actor
Kristin Hersh, musician
Victor Hugo, poet
Jack London, author
Robert Lowell, poet
Marilyn Monroe, actress
Mozart, composer
Jay Marvin, radio personality, writer
Cara Kahn, mtv's 'real world'
Kevin McDonald, comedian, actor
Kristy McNichol, actor
Dimitri Mihalas, scientist
Kate Millett, writer, artist
Spike Milligan, comic actor, writer
John Mulheren, financier (U.S.)
Robert Munsch, writer
Napoleon, general
Ilie Nastase, athlete (tennis), politician
Isaac Newton, scientist
Margo Orum, writer
Nicola Pagett, actor
J C Penney
Plato, philosopher, according to Aristotle
Edgar Allen Poe, author
Jimmie Piersall, athlete, sports announcer
Charley Pride, musician
Mac Rebennack (Dr. John), musician
Jeannie C. Riley, musician
Phil Graham, owner, Washington Post
Graham Greene, writer
Peter Gregg, team owner and manager, race car driver
Abbie Hoffman, writer, political activist
Lynn Rivers, U.S. Congress
Francesco Scavullo, artist, photographer
Lori Schiller, writer, educator
Frances Sherwood, writer
Scott Simmie, writer, journalist
Alonzo Spellman, athlete (football)
Muffin Spencer-Devlin, athlete (pro golf)
Gordon Sumner (Sting), musician, composer
St Francis
St John
St Theresa
Rod Steiger, film maker
Robert Louis Stevenson
Liz Taylor, actor
J.M.W. Turner
Mark Twain, author
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, poet
Ted Turner, entrepreneur, media giant
Jean-Claude Van Damme, athlete, actor
Vincent van Gogh
Mark Vonnegut, doctor, writer
Sol Wachtler, judge, writer
Tom Waits, musician, composer
Walt Whitman, poet
Tennessee Williams, author
Brian Wilson, musician (Beach Boys), composer, arranger
Jonathan Winters, comedian, actor, writer, artist
Luther Wright, athlete (basketball)
Margot Kidder, actor
Robert E Lee, soldier
Bill Liechtenstein, producer (TV & radio)
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), US President
Daniel Johnston, musician
Samuel Johnson, poet
Burgess Meredith, 1908-1997, actor, director
Kay Redfield Jamison, psychologist, writer

http://www.mentaljokes.com/famous_manic.html

I'm sure there's plenty more where that came from.

 

[Spare]

There are some VERY prestigious names on that list. Quite inspiring.

 

[Zak]

Wow

 

[Naval_Fluff]

OMFG Mark Twain!! RIght under Zacky Vengence, that dude is my idol. His books are amazing.

 

[Sodium]

wow long list...

 

[Luke_S]

Sigmund Freud!!

 

[Lonesome Crow]

Albert Eienstien had crazy depression.

St Francis...yeap he suffered from a so call fever too.

Abe Lincoln went into a deep depression after his son died.

On of the Wrieghts brothers had tyfoid fever

 

[Naleena]

Thanks for posting that, Twitchy. There are so many well known people on that list. It is very encouraging I think these "illnesses" sometimes makes a person more creative and able to see the world in so many different dimensions. These folks are extraordinary when they are able to harness the monster that haunts them and turn it into something amazing. I am speaking mostly of th creative folks. What would the world be like without such people?
What would humanity be like without these "illnesses" that seem to produce such great artists, writers, ect? These people are so special in my eyes. Perhaps it's just me that sees things in this way?






.

 

[Spare]

Perhaps it's just me that sees things in this way?

Nope, not just you. I completely agree. Creativity is one of the greatest things in the world.

 

[Twitchy]

I'd like to thank everyone that replied to this.

I do know there are a few people on that list that lived before we actually knew what manic depression or bipolar disorder was. However I think the list was compiled due to what most historians suspected their condition to be.

At any rate, my point was basically that just because you might be nuts, doesn't mean you have to sit outside of life and never do anything meaningful.

Have a wonderful day.