Was Churchill bipolar?
The great statesman's mental health is still generating controversy today.
In 2006, a British mental health charity defended a statue it commissioned of Churchill in a straitjacket, after the statue sparked a public outcry. Some people were outraged by the attempt to link Winston Churchill and manic depression. The charity claimed it was trying to project a more positive image of people with mental illness. According to a spokesperson:
"The message we want to portray is that it is possible to recover from mental illness and overcome it and be successful - because Churchill is an example of someone who was able to do that."
In fact, some believe that it was more complex than that - that Sir Winston's achievements were because of his bipolar - not in spite of it. In a sparkling essay in his book Black Dog, Kafka's Mice, and Other Phenomena of the Human Mind, psychiatrist and historian Anthony Storr wrote:
"Had he been a stable and equable man, he could never have inspired the nation. In 1940, when all the odds were against Britain, a leader of sober judgment might well have concluded that we were finished."
- Churchill's bipolar bio
- Best link on Churchill's manic depression. Gives insight into Churchill's mood disorder. Also many other bipolar profiles, quotations and excellent bipolar resources.
- 'Black dog' as a metaphor for depression: a brief history
- Churchill made frequent references to his depression, which he called his "black dog". Many believe Sir Winston coined the expression "black dog" himself, but this expression is actually much older. Click here to read brief history of this metaphor for depression by Paul Foley through the Black Dog Institute.
- Altered Statesmen
- The Discovery Channel's feature Altered Statesmen suggests that along with his depressions, Churchill also experienced intensely creative 'up' moods, to the point that psychiatrists would say is cyclothymia. Also comments on the mental health of other world leaders such as JFK, Ronald Reagan and Boris Yeltsin.
- "People with Mental Illness Enrich Our Lives"
- Information about famous people throughout history who have had a serious mental illness, from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
- The Churchill Center
- Comprehensive information on all things Churchill.
- Brief Churchill biography.
- Thorough yet succinct.
I have nothing to offer but blood, tears, toil and sweat
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- Aug 26, 2009 @ 7:50 pm
- Love this lens. Love Winstin Churchill and all other the other geniuses lost amongst us.
by Bipolar-Lives
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