Kay Redfield Jamison

• Jamison has said that serious mood symptoms began around age 17. About a decade later, she had a severe manic episode with psychosis and was diagnosed with manic-depressive illness. [3]
• She publicly described living with the illness in her 1995 memoir An Unquiet Mind. [2]

• Jamison has described repeated periods of mania and severe depression. During depression, she struggled to concentrate, read or go about daily life. [3]
• During severe mania, Jamison experienced hallucinations and delusions. [3]
• She has also described spending large amounts of money impulsively while manic. [5]
• After she stopped taking lithium on one occasion, she went through about 18 months of suicidal depression and made a near-fatal suicide attempt. [4]

• Jamison was prescribed lithium after her diagnosis and has described psychotherapy as important in accepting both the illness and the need for treatment. [3]
• Jamison has said that she struggled for years to accept that she needed lithium and stopped taking it several times. Each time, she became manic and then severely depressed. [3]
• She stresses the value of medication, psychotherapy, sleep and routine. [4]

• Jamison has said that she remained on lithium after her suicide attempt and responds very well to it. [4]
• She continued her career in research, teaching and writing and became co-director of the Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center. [1]

• Jamison has said that she spoke publicly partly because she was uncomfortable treating and studying bipolar disorder while hiding her own experience. After doing so, she stopped seeing patients but continued her research, teaching and writing. [6]
• Jamison has also worked to reduce discrimination against people with mental illness. She warns against romanticizing bipolar disorder, even though she has studied mood disorders and creativity. [6][4]

“You really don't want to romanticize bipolar disorder.”

— Kay Redfield Jamison [4]