Writing is an illness?

One of my favourite poets, Ernest Christopher Dowson was an alcoholic, a frequenter of the world’s oldest profession and died at the age of 30. Did he have a mental disorder? Quite possibly. However, in the final analysis what matters is that Dowson composed some fine poetry.

Mental illness is widespread. However the vast majority of those with mental health issues do not write and are not creative in other areas (for example as painters).

Many factors may cause a person to be creative. An ap...