Mad But Glad

[Tally]

This TV Programme looks at the link between illness and creativity.

 

It mostly follows a man with Tourette's, who is a remarkable pianist. It also touches on autism and schizophrenia. Features Oliver Sacks.

 

You can view it here: http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5651985775946663762

 

It is 49 minutes long and takes a little while to download.

[smiley]

Tally - Thank you for the link.

 

Wow - fascinating for me as Michael is struggling with his tourettes at the moment. The tourettes tends to kick in when he's having a growth spurt (as he is now), it can be all-consuming and exhausting for him. As much the tics as the ticcy thoughts (as he calls them).

He's a very, very creative child - and has always tried to paint, write, compose, etc - but i've noticed the urge to do all those things is almost unbearable when his tourettes is in charge iyswim.

 

At the moment, he's trying to sleep - his tics have been so violent he's given himself a nosebleed . To calm his tics, he's listening to classical music on my ipod - very loud. I've just checked on him and he's nearly asleep......... but his fingers are tapping away in time with the music.

 

Fascinating - Thanks again. I'll be bookmarking that one to show him.

[baddad]

A man with tourettes who has a marvelous what??

 

Sorry - I really must get a new ear trumpet!

 

Oliver Sacks... I read a couple of his books (the man who mistook his wife for a hat and the second one which I can't remember) but found it sort of unsettling... I thought he was very self agrandising, and also felt a bit uncomfortable about the way he presented his patients as 'curiosities'... With hindsight, I guess that's pretty much become the norm with some of the C5 documentarys and stuff coming on now, so he was really a bit ahead of his time...(?)