[patriciaruth]

"Rash statements by people with Bipolar disorder is about impulse control, it does not influence one's belief structure."

I once had a manic depressive patient who believed she could fly an airplane. So, it temporarily does influence beliefs, especially if it makes you believe you have the answers to everything, and then you march off to implement them and convert people. A kind of Holiday Inn guest syndrome.

In the first stages of coming out of the depressed state, the patient may become rational enough to know what a mess they made of things and energetic enough to carry out a suicide plan. It is the most dangerous phase. Which is why stirring up discussion about this can be life-saving, not vicious.

I watched Mel do Hamlet, and I never saw any other actor so well evoke a depressed state of mind from Shakespeare's words. Which may have been more his life experiences at work than the timeless poetry. "O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt..."

When he said that, I knew that either Shakespeare or Mel had been there.

He can join Tom Cruise and Margot Kidder and Patty Duke among others. I suspect the acting field attracts more than its fair share for obvious reasons.

[soccermom]

"Which is why stirring up discussion about this can be life-saving, not vicious." Thank you!!!!!

"I suspect the acting field attracts more than its fair share for obvious reasons." Thank you for your insights. I'll have to go back and watch Hamlet. It is alot easier to see characters in "manic" mode, than to pick up the subtleties of depression. Clearly BP is a blessing and a curse for those in Hollywood. On the one hand, I think it contributes to the creative genius you see in Gibson's directing. On the other hand, as I mentioned in my initial post, the erratic behavior often slips under the radar as standard behavior for celebrities. Thank you, also, for confirming that mania can skew one's beliefs. I would hate to have my loved-one's character judged by notions uttered in a state of mania.