News, JK Rowling Considered Suicide While Suffering From Depression Before Writing 'Harry Potter' (novels, children)

[JD59]

NEW YORK — JK Rowling has revealed that she thought of killing herself while suffering from depression as a struggling single mother.

FOXNews.com - JK Rowling Considered Suicide While Suffering From Depression Before Writing 'Harry Potter' - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment

[Tricky D]

Rowling, whose Harry Potter novels have sold more than 400m copies worldwide and spawned a billion dollar industry, said she was happy to discuss her mental health problems to challenge the stigma associated with depressive illness.

I applaud her for doing this.

[NOEM1226]

Sometimes the most gifted people are the ones who struggle with personal happiness. I wonder why this is? Its like there is some very thin line between brilliant and mentally ill-or some link between the 2.
However, I don't struggle as a single mother-and the financial resources I have are ridiculous when compared to hers. I must be the emotional toll;although I can't agree with that either. You pick up and move on.
regardless-I am proud of her for bringing mental illness into the limelight-it's time we erase the stigma.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by NOEM1226

Sometimes the most gifted people are the ones who struggle with personal happiness. I wonder why this is? Its like there is some very thin line between brilliant and mentally ill-or some link between the 2.

you know, I have heard there is some connection between mental illness and creativity (there may have been studies on this, but a lot of people in the arts and media seem to have either major depression or bipolar)

[findinghope]

i LOVE her, and i love that she wrote this series. i was hooked back in 2000 when i read the first one even though it was already a year old. a frein of mine was telling me about it and i laughed cause it was a "children's book".
the joke was on me. i consider myself an avid reader and never have i felt what i feel when i am reading one of these novels. i WISH i could live in them!

[gemkeeper]

Many doctors, researchers and teachers have indicated that gifted people are not as easily satisfied as the average Joe. They often set very high goals for themselves and not achieving them in the way they had hoped can cause a depressive spiral.

I have worked with students who have been gifted, but are handicapped by this pressing need to accomplish more and more.

Still, other gifted people often attain their goal so easily, they are on a constant quest for another challenge. This often sets them up for a frustrating life of never being able to stick to any one interest or job for a long period of time. There is constant change and unrest in their lives. This, too, often precludes an individual from finding satisfaction with his life and may lead to depression.

For still others, it is a result of a chemical imbalance. Could it be that gifted people produce more or less of the necessary hormones and chemicals, such as endorphins or nerve receptors, to stave off depression?

I do applaud Ms. Rowling, also, for bringing this disease to the public's attention as nothing to be ashamed of at all. Bravo!