Math problems and Bipolar disorder

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Originally uploaded by RedTea

Despite the new freedom of my brain it seems like something has been lost. My brother was playing a mind game that I used to be really good at, and for a long time I couldn’t figure out how it worked. I have Rubics magic and I cannot even begin to picture it. I take two parts and try to keep in mind where they are as I fold and fold and I cannot figure it out. Beyond that I had problems with Stats (even if determination saw me through it) which isn’t anything big considering it was a college course, but it seems as if the math side of the brain (left I think) took a big hit. I know that disuse could account for much of it, but the loss is a little more extreme then is convenient.

There I looked it up.
The search was “Bipolar math.”

First hit was “Mental disorder may spur math problems in teens - Bipolar Math Subtractions - bipolar disorders” at Bnet. There appear to be other hits that cover the topic, but here is a quote from the article:

“The onset of math troubles long before exposure to psychoactive medication underscores Kutcher's suspicion that brain changes associated with bipolar illness disturb math reasoning.”

There are a few more studies in the article as well. Please read it so I don’t have to summarize.

This proves that my suspicions are not just in my mind even if the whole problem is in my brain. It is a good thing I didn’t become an engineer, accountant, or any other such math related field. But the quote raises the question, ‘did the changes in my brain make anything else better?’ Perhaps I have to compensate for this loss of math reasoning, and come up with new ways of reasoning. Like when I needed to write to fight my way through the dullness caused by medication, but now my brain is freer (less medication).

It does however make me sad. I was good at math. I was both brained (used the left and right side of my brain). I took a test in middle school that told me that. Now when faced to problems in the math related department I feel stupid.

(Added much later on: My brother says that High School math is hardly a good judge of math ability. Do you agree with him?)