Because it is bitter, and because it is my heart . . .

This news item from the LA Times crossed our desks.  Apparently some psychiatrists are proposing to identify bitterness as a mental illness.  One of them defines bitterness as anger plus hopelessness and explains that those who succumb have a profound sense of injustice.  They can't shake the belief that they're being denied their due for hard work and they become, "angry, pessimistic, aggressive, hopeless haters."
         We recognize the phenomenon though the proposed label, "post-traumatic embitterment syndrome," seems like phony talk, a clinical-sounding neologism for an old-fashioned condition.  Bitterness is a damn real and widespread condition (especially among senior writers, artists, composers et al). What do you think?  Is this "embitterment" syndrome especially prevalent among people in the creative arts?

-- sdh

Comments

[Laura Orem]

This is very interesting. I don't think bitterness is more prevalent among artists than anyone else, although artist certainly aren't immune. I do think it's a byproduct of our consumer culture - in which what you have defines who you are. And of course, in which there is always someone who is going to have more than you.

Also - I don't know if "bitterness" is a mental illness per se; I do know being around deeply bitter people makes me nuts. Maybe bitter people are carriers, like Typhoid Mary.

[Sharon Preiss]

Though "Bitterness" may, in some instances, stand alone as a definable condition, most likely it's linked to a larger illness or dysfunction. Alcoholics, for example, are warned in their primary text that "resentment [read: bitterness] is the number one offender." It underlies the alcoholic's rationalization for drinking -- ie: you'd drink too if such-and-such happened to you -- and can be eliminated or at least lessened through AA's combination of group support, talk therapy, and personal spiritual growth. But the necessary predecessor to this "psychic change," as it's called, is putting down the drink. Without that, little change can happen. And so it seems "Bitterness" needs to be looked at in a more holistic way, as many medical doctors are loathe to do.

[SF]

Anyone who thinks artists are more prone to bitterness has never worked in corporate! granted, there are unjust situations in this world & bitterness is a natural response to some situations, but i wonder if much of this 'syndrome' is more about self-entitlement and lack of appreciation for what one has and refusal to acknowledge things will not always go our way. one of my dear friends has many painful, degenerative health conditions, so many that she could go on complete disability, lost a child, cannot have any more childred, yet she is engaged with life and not bitter. i know another person who has a loving husband, secure job, financially set, freedom to do whatever she likes, and yet she is the victim and the entire world is against her & she is always talking about the injustices of her life. C'mon people, at some point we all have to get a grip and grow up already. The attempt to make bitterness a mental illness is too close to giving people an excuse to behave badly and not take responsibility for themselves.