on another level,

"I didn't realize he had a strong compulsion to invite the illness in again to feel high, something he described vividly as an addiction to mania, not dissimilar to opiate addiction."

I think modernity is very spiritless and soul sucking. I don't really agree with equating addiction to mania as opiate addiction as in, the stigma usually slammed onto junkies

I can understand as caregivers, the selfishness and the cost:

like: 'wowww you just had to go do this shit to feel so creative again and make all this art or this album or this novel and who is doing the laundry? who is making sure you shower? can we schedule this next time? like you are responsible for six months and then ok a two weeks off meds creative bender vacation so i can plan around this?'

i get that

and it really sucks when the answer is no. no, my vision is more important than this family. no, i have to meet up with the cia. no, i cant schedule this. no, i can't give six months of service and drudgery.