>It turned out that Arthur was bipolar and had two significant drug problems. Then it's very likely that his extremely productive coding marathons were during

>It turned out that Arthur was bipolar and had two significant drug problems. Then it's very likely that his extremely productive coding marathons were during manic episodes and/or while abusing stimulants. Certainly not something you would want to bank on either way. My dad was bipolar and also one of the hardest-working men I knew (even during waves of depression). He actually had a couple (prescription) drug problems too. But when he started up a manic episode, it was still abundantly obvious. Basically what's described in the article- seemingly endless pools of energy and stamina despite little to no sleep, always working on or planning some kind of project (for my dad, it was usually some kind of restoration), and never relaxing. I think he was probably an exception to the rule, because when he was depressed and taking heavy doses of benzodiazepines, he still managed to get his fair share done. I'm not a psychiatrist and I don't know Arthur, but I'd guess both his absences and drug use stemmed from his depression.