OCD, Luvox, and creativity?

[Nico800]

Can someone help me understand the connection between OCD and creativity, and how luvox can effect it?
I am 20 years old, have had OCD for my entire life, and I never had it treated.
In May, I began taking Luvox for OCD. I noticed that I have experienced some very big improvements with overcoming the symptoms of my OCD and I feel very little anxiety. That may be what the problem is though.
I think I might have too little anxiety. My drive to do anything is very low, my emotions feel very dull, and I feel as though I am simply floating through life doing what is expected of me. I do something merely because I don't want to be responsible for the misery caused if it's not done. I feel like I am gone unless greatly stimulated, but since I have ADD, it's very hard for me to take anything in.

I have always been a creative person. Imagination, art, etc, it is my life. For a while, I put it off to focus on school. I have realized now that you can't do that, because when you have this artistic drive, it is part of who you are. I feel dead without it. Now it seems that my attention span is lower, and I really have to push myself to think and perceive thoughts, even more than before. It used to be that I had trouble articulating them. Now I have trouble having them or knowing if they're there. When I get a thought, I lose interest right away, and it seems as though it just flashes in front of me for a few seconds and then thats it. My thoughts get no deeper than that. I feel empty inside, and apathetic to the world. This feeling of "Who cares" is just too strong. I can talk myself out of caring about anything. It happens without much persuasion. I used to care too much. Now I care just enough to show I'm not a sociopath. I feel like I can't think as clearly too.
I also ADD, and I started taking medicine for it on Sunday. I am wondering, since I am pretty sure the ADD provokes my anxiety, if as I can focus better and think more clearly and comprehend thoughts better because of this medicine(Vyvanse), maybe I can lower my dose of Luvox and better manage anxiety as opposed to not having any? Maybe this is just a stage where I am supposed to get my anxiety under control while it's weakened, and then I will be ready to deal with it? Anxiety is necessary for people to function. I think maybe I have too little now. I hope this is not meant to be my permanent way.
What are your thoughts?
This is making me miserable. I don't know what is going to come of my life.
Thank you for reading this.

[artymom]

I'm sorry to read that you are miserable. I have anxiety and ADHD too. I'm the wrong person to talk to you about Luvox though. I tried Luvox and it was like I was in a coma where I could still walk around. About the most creative thought that went through my head was (looking at a wall) "Is that grey? Or green?" I slept an incredible amount and it was a horrible medicine for me.

I take a low dose of prozac now, and I have klonopin for when I feel too agitated to calm myself. (Pre-panic attack, I'm fortunate in that my panic attacks are somewhat irregular and hit AFTER I the storm passes, and I can tell when one is going to hit.) The klonopin also helps me sleep when I'm feeling a lot of anxiety, when I have nights that I just cant shut my thoughts off. (The klonopin isn't something you can use long term for anxiety, or I would. It rocks.) I work with a Cognitive Behaviorial Therapist, and meditate when I can make myself do it. I just started on Vyvanse today - and fingers crossed that it helps with the Anxiety too. My Psych dr thinks that the other meds weren't hitting the anxiety fully because of ADHD exacerbating the problem.

I don't know if that helps, but you aren't alone. I'm also an artistic person, I have a degree in Graphic Design and Photography, and my minor was Art History. Treating the anxiety doesn't change who you are, it doesn't make you less creative. I too worried about therapy changing me, I think the right therapy and meds won't change you... they will make what is great about you even better. You need the right meds, a therapist to give you some coping skills and work out any underlying problems that are causing anxiety that AREN'T ADHD related, and an understanding Psych DR. You're gonna be OK, but you might have to work at it to get there. And then you're going to be really glad you did.