Does depression stifle or enhance your creativity?

[daveddd]

Originally Posted by Little Missy

never often enough, nor lasting long enough.

like a tease aint it

[Little Missy]

Originally Posted by daveddd

like a tease aint it

oh, it is, it IS!

[sarahsweets]

Depressions for me, fuels intense emotions and makes me irrational. I have never been extra creative when I am irrational.

[LyrinMeow]

This thread is old but I don't care.

Comparing me now to me back in the day? When I was semi functional: So much more creative. I used to write, draw, play and write music. They may have been bad emotions but I could feel them. Everything was vibrant and meaningful in a... sad sort of way. If that makes any sense.

On medication? I barely feel anything like that. Music doesn't affect me like it used to. I can't stay into drawing for more than a few pieces. I gave up playing the instruments. Everything feels dulled down.

I used to be a passionate person, now I'm more stoic than anything. I mean I have things I'm interested in that I do. But the spark is just... gone. Maybe I got old? Maybe it's my particular combination of mental disorders and the medication I'm on?

The broad middle of my spectrum is blurred out and I only get the occasional mood swing for a short period. Usually anger or panic. I may get the occasional moment of awe. But mostly I just feel I'm holding a flat line.

I WANT to be creative and do things it's just not in me anymore.

[Little Nut]

Lyrin, FTR I appreciate the lead-in and overall a nice post. Thx, -LN

[stef]

Depression (from life events, grieving, etc) totally definitely stifles my creativity
but adhd meds, definitely not!

I had worried about this, but instead the fact that I can actually somewhat manage my life, has freed up my creativity; my writing is more efficient, and I've found that I enjoy cooking and trying recipes.

Also, I've started reading fiction again

What meds are you taking?
A long time ago, I tried an antidepressant, it turned me into a zombie.

[Fraser_0762]

Depression is a life sucking vampire for me. It makes me not want to do anything at all. Everything seems boring. Every action and every idea. So it renders my ability to be creative or productive completely useless. I become a shell of what I should be.

[CharlesH]

Originally Posted by Fraser_0762

Depression is a life sucking vampire for me. It makes me not want to do anything at all. Everything seems boring. Every action and every idea. So it renders my ability to be creative or productive completely useless. I become a shell of what I should be.

Definitely!

People sometimes conflate struggles with clinical depression. Struggles can absolutely spur creativity. Clinical depression just makes you withdraw from struggles. You're not going to be creative if you can't drag yourself out of bed, haha.

I think that people often try to make lemonade out of lemons, which is why they say things like "ADHD is a gift," or "depression helps my creativity." Certainly, people can be made stronger and wiser through overcoming struggles, and good for them! But not everyone comes out successful (especially for chronic conditions), and even if they do, wouldn't it have been better if they hadn't had to struggle as much as other people just to reach the same level of success?

For each famous example of artists/authors whose breakthrough creativity was spurred by depression, there are millions of ordinary people whose life potentials were wasted away because of depression.

[LyrinMeow]

I will specify. My creative times were when I was not at my utter depths but moderately depressed. I was still functional (kindof). Not at the "I've been laying in this bed for a week" depressed. Also I am bipolar. As such I don't suffer pure mania but dysphoric mania which is depression and mania at the same time. Both times I tried to kill myself I was dysphoric. BUT these weird mood combinations could make me really creative sometimes.

Also, I was not medicated at the time. Now I'm on aderall, 2 anti-depressants, an anti psychotic, 2 benzos, and ambien. Every day I have to speed myself up to function and every night I have to sedate myself to sleep.

And I just feel half dead all the time. But if I screw with my meds then I screw with my ability to function which affects my ability to do and keep my job. So I'm just kinda... stuck.

[CharlesH]

Originally Posted by LyrinMeow

I will specify. My creative times were when I was not at my utter depths but moderately depressed. I was still functional (kindof). Not at the "I've been laying in this bed for a week" depressed. Also I am bipolar. As such I don't suffer pure mania but dysphoric mania which is depression and mania at the same time. Both times I tried to kill myself I was dysphoric. BUT these weird mood combinations could make me really creative sometimes.

Also, I was not medicated at the time. Now I'm on aderall, 2 anti-depressants, an anti psychotic, 2 benzos, and ambien. Every day I have to speed myself up to function and every night I have to sedate myself to sleep.

And I just feel half dead all the time. But if I screw with my meds then I screw with my ability to function which affects my ability to do and keep my job. So I'm just kinda... stuck.

To me, that does seem to be quite a lot of meds. How are you even able to tell what effects each of the individual meds are having on you? Anyway, I'm not a doctor, so if you're concerned about your med regimen, talk with your doctor.

Often, depression includes ruminating over negative thoughts. Perhaps your negative energy can get funneled into creativity, especially when combined with some sort of mania disorder? Doesn't seem hard to believe.

[LyrinMeow]

They are for bipolar, GAD, and ADHD -inattentive type. Right now all of my medications are needed. As a matter of fact my new anti psychotic wasn't working well so I stopped that.

I just hit a pretty major depression and I'm treating it with aderall and ativan (more than my daily prescribed. I've been with my psych so long that I can basically just call, tell her the situation, and she send whatever I think I need to the pharmacy). So I made an emergency appointment with my psych for tomorrow to get that sorted out. I want to talk through this one with her.


My main depression med is celexa which literally saved my life. I cannot go off of it. My second depression medicated was increased about a year ago for suicidal thoughts. The anti psychotics help with the intrusive thoughts which I have super bad. So I need to find a new one.

The ambien makes me go to sleep the klonopin keeps me asleep. Klonopin for me is a body sedating drug. Ativan is brain sedating drug. So when my mind just won't stfu I take it. Or if I'm getting a full blown panic attack I take it.

Without aderall I'd practically fall asleep sitting up. Oddly enough it calms me while waking me up. I would have to read things 4 times prior. At first I thought I was just getting more stupid because I have always read a lot of college level non fiction books. After the Aderall I retain things now, and first read through to boot. And am awake enough to think properly.

So unfortunately all these drugs are needed. Especially at a time like this. My meds give me a nice fat hazy patch in the middle so I only have problems with breakthrough symptoms, like now. But to come off of them? Very risky. Any mild destabilization can be life changing for me.

Art is great and all but my choice became art or death.

[CharlesH]

Originally Posted by LyrinMeow

So unfortunately all these drugs are needed. Especially at a time like this. My meds give me a nice fat hazy patch in the middle so I only have problems with breakthrough symptoms, like now. But to come off of them? Very risky. Any mild destabilization can be life changing for me.

Art is great and all but my choice became art or death.

Yeah, that definitely makes sense.

Sorry if my previous post came across as if I was suggesting you to reduce your meds. For some reason, I thought that your previous posts were complaining about being on too many meds...but I looked more closely just now and I can see that you never mentioned that.

I hope your psych appointment goes well!

Also, for me, I have the inverse reaction to Klonopin and Ativan. Klonopin is better at reducing anxiety whereas Ativan is better at helping me sleep. I guess everyone reacts differently!

[LyrinMeow]

I wish I could come off the meds! I am on too many meds. But with how I was before meds that will never, ever, ever happen. CBT would fall a wee bit short, methinks. I think my psychiatrist would commit me if I tried to get her to let me come off them.