Antidepressants and the craft.

amyb · Post by **amyb** » Mon October 27th, 2008, 3:00 pm

I'm not a writer, but I think I may be able to help somewhat. I am currently on AD and have been on them for years. I think that being on medication is helpful in that it helps you focus on things other than your inner pain. When I went off recently I was so bummed and didn't want to do anything. I don't think I updated my blog once in a month because I just didn't care and didn't have the energy. Maybe you could try something not so strong and with a low dose to start out with to make sure how you and your body will react to it. Wellbutrin and Zoloft are ones to check out. A friend of mine was on Zoloft for her situational and it worked really well for her. Good luck and please write me if you have any other questions. I've dealt with depression for longer than I care to remember and have tried many medications - I am always here to talk!

Barbara Passaris · Post by **Barbara Passaris** » Mon October 27th, 2008, 9:40 pm

Thanks so much, MLE. I've really been struggling. I've dealt with depression on and off, too. But there are times when it's all I can do to force a smile at work...Well, I'll be all right, I guess.

There are some other things going on, too, and I'm wondering if it's the depression working on me, or some real things happening. That's the problem with the illness: it can distort reality for you....

Hoopking · Post by **Hoopking** » Fri November 7th, 2008, 6:55 pm

My thought is that an artist (which a writer is) like many of the great composers and painters, used their moods to make their greatest masterpeices. Some times when I am depressed and start writing my emotions are hightened and the words flow onto the paper. With being a single parent you can imagine how depressed I can get at times.

Helen_Davis · Post by **Helen_Davis** » Fri December 12th, 2008, 7:33 pm

DON'T TAKE GEODON! I took it and I COMPLETELY lost my ability to write for MONTHS! I was only able to write a sentence, if I was lucky.

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Sat December 27th, 2008, 9:40 pm

I realize I'm rather late to this discussion. But I have to say that when I first got a post-partum depression diagnosis, I had been writing for the first time in my life (after years of desparately wanting to write and getting nothing). I was worried that my newfound abilities would disappear. But they didn't.

I understand the fear thing too. I have a sister who writes (she's better at it than I am) who said she spent a year doing everything she could think of to avoid writing because of that. Sometimes you just get stuck.

I've hardly written for months, and I can't seem to get more than just a few paragraphs at a time. Hopefully this is temporary. I miss writing.

It's also possible that different ADs have different effects on creativity. The one I did best with overall I won't take again, because I was so sick getting off of it. Not sure what I was taking during my most prolific periods of writing.

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Tue December 30th, 2008, 12:49 am

As someone who has been on antidepressants along with a host of other medications, with a severe diagnosis, I really have to say that each person is going to be very different when it comes to their medications -- what works for one person won't work for another, and sometimes it does take a while to have them adjusted properly. By all means talk to your prescriber about the creativity issue -- it's important for them to know.

From what I have learned, the one way that antidepressants really work is when they are used with talk therapy. The drugs provide a bridge to recovery, but if the underlaying psychological issues aren't addressed, then the problem isn't fixed. Period.

Comparing the relative drop in my own creativity vs. being on medication or not -- I'll take the medication every time. In the long haul it helps to keep the self-destructive urges down to a managable level without hospitalization. Yeah, it stinks having to take them, but the alternative is worse.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Tue December 30th, 2008, 3:32 am

I totally agree with Telnor, esp this

From what I have learned, the one way that antidepressants really work is when they are used with talk therapy. The drugs provide a bridge to recovery, but if the underlaying psychological issues aren't addressed, then the problem isn't fixed. Period

I'd also say the opposite; I was in therapy for years. It wasn't until I finally agreed to try meds that I made big gains (as opposed to the small ones I'd been making). I am in such a better state of being, and would in no way want to go back. I am not a writer but I am a teacher, and when I think of how creative I was before versus now, there's no difference except that I am more focused.

Also, what was said above about drugs being very individual applies to therapy as well. I went through a few before I found someone who clicked with me.

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Tue December 30th, 2008, 5:07 am

[quote=""Ash""]I totally agree with Telnor, esp this

From what I have learned, the one way that antidepressants really work is when they are used with talk therapy. The drugs provide a bridge to recovery, but if the underlaying psychological issues aren't addressed, then the problem isn't fixed. Period

I'd also say the opposite; I was in therapy for years. It wasn't until I finally agreed to try meds that I made big gains (as opposed to the small ones I'd been making). I am in such a better state of being, and would in no way want to go back. I am not a writer but I am a teacher, and when I think of how creative I was before versus now, there's no difference except that I am more focused.

Also, what was said above about drugs being very individual applies to therapy as well. I went through a few before I found someone who clicked with me.[/quote]

Absolutely! Great strides are being made in psychiatry these days as they understand more about how trauma and the brain interact with each other. It took me about three therapists before I found one that I would and could trust enough to talk about some very damaging issues. That and the medication -- which took the psychiatrist about two years to fine tune to my situation -- are what did the trick. I still have a one-on-one session with my therapist once a week, see the psychiatrist once a month, and my general provider about every six weeks or so. Complicated? Hell yes, but I look at myself before treatment, and know that I don't want to go back there.

Forgive me, this is one of my hot topics, and one that I feel that if you find yourself getting severely depressed, or in trouble of self-harm, get yourself into treatment. There's too much to life to keep suffering.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Tue December 30th, 2008, 5:31 am

I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I hadn't waited to start meds. My dad was one of those 'we take care of ourselves' people, and even tho I had symptoms of depression at 16, it wasn't till I was 25 or so that I got the courage to see someone, and then it was another twenty years before I decided it was ok to take meds. So yeah - if you are hurting, get help, don't wait.

michellemoran · Post by **michellemoran** » Sat February 28th, 2009, 5:01 pm

I saw this on Murderati today and thought of this thread. Great post about the pros and cons of talking anti-depressant medication for people with low serotonin levels.