Do antidepressants curb one's ability for imaginative creation? If so, temporarily or permanently?

Question

I have been taking antidepressants for 8 months and feel that there may be a blight on my imaginative potential. For example, my creative writing and my writer's voice have become intolerable. My concern is this: will this cease when I stop taking antidepressants, or has this damaged whatever synapses and neurons are responsible for creation beyond repair, in the same way dopamine releasing drugs can do after long periods of use? Any help, especially anecdotes appreciated. HELP!

Answer 1

you won't loose this ability its more of a mind of matter issue i had a similar fear coz of my stimulant drugs for a.d.d. the cool thing about ur mind is that it reroutes constantly. you will always be who you are ur drepression didn't make u creative i might have been a coping mechanism for it, so in otherwords think more along the lines of a car being repaired its still the car it just runs better now and doen't make you wanna drive it into a pole out of shear insurance fraud opertunites he he.. bottom line u will remain creative you just need to teach urself how to switch it on again.. think about it van gogh was a deeply depressed person but i think he would be insulted if u said that was the only reason he painted he did it coz i was willing to go against the grain of our perception and thats what made him great his mind was depro but talent like that is from the soul i think its the same for you coz u long for it so deeply

Answer 2

Having been on antidepressants myself I do find that they have side effects. Without knowing the precise antidepressants you are taking it is difficult to say. Assuming you are using an antidepressant that belongs to the SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) which are the least addictive and the Dr's prescription favourite for this purpose, there is little evidence to suggest that there are any long lasting side effects of taking the particular drug. It would be a good idea to speak to your GP about this and also check the medication advice list that comes in the pack to see if there are any similar listed side effects. If so it may be worth contacting your Dr as there will be an alternative. I would advise you to make it clear to your Dr however that if you drive you should ask for non drowsy as I wouldn't advise driving on any other.

The other option is to ask your Dr for a purer form of the particular drug you are taking. Cheaper drugs are often crossed with impurities (These rarely do any harm and any side effects are already listed in the information that comes with it). Drs do not like giving out purer drugs as they tend to more expensive -on the up side for you less side effects. All worth looking into.

Additionally it may be worth seeking advice from the NHS Direct Service: 0845 4647 or contacting The Depression Alliance on 0845 123 23 20 and Saneline: 0845 767 8000 who will all be able to offer further support and advice. Saneline are particularly helpful if you need to chat to someone in a crisis/emergency.

Kind Regards and Good luck

Benjy

Answer 3

If you are on antidepressants because of depression, I would suggest having your Thyroid tested. An under active Thyroid causes serious depression.

Once my doctor ran the tests and put me on Synthroid, my depression was gone in one month. It is good to have your hormones checked also. If your hormones are out of balance this can also cause depression.

I was very depressed for many years and thrilled when all of the thoughts and feelings went away so quickly.

Yes they will definitely suppress your talents and abilities. You should get back to normal once the medication is totally out of your system.

Answer 4

dear robert,good to hear that u r taking ur meds regularly n feeling good .some anti depressants seems to give a push to creativity but if it's going to intolerable heigts,it's time to c ur doc n reduce ur meds.it's often seen that people who r on anti depressant for a prolonged time goes in to the other extreme of mood ie,euphoria.it jst say that u r getting bak to ur normal mood robert,be happy.take care n don forget to go to the doc

Answer 5

Anti depressants are personality altering drugs, they will change you a little, my friend was on anti depressants and he used to write on them all the time but he didn't like it, I'm pretty sure it affects you permanatly because they have to do with the mind

Answer 6

I have no answer for this. Yet, I do think that this is a very good question. I've thought something close to it before, but was unable to put it into words.