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Hypothetical question: if antidepressents had existed long before it was ever thought of would we still have all of the great works of art, ect that we currently have. Would there be more or the same amount? The specific example that's always in my head is Van Gogh. He died in 1890 at the age of 37 by suicide. Could modern antidepressants have saved him? Would they have limited his creative abilities?

To put this on a more person level I've been depressed my entire life, yes even as a child. It's literally built into who I am. I've tried antidepressants, they dull my creative side, make it so that I don't even care to create and therefore I'd rather be exactly who I am and not take the medications. I know that antidepressants help many ppl and that even more ppl need them but can't get them. I know they save lives and I'm not in any way putting them down but it just makes me wonder, do they also create mediocrity in someone who could have created the next great work of art or break though in any area (science, technically, ect). Isn't depression and by default suicide a risk the creatively inclined just deal with?

Just something I wonder about sometimes.

Gypsy31771 6 June 27
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Um pay attention, not all of it was great quality, even if it was great. It's not like anti-depressants boost cognition that well, or something. For the most part, they just knock you out of homeostasis.

What artist only creates great pieces? I think your missing the point of the post

@Gypsy31771 When did I ever say that an artist only makes great pieces?

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Watch Hannah Gadsby's Netflix special "Nanette." She's got a genius take on this particular subject, especially as it pertains to Van Gogh. Her degree is in Art History, so she's no slouch on the subject of art.

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@Humanistheathen Right, and I recall learning a bit about the foxglove and its effects while studying van Gogh in high school.

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I'm on antidepressants and they actually have helped me. Having said that, all antidepressants work differently for different people, and even at different times depending on your body chemistry if it changes. In other words, it's not rocket science, so it's very important to be properly monitored by a licensed psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist who really knows their stuff and not just giving them out automatically. The wrong meds and even the wrong dosages can make symptoms worse, and there are different meds/dosages that don't dull the senses.

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There are naturally occurring anti-depressants that have been known for centuries.

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My antidepressants help me be more creative because otherwise I wouldn't have the motivation to do anything.

It depends on which ones you're taking. There's a reason there are so many--no one medication works the same for all people.

Same here, took me years to find the right meds for me. But when I finally did it was like night and day.

@JustinPalmer Absolutely. It's not rocket science, a one-size-fits-all solution. Meds should be tailored to the individual and even that can change.

Yes. Absolutely.

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My guess is there are different types of artistic expression, some of which are fueled by dark sentiments like depression and other not. I would question any hypothesis that would put forward that other greats like Da Vinci, Michaelangelo and so many others were depressed and actually would be not surprised that the percentage of clinically depressed recognized artists is actually low.

Lukian Level 8 June 28, 2018
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It has been my experience that antidepressants are placebos with undesirable side effects. I have been trying to obtain psilocybin treatment. Unfortunately, psilocybin is classified as a schedule 1 drug in Canada and USA. Some info on psilocybin:
[wikitribune.com]

From what I have read, this particular hallucinogen (in controlled small doses) would tend to enhance, rather than inhibit, creativity.

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The false modern assumption that happiness is the constant goal of life, that when we're not "happy" there's something wrong with us, and something must be done about it, like a pill. We are meant to be miserable, or neutral to miserable, most of the time, except for occasional moments of happiness, and these we should look out for and enjoy. Personally when I come across someone who is always happy and smiling I start to wonder what's wrong with them. And if they say things like, "we must always be positive" I positively avoid them.

Honestly, is it the world or is it me? It's the world, right? 🙂

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Try TMG(tri-methyl-glycine). S-adenosyl-methionine is a normal part of your body, and boosting it by consuming the right food supplement doesn't hurt.

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Depression is often a symptom. A reaction to life.

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For me the antidepressants help my creativeness. Without them I'm too unmotivated to really do anything, to finish anything I start. I've got three books in progress that I haven't touched in months and some in years. I have them planned out but getting down to it is sooooo hard when I'm depressed. Then I also hear that voice "these suck. You'll never be a good writer."

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if ssri's were around forever i don't think anything would have ever been done

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When I was going through my divorce my now ex finally was convinced to go on meds for his anxiety. Things improved soooo much that we reconciled for a while, until he felt that the meds were stunting his creativity (he is a professional musician). He went off of them, felt back to normal (for him), our marriage went to hell, and the rest is history.

I do think there is a strong correlation with genius and madness, unfortunately.

Hihi Level 6 June 28, 2018
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It goes both ways, I think.

We have drugs that stunt various aspects of humanity now, yes. And even if one could claim that they don't definitively, we definitely will continue to develop them to the point where they can, assuredly.

However... would we have the works of Edgar Allen Poe without alcohol? Would we ever have gotten to read Alice in Wonderland without opium or laudanum? Would bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd been able to write and produce their greatest hits without cocaine and Quaaludes?

It's hard to say.

I'm of the opinion that the more we repress our creativity, the more we'll stagnate culturally. But then again, the more we repress our creativity, the more we'll have people rebel against these things and seek to expand their creativity with mind-altering agents.

So yes. I think if antidepressants were available back then, many suicidal people would be alive, but less creative. But then again, there are always those who would prefer to risk death and be creative.

SirJet Level 5 June 28, 2018
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Excellent question. As they say, genius borders on the side of insanity. Perhaps that's the trade-off. I have highly irregular sleep patterns, sometimes, i barely sleep, but catch-up on the weekends. I think when you stay up for several days, you can hit a zenith of creativity, right when you are at the edge of breaking and boom, you hit some creative magical stride, or you're just insane and don't know it. Either way, definitely something to ponder on.

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