Does creativity suffer at the expense of medications for mental illnesses? This has been a hot topic for may years. Why? Well, because sometimes creativity is stifled by meds - especially SSRIs like Prozac, Paxil, etc. But this is not set in stone. In fact, people find that when they get relief from their symptoms of depression, anxiety, etc., that they are better able to focus on their artistry - painting, writing, music, etc. I agree with what others have posted - that many times musicians, artists are reluctant to get the treatment they need in fear of losing their "creativity." We hear so many times via the media, magazine articles, etc., that many of our most celebrated artists are just that because they fed off their "demons" in order to create. But you've got to keep things in perspective - treatment for mental illness then has dramatically changed compared to the tools we have today.

I am a musician and have been reluctant to be on meds for fear it would dampen my creativity. However, I've never had this happen - quite the opposite. If you do find a med is making you feel plain and compromising your creativity, there are augmentation strategies to help offset this and many times switching to another med in the same class or another med in a different class will work better.

The goal of any medication or med cocktail is to get your symptoms into remission and to restore you to your "normal" self. Don't be afraid to tell your doctor that a med is helping - but is causing a decline in your desire to be creative. Most doctors will be happy to work with you to find the right fit. Psychopharmacology is not an exact science and sometimes it may take a couple med trials to find the best one for you.

So hang in there! Hope this helps!

Jerry