i have had depression for most of my life and i have been taking the medication wellbutrin for about three years now. however, i am planning to plan a weaning process with my doctor so that i can stop taking this medication.

my reason for stopping this antidepressant is because i feel it has reduced my creativity and passion exponentially over the years. i am an animation student and i am also a freelance illustrator, so clearly a loss of creativity and passion is a massive problem for me. making art has become a chore which i often struggle to or cannot complete, and every time i attempt it i feel a massive weight on my chest and have to stop before i start panicking about it. it just doesn't feel good to draw anymore.

while a decrease in passion and creativity can certainly be caused by many things, i want to eliminate one possible cause at a time so that i can get to the root of this problem. have any of you found a connection between antidepressants and loss of creativity or drive?

i also wonder if any of you may have advice for me regarding boosting my creativity and drive in the meantime, since the fall semester is starting in about a week and i'll have lots of creative work to complete. as i wean off of wellbutrin, i will also seek out a therapist. however i might not be able to attend therapy because i am taking full course load and working two jobs, so i will also look for natural methods to relieve depressive symptoms. do any of you have recommendations for natural or holistic methods? maybe something you've used to lighten your symptoms during the winter months?

i've been a reader for a while, but i've never posted here before! sorry if this is a bit lengthy, but thanks in advance for any advice you may be able to offer!