[shnookey]

Hi-

I am struggling with concentration and creativity and reading. I have the attention span of a gnat. I used to paint and never had any problems coming up with ideas for paintings. Does anybody know what this is?!! I've had depression for a very long time- so its not just depression its something else but I don't know what it is or how to fix it. Any suggestions? Thanks so much.

[OneRiffTooMany]

Yeah shnookey thats hitting me to im frightened the memory loss. I have stopped playing electric guitar as i was just going round and round in circles. im on my 9th medication now over 14 years or so but im starting to wonder if im burning out.
my memory was considerably better when i used illicit drugs, its 3 years away from that stuff and its like im an old man..
maybe vitamin supplements and you know stuff like that could help
i started a multi vitamin course today
nether the less got lots to live for...
catchya

[Amoslass]

concentration proble....oh, what's that over there?

Hang on, what was I talkingabout????

Yeah, I'm way off right now, I'm getting my dates confused, forgetting to pay bills, etc....it's quite scary.

Welcome to the Community, shnookey. Have you talked to your general practitioner about this? Some testing may be indicated. Also, you might benefit from a psychological evaluation.

Good luck.

[shnookey]

Originally Posted by OneRiffTooMany

Yeah shnookey thats hitting me to im frightened the memory loss. I have stopped playing electric guitar as i was just going round and round in circles. im on my 9th medication now over 14 years or so but im starting to wonder if im burning out.
my memory was considerably better when i used illicit drugs, its 3 years away from that stuff and its like im an old man..
maybe vitamin supplements and you know stuff like that could help
i started a multi vitamin course today
nether the less got lots to live for...
catchya

Thanks- let me know how the vitamins work out for you for your memory.Umm how's your creativiy can you write music?

[shnookey]

Originally Posted by TheByzantine

Welcome to the Community, shnookey. Have you talked to your general practitioner about this? Some testing may be indicated. Also, you might benefit from a psychological evaluation.

Good luck.

Thank you. Yes I am seeing both a psychiatrist and a therapist and both don't seem to have a name for this. That is why I am on here- to see if maybe someone else has or is going through the same thing so I can pinpoint it and get some help.

[OneRiffTooMany]

Ive recently moved out of a major city in australia, subsequently have taken the the noise repressors off my drum kit. im getting alot more positve emotion and confidence which is good for me and my wife and child. Im a self taught guitarist and i guess improvisation comes naturally I noticed alot of pent up emotions in my chord structure and lead and my guitar port kicked the bucket, so yeah i though about for a while one day and it felt like i was confusing myself like accumulating the negativity instead of letting it out. I pick away now and again. but maybe not the best instrument for me , i do have a bass guitar thats a different story i like to plod around with out the pick nice earthy, woody relaxing sound.

do you get any similar thought patterns via painting my friend ?

[kikki27]

Originally Posted by shnookey

Hi-

I am struggling with concentration and creativity and reading. I have the attention span of a gnat. I used to paint and never had any problems coming up with ideas for paintings. Does anybody know what this is?!! I've had depression for a very long time- so its not just depression its something else but I don't know what it is or how to fix it. Any suggestions? Thanks so much.

Yeah that sucks Do you have add or adhd

[shnookey]

Originally Posted by kikki27

Yeah that sucks Do you have add or adhd

I have neither.

hi, shnookey,

it sounds like you are a creative person - that's wonderful. not everyone has that ability. fortunatley, the ability to concentrate can be learned. it may not be that something is wrong with you; all it may be is that you need to teach yourself how to concentrate better. have you considered meditation? it's a form of mind control where one learns to filter out distracting thoughts. in other words, in your case it may help slow down the ideas entering your mind or to select just those that pertain to what you're trying to focus on. it will help you to control your thoughts rather than be at their mercy.

to remind me of things, i often write myself little notes or lists of things to do. when i get home from work or school, i take out my list.

there are also behavioral things you can do to help you remember things. when i remember that i have bills to pay, i place my checkbook on the pillow on my bed; there's no going to sleep until those checks are written. if i need to clean the windows, i leave Windex and paper towels smack dab on my kitchen counter. no lunch or dinner until they are washed.

i will never be the most organized person in the world but it is possible to do little things that will help. good luck to you.

[SophiaG]

Originally Posted by unhappyguy

hi, shnookey,
it may not be that something is wrong with you; all it may be is that you need to teach yourself how to concentrate better. have you considered meditation? it's a form of mind control where one learns to filter out distracting thoughts. in other words, in your case it may help slow down the ideas entering your mind or to select just those that pertain to what you're trying to focus on. it will help you to control your thoughts rather than be at their mercy.

This is sound advice. My mom tells me that meditation would help me too and she's a yoga instructor.

[lavieenrose]

Hi Shnookey,

I was thinking about this very issue a short while ago, and then saw your thread. I had just been puzzling over my loss of creative drive over the past year. I never lacked for ideas and inspiration in the various media I worked in. Now, it feels like drudgery and I mostly avoid it. I was just cutting fabric to make a purse, and had to quit after 10 minutes. I've always had depression, anxiety, and ADD, but those never impeded my creative passion before. I don't understand. I had neuropsych testing and several EEG's recently, and was told attention was compromised in areas (duh!), but nothing else stood out. I'm in my mid-fifties, but plenty of artists my age aren't slowing down. I wish you the best in getting to the bottom of it and solving it. I wish I could do the same, but I'm concerned. I've lost a lot of drive and energy in the past 4 years, and it doesn't seem to be coming back.

[BiPolar14]

Hey buddy-I know exactly how you feel. I've been a drummer for 20 years and my creativity crashed once I started taking meds. I dunno what to do about it because my meds manage my condition so well..I don't want to switch them for something less effective in order to get my creativity back. It's a tough call for sure. I agree w/the meditation advice, but if you have a stubborn brain, consider a med change to solve the problem.