# did drugs ever helped you getting your creativity back?



## maxmax (Nov 24, 2013)

Hey there,

as many as you guys I have the feeling that my dp totaly diminishes my creativity.
I wondered if any drugs ever helped you getting your creativity back in general? (story writing, graphic design etc.) I'm refering to any kind of legal (benzodiazepines, SSRIs, antypsychotics etc.) as well as illegal drugs (amphetamines like speed or metylphenidat, cannabis etc.).
Any information would be appreciated* a lot *!!!


----------



## greenman (Oct 13, 2013)

The occasional opioid usually makes me feel a little more in touch.


----------



## AndyD (Nov 24, 2011)

I am right there with you... lost a lot of creativity from this condition. I feel as though the creativity is underneath all the illness, but I can't utilize it because my brain is busted up. Very frustrating. Norepinehphrin uptakes have helped me a bit for this.... Effexor, Cymbalta, Stratterra, etc. They help with creativity but make me nutzo now so I can't take them anymore. Way too stimualting, agitating, restlessness, etc.

But I have been considering getting Ritalin to use on a needed basis for this. Curious to hear some other responses on this matter.


----------



## maxmax (Nov 24, 2013)

> I am right there with you... lost a lot of creativity from this condition. I feel as though the creativity is underneath all the illness, but I can't utilize it because my brain is busted up. Very frustrating.


yes, this sucks a lot!

I mean let's face it, there are people who aren't creative at all. But if you actually are a creative person and it's just your mental illness
which holds you way back and steals all of your creative energy this can be frustrating as hell!
I had this problem for years now and realy want to change that now. (and this only seems to be possible by taking meds/drugs)

(also, I'm realy wondering why there is so less information available about creativity loss linked with mental illness....I only found some opposing information
about that creative geniuses often had depressions or other things)

Any other opinions would be a lot welcome! Btw, did anyone try sertralin?


----------



## AndyD (Nov 24, 2011)

I see and hear these stories about these so called creative geniuses with depression a lot too, but I think its a bunch of bullshit. The depression must have not been that bad then, because I find it very hard to believe you could be that creative if you are truly depressed. I think certain types of mania can aid in creativity but even this is over blown and exaggerated in my opinion. When your truly mentally ill your brain is tied up in the illness and does not have the energy to create. 
I guess everyone is different so its tough to say but DP for sure does not seem like the type of illness that allows you to be creative at all. I think its safe to say that much. Half the time I can't even think of a "single word" "one word" "one idea" ??????????

But if I wait patiently enough till I am feeling a bit better or take the right drug, occasionally my brain will open up and start dumping out a ton of cool stuff and I will end up completing what I have been trying to do for 12 weeks straight in about a half hour. And some. And then my brain shuts down for another 3 months again. Fun stuff. I often say that if I were allowed to keep one thing with this entire condition i would have chose to keep the creativity. But on a positive note I never really give up/gave up with my art. I just think I may have been a lot further a long and not have struggled so much if it not for the condition. But it is what it is. Some drugs do help which makes me feel that it may be possible to get it back one day for good.


----------



## maxmax (Nov 24, 2013)

wow, it's exactly the same here!
Occasionaly (pretty rarely actually) I'm in the mood to be creative, but after some minutes or an hour the creativity is gone again for weeks, months or longer.

Just out of couriosity, which other drugs/meds did you check out? Did Effexor, Cymbalta, Stratterra etc. help you to be constantly creative?

I could imagine speed or cocain might help, but especialy cocain should be extremely risky.


----------



## AndyD (Nov 24, 2011)

maxmax said:


> wow, it's exactly the same here!
> Occasionaly (pretty rarely actually) I'm in the mood to be creative, but after some minutes or an hour the creativity is gone again for weeks, months or longer.
> 
> Just out of couriosity, which other drugs/meds did you check out? Did Effexor, Cymbalta, Stratterra etc. help you to be constantly creative?
> ...


Effexor was the only one I spent any considerable time on and I would say it helped pretty consistently during the time I was on it. The other SNRI's i did not spend much time on, probably less than a few weeks on each one, but they too helped for that period of time. I think these all helped particularly with language and word retrieval more than anything. But the entire experience depresses me cause its basically the way my brain would work all the time had it not been for the DP. So its cool that it gives me a creative boost, but its kinda depressing cause it always makes me realize that there are areas of my brain completely shut down and not working. Areas that probably work completely fine on a daily basis for most people. It just really highlights how much this shit interferes with me on so many levels. The long short of it is that even though I find the SNRI;s to help in this area it casues way too much anxiety, agitation, and rumination. Once I am on it for a bit my brain won't shut off, races like crazy... i go completely bizerk. I'm sure all the genius psychiatrists out there would say.. "That means your Bi-Polar!" ANd my response would be "No idiot retard doctor... that means I am taking something with adrenaline uptake in it!"
Point is that these numbnutz docs love to tell people their bi-polar while they are taking SSRI's and SNRI's and its absurd to draw these conclusions on these drugs. 
But I got really off topic there. Getting back on track... Cocaine is not a good one for creativity in my opinion. I wouldn't recommend that one if you have DP. Low dose pain killers sometimes help a bit for me, but real low doses like 2.5mg Oxycodone. Benzo's destroy creativity worse than anything so I wouldn't advise that. Rhodiola and Ashgwanda, seem to help at times, but not a ton.


----------



## Galamb (Oct 4, 2013)

1 gram of mushroom tea


----------



## Dillweed (Feb 5, 2014)

weed is the best drug for creativity, though a lot of people here are reluctant to use it as it's been the triggering factor for them.


----------

