The Creative Mind and Antidepressant Medication

Our CreativeMindSeries.org Blog follows some of the interesting topics that link our creative mind. Not surprisingly, many people with a creative mind (or the potential of a creative mind) come across the topic of antidepressant medication at some time or another in their life. On February 19, 2012, CBS shared an interesting report about the powerful placebo effect of antidepressant medication. In case you missed the airing and would like to see it, here is the link to the segment. It is less than 14 minutes long and worthwhile watching.

 http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7399362n&tag=pop;videos  Video Description: Treating Depression: Is there a placebo effect? A Harvard scientist says the drugs used to treat depression are effective, but for many, it's not the active ingredient that's making people feel better. It's the placebo effect.

We also recommend the less than 5 minutes 60 Minute Overtime video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57380908-10391709/how-the-powerful-placebo-effect-works/?tag=contentMain;contentAux  Video Description: When Harvard researcher Irving Kirsch told Lesley Stahl that the difference between taking an antidepressant and taking a sugar pill is minimal for most people, the 60 Minutes correspondent said, "But people are getting better taking antidepressants. I know them." In this "Overtime" feature, you'll hear Lesley share her own family's personal experience with antidepressants-- and how the news in her own report affects her family.Also in this video, Lesley discusses new and controversial research on the placebo effect and the ethics of lying to patients who might benefit from the power of the placebo.

For those of you who have read our "What's the Deal With Learning Disability" eBook http://www.explorationinternational.com/LDbook.html , the videos will reecho the topic of the creative mind of emotionally sensitive people, the history and true meaning of depression, and the effects medication has on the creative mind. Would Beethoven, Emily Dickinson, Hans Christian Andersen, have created the same artistic work if taking antidepressants?

For our Emotions software users, please revisit our online Emotions Software User Guide http://www.explorationinternational.com/EmotionsUser.html and take a look again at our images on the page. Imagine how different the emotional experience would be for anyone if he/she were under antidepressant medication.

Most importantly, though, it is imortant to remember that the creative mind thinks outside the box. Ideally, for the creative mind, there is no all-or-nothing thinking. The creative mind does not need to decide on whether to take antidepressants or not to take antidepressants. For the creative mind, the questions might be:  "What is the price for taking antidepressants?" "What can I do in addition to taking antidepressants?"  and "What alternate means are there to achieve the same positive effects as antidepressants?".  http://www.explorationinternational.com/EmotionsTip123.html

Emotions and Actions: Technique #3: Talking

Technique #3: After saying "It's o.k. to feel....", (angry, sad, annoyed, frustrated) many  of our Emotions software users chose to use "talking" as action and would like to pass on the following tips:

1. Distinguish to whom or with whom you are talking.

• Talking to a man will mostly likely get you some advice or problem solving solution response. This is great if you are 'frustrated, angry, annoyed, etc.' because you have car trouble or another problem that needs fixing. If you are not looking for a solution or problem solving answer though, your husband, boyfriend,  or other man might not be the right person to talk to.
• Talking to a friend might get you into a situation where you end up having to listen to his/her anger, sadness, annoyance, or frustration. If you feel you can listen, that is great, but if you need someone that listens to you, then being able to know what friend to talk to is helpful.
• Talking to a family member, relative, neighbor, acquaintance, friend, teacher, or professor  can make a big difference. It has really helped to distinguish how close someone is. Sometimes it is better to talk to someone who is emotionally more distant than someone close.
• "Before using the Emotions software, I would tend to share my happiness, frustration, anger, or annoyance with anyone  who happened to be there,  my barber, mailman, my landlord,  my neighbor, even my cashier at the local supermarket. I must have driven them crazy. The  Emotions software has changed so much and I am actually looking forward to those challenging feelings. I don't think I have ever been that creative in my life."  

2. Remember that your emotion is a catalyst for growth.

• Whether or not the "talking" action leads to growth or not is a great way to determine whether one chose the right conversation partner. Ask yourself while you are listening to someone, "Does this conversation contribute to my growth?"
• If you have a chance to have a session with a psychologist or therapist, use the same criteria. Does this session lead to my personal growth? Surprisingly, some software users have found that some sessions were a waste of time and moved on to another therapist.

3. Finding the right person to talk to for your personal growth can be a trial and error process.

• Don't give up using the "talking" action as the third step in your Emotions software. Keep your notes that the Emotions Journal generates for you for future reference. Those notes are really helpful and actually fun to read later on.
• If you learn that the first person that you talked to did not contribute to any growth, try another person. If the second person does not help either, try again. Sometimes it takes time to learn which person is the best person to talk to for different emotions.