Managing Depression Releases More Creativity
“I only know that summer sang in me a little while, that in me sings no more.”
That excerpt from one of her sonnets expresses how much poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) probably knew of depression.
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“A dysregulated nervous system can turn routine experiences into sources of stress.” Dr Cathleen King, DPT [site]
“Depression is a liar because it warps your perception of reality.” Emma McAdam, LMFT [site]
“The brain has a negativity bias…” Julie Bjelland, LMFT [site]
When trauma remains unresolved as adults, “you’re gonna see the sleep issues, digestive issues, the anxiety, the depression…” Aimie Apigian, MD [site]
- See more in the article – follow “Read on Substack” button above.
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“Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life? Mary Oliver
Amy B. Scher comments: “The question that serves as a constant reminder and inspiration.”
Scher notes: “As the author of multiple books, I know what it feels like when nothing’s working and you feel like your art isn’t even worth it.
“But with a few tweaks to how you work, how you feel and how you think you can take the process from struggle to magic.”
Learn about her Online Course: Lifting Depression for Writers and Creatives – Stop Feeling Like Sh*t
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Kristen Bell
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Singer Marie Osmond has described her experiences suffering from postpartum depression in her book Behind the Smile: “I’m collapsed in a pile of shoes on my closet floor. I have no memory of what it feels like to be happy. I sit with my knees pulled up to my chest. It’s not that I want to be still. I am numb.”
That kind of numbness, that sense of endless hopelessness and erosion of spiritual vitality are some of the reasons depression can have such a devastating impact on creative inspiration and expression.
Depression and other mood disorders such as anxiety and bipolar come in a wide range of experiences, not just postpartum depression as experienced by Marie Osmond and Brooke Shields, and so many other women.
Lorraine Bracco, who portrayed psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi on “The Sopranos,” wrote about her experience with depression and getting effective treatment in her memoir, On the Couch.
Depression affects many of us men, too. Jim Carrey, for example, took Prozac for a long time.
Alanis Morissette has talked about how she “actively sought out different ways to turn to my innate joy” to deal with being “so freaked out about my bouts of depression.” [From the page Depression: teen/young adult.]
Because so many creative people experience depression, there are multiple pages of quotes, articles and books on this site.
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In her article What Are the Common Treatments for Depression?, Tess Thompson summarizes a variety of approaches, and notes, “Historically, the approach to depression has been extremely casual. About two hundred years ago, some doctors believed that extensive shaking could bring relief to the body and ultimately cure depression.
“Today, the approach to mental ailments has gone through a paradigm shift due to major breakthroughs in the study of the functions performed by the human brain.”
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See more articles on The Creative Mind Site on
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Douglas Eby (M.A./Psychology) is author of the Creative Mind series of sites which provide “Information and inspiration to enhance creativity, emotional health, and personal development.”
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