Page 44
You Don’t Need Anti-Depressants
Words Ebun Lufadeju
There is a belief that creativity and mental illness are somewhat connected. You may have even heard the term “mad artist” before. There is a stereotype which insinuates that mental illness is a part of being very creative. Is there any truth to this or is it simply just a stereotype, says pharmacist Ebun Lufadeju.
Depression can affect people in different ways, symptoms range from, feeling low, feeling unhappy, body aches, constantly feeling tired. Sufferers of severe depression can experience suicidal thoughts and one of the key symptoms is anhedonia, which is characterised by the loss of pleasure and interest, adding pressure to someone who is used to doing and creating.
Creativity is linked to seeing the world in a new way and this could be buried under deep dives of depression. Some studies have shown that creativity was mostly associated with bipolar disorder. However, there was a clear relationship between being creative and depression. This could be because to create something such as an art painting, an artist may want to evoke emotion from those that view the painting. This means that the artist may have to dig deep inside of them to produce a powerful piece.
Artistic talent often comes with a price, even just looking at the lifestyle required to work in creative fields can put a toll on one’s mind. For example, think about the long, irregular working hours, hotel rooms, financial instability, travelling, plus more – which can all contribute to depression. There is a lot of drug and alcohol abuse in the creative industry as many try to self-medicate with these substances but that itself can lead to physical problems.
Famous artist Vincent Van Gogh, who once wrote, “I put my heart and my soul into my work and lost my mind in the process.” Vincent Van Gogh suffered from severe anxiety and depression during his career and was still able to produce hundreds of great art pieces but sadly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Poet Sylvia Plath suffered from severe mood disorder and committed suicide at the age of 31. Her poetry supposedly suggests periods of low mood for some readers.
Musician Mark Gable also suffered from depression and once wrote that whenever he writes a song, he goes into a ‘mild depression’. Other creatives such as Justin Bieber, Dwayne Johnson, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga have all spoken publicly about their struggles with depression. Even J.K. Rowling who brought joy to millions of people all over the world, once said that her dark moods inspired the series ‘Harry Potter’, which went on to make over $7 billion worldwide. This leads me to ask the question, is abnormal thinking needed to fuel creativity?
So, how do we treat depression?
Treatment for depression includes lifestyle changes and therapy. In mild depression, a doctor will ask patients to wait and see if they get better. In cases that do not respond to therapy, a doctor may prescribe medication, commonly called antidepressants. So, if treatment includes lifestyle changes and therapy, why are so many people on antidepressants? Do they work?
The most prescribed antidepressants are a group of drugs called: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Sertraline, Citalopram, Escitalopram and Fluoxetine. A study showed that low levels of serotonin (a chemical messenger, also called a neurotransmitter), were found in cases of depressive suicides. So, this medication works by making sure levels of serotonin in the brain do not go too low, which in theory – lifts one's mood and thus treats depression.
Common side-effects of SSRIs include nausea, difficulty sleeping, nervousness, sexual dysfunction and tremors. Patients are often told that they can feel worse before they feel any better. Antidepressants are also associated with withdrawal. Several placebo-controlled trials showed that withdrawal symptoms, such as insomnia, depression, suicidal ideation and physical symptoms, follow when patients stop taking medication. This means that many patients will end up on these medications for a long time, potentially to avoid these withdrawal symptoms.
Can art heal too?
Studies also show that creating art stimulates the release of dopamine, which can make you feel good but when does this become unhealthy? Creativity can become addictive as producing art releases the dopamine the creator wants more. The mind is like a mood board which can get too much sometimes without being able to switch off and this can affect sleep and mood. Many creatives are perfectionists, who are often their own worst critic. Striving for perfection, which may not exist, can be harmful to the mind because imagining something but it does not come out how you imagined it can cause depression.
Although there have been links to depression and creativity, art and creating art can be therapy for others. For some people making art is what helps them in their darkest moments. So, creating is also therapeutic because bringing something to life that has never existed is part of what makes us who we are. The arts are a critical component of healthcare and expressive art is key to wellness as seeing one’s work come to life can be extremely rewarding.
The balance of art and mental health all depends on the perspective of the individual. There is no template to creating because there is no right or wrong way of creating something that has not existed before. For example, not being able to produce art at a certain time due to creative blocks can lead to depression. However, if instead the creative sees the time of not creating as ‘recuperating’ instead of ‘being lazy’ – this may alleviate the depression.
Can we treat depression without antidepressants?
Technically yes, since these antidepressants work by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain, how else can we increase serotonin levels? Outside of SSRIs, the following factors have been shown to also boost serotonin levels and thus may prevent depression:
Exposure to bright light: Sunshine or light therapy are commonly recommended for treating seasonal depression.
Exercise: Regular exercise has been shown to increase the level of serotonin in the brain
Diet: Certain foods that can increase serotonin levels include eggs, cheese, turkey, nuts, salmon and pineapple.
Meditation: Meditating can help relieve stress and boost serotonin levels
Getting plenty of sleep
Speaking to positive people e.g. family members
Spirituality, many people find relief in practising a religion or being spiritual (relationship with God)
Reducing stress; especially by recognising triggers and challenging/avoiding them
What are my thoughts?
I think that the creative mind is hard to turn off. Depression can be described as a low mood which stems from thought. Imagine not being able to turn your mind off, even when you need to? Imagine needing to create to survive but not having the energy to do so? I think there needs to be a balance of logic and creativity, which means using the conscious mind to control the subconscious. I know for a fact that no case of depression is the same and everyone has their individual experiences. However, I do think that if lifestyle changes and talking therapy are the first-line treatment for depression, then these options should be explored and exhausted before considering medication. Antidepressants can play a part in treating depression, however, there is no single medication that has shown to be the most effective and so it depends entirely on the patient and their circumstances.
I am a firm believer in dealing with the cause of an issue, rather than just the symptoms. Simply because if you take away the medication – without dealing with the root cause, it has only acted as a local anaesthetic, numbing the pain.