Does lithium dull creativity?

First line medication for bipolar disorder, lithium, can cause cognitive dulling and slowing, and limit emotional and perceptual range for some individuals. This is especially significant for those working in creative fields such as artists and writers, who draw on their emotions for creating their work.

Does bipolar meds kill creativity?

The Side Effects of Bipolar Medication

The sedative nature of these medications is often necessary and helpful for individuals struggling with mental health conditions. The issue arises when these medications go too far and trigger a loss of creativity in the patient.

Does lithium slow down thinking?

A common complaint made by those who take lithium, but one which may easily be overlooked, is cognitive compromise. Clinically, patients describe this as “brain fog”-an elusive admixture of complaints regarding attention, concentration, and memory occurring in conjunction with a slowing of thought processes.

Does lithium dull your emotions?

It is seen by patients, and some psychiatrists, as a dangerous drug. People rightly have suspicions about it. Patients say that the downsides include emotional numbing – feeling that you aren't connected with your feelings – as well as tremors,” said Dr Joseph Hayes, a psychiatrist at University College London.

Do mood stabilizers make you less creative?

Benzodiazepines and alcohol may be counterproductive. Although dopaminergic agonists sometimes stimulate creativity, their doing so may inappropriately disinhibit behaviour. Dopamine antagonists may suppress creative motivation; lithium and anticonvulsant mood stabilizers may do so less.

Feeling, thinking, and creativity in bipolar disorder: Terence Ketter at TEDxConstitutionDrive

Are all people with bipolar creative?

Not all people with bipolar disorder are creative, and not all creative people have bipolar disorder. However, there does appear to be a connection between the genes that lead to bipolar disorder and a person's creativity.

Do SSRIs make you less creative?

Apart from stifling the libido, SSRI use has consequences that are particularly significant for artists. A 2009 study by Oxford University, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that those taking SSRIs reported "a general reduction in the intensity of the emotions that they experienced".

Does lithium make you lazy?

Lithium may affect your mental alertness or make you drowsy. Do not drive until you know how lithium will affect you. Avoid alcohol. Ensure you keep adequately hydrated while taking lithium and maintain an adequate salt intake (your doctor will discuss this requirement).

What does being on lithium feel like?

The most common side effects of lithium are feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, a dry mouth and a metallic taste in the mouth. Your doctor will carry out regular blood tests to check how much lithium is in your blood.

Does lithium make you docile?

In a state hospital, hospital inmates could be easily subdued with lithium, becoming docile under the drug's effect.

Does lithium increase intelligence?

Since few normal controls in prior trials have shown lithium-induced cognitive improvement, the large proportion of patients in the current study who showed improvement is noteworthy.

Does lithium affect cognitive functioning?

In most experimental studies, lithium, in therapeutic doses, exerts a favourable influence on various cognitive functions. Patients with BD present cognitive problems of mild intensity across mood states, worsening during manic or depressive episodes and, sometimes, also persisting during euthymia.

Can you still be creative on Lithium?

First line medication for bipolar disorder, lithium, can cause cognitive dulling and slowing, and limit emotional and perceptual range for some individuals. This is especially significant for those working in creative fields such as artists and writers, who draw on their emotions for creating their work.

Do antipsychotics affect imagination?

That is called latent inhibition, and it has been associated with creative achievement. It is reduced in people suffering psychosis but it increases when those people are given antipsychotic medications.

Does Lamictal affect creativity?

But a drug like lamotrigine is not selective, and so it also affects the behavior of the rest of the temporal lobe. “It's the act of suppressing the temporal lobe that makes people act compulsively creative,” said Alice Flaherty, a Harvard neurologist who has written extensively about her own hypergraphia.

Can lithium change your personality?

Substantial affect and mood changes are induced by lithium carbonate. Lethargy, dysphoria, a loss of interest in interacting with others and the environment, and a state of increased mental confusion were reported. No generalized effects were found in the responses to the personality inventories.

Can lithium make you more depressed?

Thyroid problems

Hypothyroidism is another concern for those taking lithium. In a person with hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. This condition can cause symptoms that include: depression.

Is 900 mg of lithium a lot?

The right dosage of lithium varies from person to person, but most people are prescribed between 900 milligrams (mg) to 1,200 mg per day, in divided doses. Some people take more than 1,200 mg per day, especially during acute episodes. Others may be more sensitive to lower doses.

Can bipolar cause brain fog?

Brain fog can occur in anyone with bipolar depression and is often characterized by symptoms like memory lapses, disorganization, groping for words, and difficulty learning new information. Bipolar brain fog can also be considered a form of memory loss that people with bipolar disorder experience regularly.

Do anxiety meds make you less creative?

One study found, for example, that 46 percent of people treated with antidepressants reported feeling “emotionally blunted.” While the sedative and emotional regulating effects of mental health meds can be helpful, when they go too far, it may feel like you can't be as creative as before.

Can depression stifle creativity?

While studies and observations have shown a connection between depression and creativity, there is no conclusive evidence that someone suffering from depression would be "more creative." However, it's worth noting the similar traits that are associated with both mood disorders and creativity.

What is emotional blunting?

Emotional blunting is a term sometimes used to describe a person's limited emotional reactivity. They may not even be experiencing any emotions to feel, and people with emotional blunting may report feeling an unpleasant numbness instead of emotions. There are many reasons a person might experience emotional blunting.

Is bipolar linked to intelligence?

They found that 12 risk genes for bipolar disorder were also linked to intelligence. In 75 % of these genes, bipolar disorder risk was associated with higher intelligence. In schizophrenia, there was also a genetic overlap with intelligence, but a higher proportion of the genes was associated with cognitive impairment.

Does bipolar increase creativity?

Some researchers believe that bipolar disorder or mania, a defining symptom of the disease, causes creative activity. Ketter said he believes that bipolar patients' creativity stems from their mobilizing energy that results from negative emotion to initiate some sort of solution to their problems.