Creativity suppression
Creativity suppression is a decrease in both a person's motivation and capabilities when performing tasks that involve producing artistic output or novel problem-solving. [1] This effect may be particularly frustrating to deal with for artists of any sort as it will induce a temporary creative block.
Although creative subjects paradoxically more often have a history of depression than the average, their creative work is not done during their depressions, but in rebound periods of increased energy between depressions. [1] [2]
Creativity suppression is often accompanied by other coinciding effects such as depression [3] , anxiety, and emotion suppression in a manner which further decreases the person's creative abilities. [1] It is most commonly induced under the influence of moderate dosages of antipsychotics [1] [4] [5] . However, it can also occur due to SSRI's [6] and during the withdrawal symptoms of almost any dopaminergic compound. [5]
References
- [1][2][3][4] Flaherty, A. W. (2005). Frontotemporal and dopaminergic control of idea generation and creative drive. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 493(1), 147-153. | https://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fcne.20768
- Jamison, K. R. (1989). Mood disorders and patterns of creativity in British writers and artists. Psychiatry, 52(2), 125-134. | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2734415/
- von Hecker, U., & Meiser, T. (2005). Defocused attention in depressed mood: evidence from source monitoring. Emotion, 5(4), 456. | https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.5.4.456
- Moncrieff, J., Cohen, D., & Mason, J. P. (2009). The subjective experience of taking antipsychotic medication: a content analysis of Internet data. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 120(2), 102-111. | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01356.x
- [1][2] Szmulewicz, A., Samamé, C., Caravotta, P., Martino, D. J., Igoa, A., Hidalgo-Mazzei, D., ... & Strejilevich, S. A. (2016). Behavioral and emotional adverse events of drugs frequently used in the treatment of bipolar disorders: clinical and theoretical implications. International journal of bipolar disorders, 4(1), 6. | https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2Fs40345-016-0047-3
- Bolling, M. Y., & Kohlenberg, R. J. (2004). Reasons for quitting serotonin reuptake inhibitor therapy: paradoxical psychological side effects and patient satisfaction. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 73(6), 380-385. | https://doi.org/10.1159/000080392