Depression and creative people – 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.
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. Also see the Depression and Creativity section.
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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Posted 07.12.07 under Depression, Mental health | 
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October 12th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Coming from a family of highly creative people who seem to have a strong genetic tendency toward depression, I appreciate your post. We’ve had many a discussion about how to manage depression while not stifling creativity! I work with postpartum mothers at Mommy-Muse.com as a “Mommy-Muse”, someone who helps people enliven their resourcefulness, creativity and talent as they make the remarkable transition into parenthood.
October 14th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I think a lot of mental illnesses are associated with creativity. Symptoms on the schizophrenic scale have also been associated with increased creativity. Bipolar hypomania, where a person is euphoric, is often associated with increased creative output as well.
My own family has many individuals with mental illness and a high IQ. Both of these traits combined can lead to more creativity than a normal person.
October 28th, 2008 at 5:58 am
It’s extraordinary how many creative people suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression. I was saddened to hear last month about the depression-induced suicide of David Foster Wallace, writer of the novel “Infinite Jest” and several books of short stories. And of course, for many of my generation the death of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain was of huge significance.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Indeed , maybe it’s because many creative people are more prone to their emotions. And many of them drive their emotions to extremes so that they can create more effectively ( such as artists , singers etc…) the danger here is that this also include negative even dangerous emotions like depression.