I hace heard about this and I belive that some great artists did better work when depressed or on drugs. (I certainly know that I enjoyed some of my favorite rock stars less when they got sober), but it's never been the case for me. Fortunately I don't suffer much from depression, but I've had my bouts over the years. I find it very difficult to do anything - even simple chores and errand that I do daily when I'm feeling OK. I just want to put a blanket over my head and eat chocolate. I manage to function, but I am definitely not creative, or productive.

No

I was going thru a box of old papers and found a short story that I had written and it was very disturbing.I had written it about 6 years ago when I was dead to the world depressed.It was so mean and vicious that it scared me that I could have written such things.And whats even more scary now is that a couple of the occurances that I wrote about have come to pass.

It is not that people become more creative when depressed. It is simply that when depressed, there is more need to get something out of you to try to relieve the pressure of being depressed.

The nature of what you will create when you are depressed is different. It will be ... depressing!

The other problem, depression makes a person sluggish and tired and creativity needs great bursts of energy. It may be that the energy required to lift depression comes from creativity, not the other way around. Creativity is the medicine that treats the symptoms, not the outcome of depression.

Most really depressed people are boring as hell because they are stultified in their responses. They are flat of affect and scattered in their thoughts. I would say that Gauguin didn't paint from his depression, he died from it!

Anger is the cure for depression and most of the great creative works come out of anger. When you are angry, you can't be depressed. They are different ends of the emotional spectrum. Most people think that the opposite of depressed is happy. Not so. The opposite is angry. You can be depressed and momentarily happy. You can't be angry and depressed at the same time. Anger discharges adrenaline. Adrenaline elevates mood - not to happy but to alertness.

I don't become more creative when I am depressed, I become like a blob, that just sits there, away of, but feeling no connection to, the world around.

I've heard of people with bipolar get more creative, but when they are manic, not depressed.

If it is any consulation to you negative thoughts play a huge part in depression, so anyone else who was depressed could have written similar things, also if we are negative and do negative things, unfortunately some of these negative things may happen, for example distance between your partner, family and friends. So say you say nobody cares when you are depressed, you may just bring that to fruition through your actions.

I agree with everything you say up to the part about anger. Every counsellor, psychologist and psychiatrist I've seen has said the opposite. Anger is a big part of depression, depressed people are often holding in their anger, but not always. Anger is another negative thought pattern that reinforces your depression.

Is there some new therapy, or prognosis I have not heard of ?