Four "D"s Of Creativity

An avid Fresh Brainz reader* has recommended an article that examines the use of antidepressant drugs (especially Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRI) in children.

Unlike adults, the brains of children are still actively developing and thus SSRIs may cause long-term changes to their brain chemistry, resulting in negative effects such as anxiety and increased suicide risk.

Click on this link for more details: Kids on Meds - Trouble Ahead

However, not everyone agrees that the long-term effects are necessarily bad. Some clinicians believe that SSRIs have the potential for more benefits and less side effects in children, compared to adults. More research data is needed to resolve this issue.

In the meantime, experts say that the benefits of SSRIs still outweigh their risks if the diagnosis for childhood depression is made accurately.

I think it is a challenge to diagnose clinical depression accurately. Everyone experiences periods of extreme low sometimes - it is hard to pinpoint whether it is the situation or the person herself/himself who is the major cause of the misery.

Which suddenly reminds me - Fresh Brainz believes that Creativity is driven by these four "D" batteries:

Depression
Despair
Denial
Disillusionment

Happy, contented and well-adjusted people don't create new works of art, invent new technology or discover scientific knowledge and medical cures.

Not at all.

They join the government and become administrators instead.

Heh, that sounds cranky, but it's definitely true.


Would you like to know more?

- Childhood depression
- Antidepressants for children (FDA review)

*Thanks S.R. for this article alert!