Writer’s block can have physical causes

The basement is finally finished and livable, just in time for my sister-in-law’s Thanksgiving visit. More important, I finally got back into book #3 because I learned something important about my writer’s block: the medicine (beta-blocker) that I’d been given in June to subdue my horrendous headaches is known to affect creativity and concentration. My neurologist told me this and then brightly asked, "So how’s your new book coming?"

I was dumbstruck: first, because he remembered I was an author and second, I was struggling to get anything written this summer and fall, and I didn’t know why. So I’ve gone to half-doses of the beta-blocker and started taking vitamins he recommended, and words finally flowed again. I no longer feel like a zombie with my brain wrapped in cotton, and I’ve managed to jumpstart book #3. I thought this important to pass on: watch for changes in behavior after starting medication, and always ask about the side effects of new medication. In my case, it was difficult to make the association, since I immediately went on a cruise with my new prescription and only noticed the blessed relief from headaches.