I'm in a bit of existential dread right now. For so long I thought the profound anhedonia, executive dysfunction, emotional blunting, social isolation, and sheer mental illness and anguish that has persisted throughout my entire life was normal, even before medication (which didn't help at all), would recede, or somehow be worth it in the end, unaware that it wasn't, and now I'm acutely aware of just how much... life, in general, I've missed out on up until now. Even if I do get better, that's memories of years that I am never getting back. It's no way to live and it's gonna haunt me until the day I am actually dead.

Autism, abuse, and medications ruined my fucking life. I've been on Prozac, Risperdal, Cymbalta, Abilify, Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Adderall, Ritalin, Strattera, and Vyvanse in various capacities at various lengths of time in the last 9 years, all to no effect. I'm 6 months off of SSRIs, save for a little over a month ago when I tried Zoloft again only to find even low doses made me feel ill so I discontinued it.

I've missed out on so much social engagement, career growth, attention, focus, enjoyment, and good times in general whilst I had to watch others in real time run with it. I'm jealous and resentful of everyone and everything.

I'm 24 years old and doing TMS therapy in an attempt to try to treat it all. This treatment MUST work, or I won't know what to do. I'm not living with tardive dysphoria ever again.

I was originally prescribed Zoloft for DPDR, anxiety, OCD, mild anhedonia and blank mind. It actually helped me tremendously. I could function, enjoy life and feel connected to people.
I eventually started tapering from 100 mg because of sexual side effects and emotional blunting.
After reaching 6.8 mg, I stayed there for about five months and felt relatively stable.
Then I started microtapering in steps of just 0.02 mg. At 6.52 mg, after holding for about a month, I suddenly experienced a devastating crash.
My anhedonia and DPDR became far worse than before treatment. I developed extreme emotional numbness, almost no spontaneous thoughts, severe memory difficulties and insomnia. It feels like my entire inner world has disappeared.
I increased slightly to 6.60 mg five days later, but the cognitive and emotional symptoms haven’t improved. My sleep and intense inner restlessness have improved somewhat.
What confuses me is that Zoloft originally helped these exact symptoms, even at much higher doses. Why would they suddenly become so severe after such a tiny reduction?
Could this be withdrawal, a return of my original condition, or both?
Has anyone experienced something similar while still taking an SSRI? Did you eventually recover?

Hi everyone! I take sertraline for panic disorder, PMDD, and anxiety. My anxiety and panic symptoms are mainly triggered or get worse around my period.

My psychiatrist mentioned that I could try increasing my sertraline from my regular 50 mg to 75 mg during the two weeks before my period, then going back to 50 mg afterward.

However, my doctor also prescribed estradiol for my PMDD, and I just started it four days ago. I’m wondering whether to give the estradiol more time before trying the extra sertraline, mostly so I can tell which change is helping.

I’ll check with my prescribers about the timing, but I’d love to hear other people’s experiences. Have you tried temporarily increasing sertraline before your period, taking estradiol, or both? Did either help with your PMDD, anxiety, or panic attacks? How long did it take to notice a difference?

Specifically for anxiety and OCD. I’ve read so much about long-term SSRI use causing PSSD, emotional blunting, cardiovascular issues, loss of bone density, people claiming they’ve become too dependent on the drug. It makes me worry because I just started taking them and I don’t know how long I’ll be taking them for because all of this sounds so scary. Do people actually take them forever regardless of the issues they could cause?

Hello me again. I started on 5mg three weeks ago and after one week increased to 10mg. Last Saturday, I had liquid diarrhea (sorry for the visual) all morning. And today again. Could it still be side effects after all this time or is the med just too strong for my body? Also note I’ve been on efffexor for 20 years and never experienced this type of side effect with no other med. Thank you

I feel like sertraline isn’t entirely helping me. I still feel empty and shit (I’ve been for almost a year on this SSRI). This is so frustrating. And I’m before my period and if it’ll pass once it finishes, it’ll feel so invalidating. I hate having hashimotos, being a woman, and having chemical imbalance. I wish i felt okay and happy with everything. But ive gone down the rabbit hole and i don’t even see the point in waking up. But i still do. I do it for my parents. IF i had a choice i wouldn’t like to be here. It saddens me but also frustrates. I’m just tired. Yeah i sleep 8 hours everyday and i try to take care of myself and i meet up with friends and i try new things every time but it all feels pointless and depressing. This system and life isn’t for me, but I’m still pushing through and trying to make my mom happy. Wish i never had this brain wish i was neurotypical and healthy. Sertraline feels like a bitch. I’m always empty at the end of the day. And it’s not like everything around me is devastating or making me crash out (anymore, maybe that’s a good sign), but it just makes me feel truly nothing. I feel like complete shit. I don’t hate anything. But i also don’t love anything. I feel like a ghost or just— idk, a walking bag of meat. You know? It’s just sooo frustrating. Does anyone know why this happens actually? When you do everything right but at the end of the day you’re still your fucked up you.

Does anyone else feel this way, or is it just me?

Anyone switched directly from Prozac 20 mg to Zoloft without a washout period? That’s what my doctor has suggested but I am terrified.

Been on Zoloft for a total of 8.5 weeks and 6.5 weeks on 100mg…I tirated fast bc 100mg worked well for me before…I have just noticed some reduction in my physical anxiety but my mornings and evenings are still really hard and I still have my existential hyper awareness and baseline anxiety… I got back on Zoloft fast too bc I started having panic attacks again after being perfectly happy , healthy so I don’t have a lot of negative or depression thinking to create new pathways for…..Has anyone only felt slightly better at the the 6.5 week mark but felt major improvement as the moved into week 7-8?? I really have not had one “normal day yet” … is this normal? Can I still have hope that the 100mg dose is still kicking in?

This is the only side affect ive delat with in the long term. Im Wet all the time and its getting irritating. Is yhere a way to stop or reduce this?

Posting in the hope that someone has some words of wisdom.

44F was put on Sertraline SSRI back in March as I was in a really dark place at the start of the year. I’ve been through a lot generally, moved away from home where all my family still are to be with my now husband and ended up joining the military as a pro musician (dream job) which also did a number on me by the end - 12 years, major stress and burnout and then having to leave abruptly as I wasn’t getting the correct help.

Spent the last few years getting settled in the house we bought away from home, new full time job as a civil servant (wanted stability after military life). So major life changes, lost all my connections from the military and that sense of belonging, husband is v busy with work as am I, got a puppy that’s been bonkers, but amazing she’s 4 now. tried for a baby, anxiety gave me physical pains so we stopped and then I was put on meds.

Been on SSRI for 7 months, which really helped give me motivation and focus to do tasks I couldn’t do before. Now I’ve hit a wall again, tears, anxiety, feeling flat, low and numb with no emotion. I’ve contacted a therapist and let work know I’m struggling mentally.

I’m back in with the doctor tomorrow, not sure whether to come off the SSRI, up the dose or ask to try HRT. I can see I’m at a turning point in life and wanting to make big changes. Could my depression be situational? Loss of connection? I really want to sell our house and move home to be closer to family but just feeling pretty exhausted with everything struggling to know what I want or who I am anymore.

Thanks for reading, I guess I’m feeling a bit desperate and wanted to post in case anyone can resonate or see any patterns with anything I’m saying. Doc was reluctant to try hormones as I still have my period and at the time we were talking about trying for a baby. I would just like to feel like my old self again.

Yesterday I was prescribed and started taking sertraline for ocd and anxiety but all I can think about now is what if I don’t actually have ocd and anxiety and I’m putting these chemicals with all sorts of side effects into my body for no reason? Maybe I was just experiencing regular stress and it was never anything disordered. I definitely didn’t have extreme daily panic like the stories I hear of people choosing to get medicated. I’m not gonna stop taking the medication because of this but I just really am worried that I shouldn’t be on it.

I just got off Zoloft (October 18 was my last time taking it) 50mg since late June. About when can I safely smoke weed again?

I’ve been taking 40 mgs for about a month and I’m still waiting patiently for results. My anxiety insomnia and panic have improved a ton but the main issue, major depressive disorder, hasn’t caught up. Is this normal?

Hi,

Im a 28yo woman from Holland. I am starting zoloft or celexa soon and leave for a year in january. We will go visit over 10 countries for 3 weeks/1 month a country. Mainly in asia and south america but also new zealand and australia.

Most countries have a max for 3 months of medicin or even one month.

How do I manage getting my subscription? Any experiences?

Im worried they will give me the wrong dose or they dont have the medication.

Do antidepressants cause hair loss?

If i go through reddit, I will find many people experiencing hair loss from antidepressants.

But many studies say hair loss is uncommon or has a low probability.

So what's the deal?

And did you face hair loss from antidepressants like SSRI?

I'm forgetful sometimes with my meds, totally aware this is a bad habit and I'm working to fix it! But I feel like I'm just Not a Good Person off of my meds. I'm irritable, uncaring, reactive and abrasive. I'm aware of it sometimes but usually I'm only aware later on during reflection. Obviously I take accountability and do everything I can to avoid it, most of it is in thoughts rather than actual actions.

I'm on Prozac and I have been for quite a while now. It's really good, it's opened a ton of doors for me. Only side effect is a majorly decreased libido but that doesn't bother me if I can still handle problems with grace and progress in my fields. My meds don't make me feel doped out or thoughtless, quite the opposite! I'm lively, hopeful and just as fierce in my goals except now with more focus.

So that leads me to my philosophical question I'm wondering, does it matter if I'm like. Not a good person off of SSRIs even if people never know because I keep it closed up? Is the answer that I should shut up and stay on my meds LMAO

I'm not taking it overly seriously and I'm aware I'm overthinking. It's just weird to have that underlying "same person but I don't understand them" under my meds, yknow?

Hi there apologies if it's been asked before but I couldn't see anything via search.

I take citalopram and my main side effects is the insane dehydration and dry mouth. I'm quite active and do a lot of sport and was wondering if anyone has any tips and tricks? I take electrolytes and energy gels but not sure if I should be looking for higher concentration of sodium ones?

Cheers

Brains zaps stopped. (Thank fuck)

Light head / fuzzy feeling mostly stopped.

But got strong heart palpitations today for no particular reason.

Medication side effects stopping / going pretty well.

Overall it’s been a relatively good withdrawal although challenging at times 👍

I’m a 31F and I have a doctor’s appointment in a couple months to get a renewal for my prescription (Prozac). I’ve been on it maybe 8 years and have been happy with it with no side effects. The past month or so I’ve noticed a decrease in my libido where it’s almost nonexistent. I know that is a possible side effect of SSRIs. Does that usually happen out of the blue after 8 years. I’ve been on SSRIs in total for 15+ years. How do I talk to my doctor about this embarrassing issue? He’s a man and I’ve only gone to him one time before. I’m also most likely autistic so I like to plan what I say ahead of time or else I freeze and just blank. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks!

In your experience, if you’ve taken both.

Which of these drugs gave you more gastrointestinal issues?

I’m IBSD and Zoloft didn’t work for me for obvious reasons.

I’m currently on Lexapro but I want to switch to Prozac as I’ve seen it can curb appetite.

I take levothyroxine and my flouxetine together every moring, left my hydroxyzine pills next to it last night when I took it n I took both of my SSRIs at the same time, is it safe? I did a quick google search n it says i will be okay for the most part but I am still very new at taking SSRIs.

I stopped taking antidepressants two and a half months ago. I have no feelings, brain fog, and sexual problems. I went to the doctor, and he told me I have a relapse of depression, but I'm not convinced. I try to keep myself busy, but sometimes I realize I'm just acting like I'm good but I'm not.

No one understands me, even.

I’ve been taking escitalopram on and off since 2017… the first two, I went cold turkey cause I thought I was feeling better. I started of 10mg then my doctor up my dosage to 20mg. Recently, I been off of it not because I’m feeling better but because of financial problem. I don’t have the money to afford my meds. Though I am consistenly taking risperidone.. yesterday I get back on it after months of not taking it and started at 20 and today I took another 20mg. HUGE MISTAKE. Btw, I met with my psychiatrist and I forgot to mention that I was on and off of it for months.. so yeah I took 20 yesterday and 20 today and boom, full on panic attack. I was frantically messaging my psychiatrist about it but he was too busy, understandable because he has a lot of patient. But I was really having a hard time with panic attack that I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t hold on food. No appetite and feeling in distress and restless… now my psychiatrist told me to restart escitalopram at 10mg instead of 20 for one week then increase dose after a week.. I don’t know how to feel about it.. i feel like hell whenever I restart this Escitalopram.. has anyone experience this