Discussion Does SSRIs even work?

[JRE75]

The antidepressant Lexapro gave me PSSD, which ended my life.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10122283/

PSSD Network

Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction is a condition in which sexual, cognitive, and emotional side effects don’t resolve after stopping antidepressants.

www.pssdnetwork.org

 

[MatrixPrisoner]

Forever?

As long as it's effective I would say. There are long term side effects from taking according to studies, which I presume is the case with most medications in this category. When I said "commit", I was more or less meaning that you can't start taking it, decide that it doesn't work to your satisfaction, then quit taking it abruptly. Cold turkey stoppage is much more grueling than the other meds I listed. Bad brain zaps and nausea.

If you're referring to loss of sex drive when you ask "forever", then the answer is no. Sex drive comes back after you stop taking it.

Do you still have a sex drive on that med?

I don't take it anymore. My sex drive as basically nil on it. But once I stopped taking it, it came back. Now I am only on Adderall, which has the opposite effect. It magnifies my sex drive significantly.

 

[whats_the_point]

SSRI's worked for me for a few years when I made sure to take them regularly and at the right time. They stop working after a while.

 

[SuicidalSheep]

Ssri gave me post ssri syndrome which means I don't have another way out but death

 

[VidFlumina]

Ssri gave me post ssri syndrome which means I don't have another way out but death

Me too... Did you also have constantly elevated heartbeat, at times so much you felt like you might be having a small heart attack - during this your whole body felt uncomfortable and weird? Because I went through that and now I think it might have been mild serotonin syndrome and it gave me PSSD... I took AD four years ago though so I can't be sure if the correlation is right so that's why I am asking you...

Edit: Anyone with PSSD please feel free to answer too

 

[kermudgeon]

On Zoloft and yes! It works but it's no cure.

I still wanna die but it almost entirely removed my anhedonia. Sometimes I'm like wtf I still wanna die this shit doesn't work then I experience anhedonia again and think nah I prefer my medicated suicidality.

Oh and my maladaptive daydreaming is lesser and i dropped my porn addiction. Has its own drawbacks, since those two things kept my life worth somewhat living, but I think most people would consider it a good change.

Had to Google "maladaptive daydreaming" and it seems like I have it and that when it was at its highest level I was doing my best writing. Now I need to figure out how to focus so I can get it back...

 

[VidFlumina]

Had to Google "maladaptive daydreaming" and it seems like I have it and that when it was at its highest level I was doing my best writing. Now I need to figure out how to focus so I can get it back...

Many people with Maladaptive Daydreaming are doing it when they are walking in circles around the room and listening to music (I think the more mood of the song is story appropriate the more they are getting sucked in into daydreaming) so you could try that.

I think I might also have MD but most of the time I prefer to sit or lay down to daydream with noise cancelling earmuffs on my head but I know I am in the minority. You can try it as a last resort lol

 

[kermudgeon]

Many people with Maladaptive Daydreaming are doing it when they are walking in circles around the room and listening to music (I think the more mood of the song is story appropriate the more they are getting sucked in into daydreaming) so you could try that.

I think I might also have MD but most of the time I prefer to sit or lay down to daydream with noise cancelling earmuffs on my head but I know I am the minority. You can try it as a last resort lol

I can't do silence but I can do white/pink/brown noise.

Music is an excellent idea- much appreciated!

 

[Callie Arcale]

I've been on one SSRI or another for 12 years or more. I tried 3 types, various strengths. They did what they're supposed to - I had less anxiety, felt less depressed and suffered from less stress. Sadly, the side effects became unbearable each time, and I tried to go off them several times.

I now have very bad restless legs from Lexapro. I had RL from Sertraline also but it came and went. Now I don't seem to get rid of it.

RL is beyond horrible. Hard to explain how devastating it is, unless you've had it. I am now tapering off Lexapro, hopefully my RL will get better.

Bottom line: SSRI meds work for me, but the side effects don't make them a viable option.

 

[whats_the_point]

Ssri gave me post ssri syndrome which means I don't have another way out but death

Damn, I think I feel this way too.

 

[Raichu]

Damn, I think I feel this way too.

What is a post sari syndrome, can you please explain

 

[Shrike]

SSRIs were the only thing that actually did something that could be described as doing something. Unfortunately, I ultimately found it not worth it.

I was on sertraline and fluoxetine for a while. They were doing a pretty good job of addressing my anxiety and generally reducing day-to-day worrying, and I don't feel like I actually have much anxiety these days. Unfortunately, they also made me inattentive and I'd end up not remembering things super well, and some people ended up taking advantage of this in the end, it wasn't great for work, either...

So I stay away these days because unfortunately I need myself to be fully present so I don't fall into some traps, because people suck, lol

it seems like I have it and that when it was at its highest level I was doing my best writing. Now I need to figure out how to focus so I can get it back...

Hello fellow dreamer-writer, haha.

 

[twin size mattress]

I was on zoloft for a bit which did nothing for me, on lexapro now which helped for a bit. My anhedonia was basically gone for a while and i felt a bit better, although recently ive fallen into a depressive episode and they arent really doing the whole antidepressant thing. I think it's helping with my anxiety tho, as im worrying a bit less about things.

 

[Cara7177]

In my case ngl, it has helped a little but as of yet the urge to die has not fully supressed. Anything slightly bad happens or goes against my predictions or plans, I start contemplating about suicide. This has been a pattern for a while now. I guess I am just lazy. But that however doesn't provide any answers for the wish to CTB.

Nothing works

 

[InAgony]

They've never worked for me, but I know some people swear by them, so it's different for each person, I guess.

 

[whats_the_point]

What is a post sari syndrome, can you please explain

"Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) is a set of heterogeneous sexual disorders that may arise during the administration of SSRIs and persist after their discontinuation."

 

[Raichu]

"Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) is a set of heterogeneous sexual disorders that may arise during the administration of SSRIs and persist after their discontinuation."

Thanks

 

[GuylumBardot]

"Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) is a set of heterogeneous sexual disorders that may arise during the administration of SSRIs and persist after their discontinuation."

Don't forget the anhedonia and cognitive dysfunction that comes along with your newly broken, shriveled dick!

Isn't psychiatry amazing?

 

[Raichu]

Don't forget the anhedonia and cognitive dysfunction that comes along with your newly broken, shriveled dick!

Isn't psychiatry amazing?

Wow that means I am literally fucked up

 

[Itssoover]

They don't work in terms of Suicide prevantion but they could be helpfull too treat depression etc.

 

[nodaysleft]

I've tried around 7 different medications from SSRIs, SNRIs and TCAs and none worked for me. So now my team gave up on hopes of medication. Another dead end. I envy those for who they actually work.

 

[Raichu]

I am so sorry man

I've tried around 7 different medications from SSRIs, SNRIs and TCAs and none worked for me. So now my team gave up on hopes of medication. Another dead end. I envy those for who they actually work

 

[EternalHappiness]

The antidepressant Lexapro gave me PSSD, which ended my life.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10122283/

PSSD Network

Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction is a condition in which sexual, cognitive, and emotional side effects don’t resolve after stopping antidepressants.

www.pssdnetwork.org

Same here. PSSD for 6 years, no improvements.

If you're referring to loss of sex drive when you ask "forever", then the answer is no. Sex drive comes back after you stop taking it.

I don't take it anymore. My sex drive as basically nil on it. But once I stopped taking it, it came back. Now I am only on Adderall, which has the opposite effect. It magnifies my sex drive significantly.

Unfortunately, this isn't true for everyone. PSSD refers to persistent sexual dysfunction after the medication was stopped. I haven't taken an SSRI for 6 years, but my sexuality never returned.

 

[Saturn_]

SSRIs are really finicky medications from personal experience and from hearing countless anecdotes. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I've been told by my therapist or psychiatrist, I can't remember, that I had to "work with the medication" -- I did, but the hollowness in the back of my mind was always there. I just became better at masking it. It really had no meaningful effect on my psyche and I was gaslit by mom and my psychiatrist into thinking I don't know what my body is like. I really hope I never get prescribed them again because it means I'll no longer be able to take DXM. It's as if the only guaranteed effect is serotonin syndrome if you mix medications. Lmao

 

[LunarLight]

No, they're definitely a scam. I'm gonna try other antidepressants.

 

[derpyderpins]

50% of the time they work every time.

Jk. Something about my cocktail of SSRI (prozac) and Wellbutrin has correlated with improvement.

The fact is that SSRIs do work some of the time. They don't work some of the time. And we really don't know why they do or don't work. Serotonin and dopamine receptors are really complicated, and involve the gut as well as the brain. It's not as easy as dumping more of the happy chemical in.

 

[MettleSpirit41]

In my case they did work initially, but what happened after some time is that I started to feel completely numb and devoid of all emotions. I was not feeling the constant sadness and hopelessness and all the other negative emotions, but I also found myself being unable to express or feel any other emotions as well, which I started to miss after some days of being numb, so I stopped taking them altogether. So now, everything hurts like hell, but I can have a chuckle or a laugh every once in a while. Also I noticed some form of sexual dysfunction starting to settle in so I read about SSRIs and their side effects online where I found that sexual dysfunction is a side effect of taking SSRIs and people can actually develop a disorder known as PSSD (Post SSRI Sexual Disorder) which will then need another treatment of its own. So if anyone is thinking about taking SSRIs just keep all these in mind.

 

[Endless_suffering]

Most did nothing for me. A few made me even more suicidal. That's all they did. So in my case SSRIs didn't do a damn thing. I'm currently undergoing ECT. I've had 6 of 12 treatments so far. Haven't really done shit either. Except give me headaches and muscle aches.