What has your overall experience with SSRIs been like?

  • Positive

    Votes: 2 3.4%
  • Negative

    Votes: 31 53.4%
  • Neutral/a mixed bag

    Votes: 16 27.6%
  • Never been on SSRIs

    Votes: 9 15.5%

  • Total voters
    58
J

jar-baby

Mage
Jun 20, 2023
505
Just because someone won a million dollars at a casino doesn't mean you should encourage people to gamble. And on this particular gamble, the odds are very much against them. You're very lucky if you think there are no fates worse than death. There are a lot of fates worse than death - and becoming entangled with the mental health system is a fast track to the worst ones.

You're actively advising someone to take drugs that are physiologically addictive, in the same way h*roin or m*th is. I've been through Cymbalta withdrawal - it's 9 layers of Hell. I've been through Adderall withdrawal - 7 layers of Hell. Not as bad as Cymbalta withdrawal, but still Hellish. And just think about that detail - the SSRI did more damage than the drug that's akin to m*th. Oh, and if your Psych forgets to refill your prescription (happened to me many times) you're just plain SOL. Enjoy your living nightmare withdrawal. All because a Psych forgot to press a button on his computer then went on vacation.
I'm sorry that your experience has been this harrowing, and I appreciate you sharing it.

I wanted to understand a variety of stances on this issue.

The psychologist of the friend in question seems to think he should take Lexapro permanently, which I guess would obviate the risk of withdrawal symptoms (the possibility of a psych's irresponsibility notwithstanding). But I understand the severity of the risk.

In any case, mentioning the possibility of side effects like a reduced libido and PSSD was enough to make him opposed to trying them (though that wasn't my intention so much as providing info the psych didn't).
 
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LaVieEnRose

LaVieEnRose

Angelic
Jul 23, 2022
4,213
If you already stopped taking anti-anxiety meds and didn't take them long enough to develop severe side effects, you should be in the clear. Thankfully, Buspar is one of the least dangerous Psych Drugs it seems when in terms of permanent damage, but while you're on it - if your dose is too high for your bodyweight (and Psychs just love over-prescribing) you're going to find yourself in a sleepwalking stupor, perhaps without even realizing it. I just watched a police bodycam video of a guy driving while his Buspar dose was too high - zoned out behind the wheel and killed two people. Yeah - that's another thing with Psych Drugs - if you drive a car, they can impair your driving without warning. I fell asleep behind the wheel of my car on Geoddon once - thankfully I jolted awake when I went off the road into a small ditch, but - I could have very also easily killed someone behind the wheel in that instance. Of course, the Psychiatrist didn't even care that that happened when I told him. Filthy Psychroach.


Just because someone won a million dollars at a casino doesn't mean you should encourage people to gamble. And on this particular gamble, the odds are very much against them. You're very lucky if you think there are no fates worse than death. There are a lot of fates worse than death - and becoming entangled with the mental health system is a fast track to the worst ones.

You're actively advising someone to take drugs that are physiologically addictive, in the same way h*roin or m*th is. I've been through Cymbalta withdrawal - it's 9 layers of Hell. I've been through Adderall withdrawal - 7 layers of Hell. Not as bad as Cymbalta withdrawal, but still Hellish. And just think about that detail - the SSRI did more damage than the drug that's akin to m*th. Oh, and if your Psych forgets to refill your prescription (happened to me many times) you're just plain SOL. Enjoy your living nightmare withdrawal. All because a Psych forgot to press a button on his computer then went on vacation.

Also, Psych Drugs will effect your impulse control - which makes you say things you wouldn't normally say to people. Like even casually mentioning to the Psych you've thought about CTB. Now you're being held for an involuntary Psych Incarceration and have to deal with Mental Health Court. Now you're REALLY going to want to CTB, but are going to be forced to stay alive by the most sadistic people you can imagine, who will gaslight you until you don't know which way is up.

Just...for the love of God, if you want a mind altering substance, there are a thousand other things you can try before you go down the Psychiatric road. St. John's Wort, Kratom, medical MJ, Kava, Blue Lotus, microdosing mushrooms - all of which you can access without having to put your life in the hands of sadistic individuals willing and able to strip you of all your human rights and basically kill your actual soul if they want to.

And they can kill your soul - I've seen 18 year olds too young to know better get tricked into having their brains shocked - they come out screaming and banging their heads against the walls. And I've seen people injected against their will with 6-month doses of drugs that just leave them drooling with 1000-yard stares.

So yeah - TL:DR - I don't really give half a sh*t about those who claim to love their pills. That's their prerogative and their choice. I'm here to tell people about the risks - which are EXTREME. You're entering into a system that makes Cops look like cuddly kittens by comparison. There are other roads to take. Even street drugs are a safer road to go down if you're THAT desperate. Death is NOT at all the worst thing that can happen to a human being. I've personally seen much, much worse.
You don't have to lecture me about psychiatric damage. I have been there. We are talking about SSRIS in particular.

SSRIS (so not adderall or cymbalta) aren't addictive. Withdrawals can make you feel trapped but that's not addiction like heroin. Winning a million dollars at a casino isn't an apt comparison.

I think Lexapro is one of the safest ones out there. The risks of sexual problems and emotional blunting have already been established.

I know you weren't aware of this, but I'm familiar with OP and I know she is capable of making informed decisions for herself.

I misunderstood and thought she was considering it for herself and therefore felt it potentially appropriate for her issues. I said "probably" anyways; I'm not forcing any view on her. I know she wouldn't do something like start a medication unless she had full confidence in it that she gained *on her own*.

That's all I want to argue about this topic.
I'm sorry that your experience has been this harrowing, and I appreciate you sharing it. I wanted to understand a variety of stances on this issue.

The psychologist of the friend in question seems to think he should take Lexapro permanently, which I guess would obviate the risk of withdrawal symptoms (the possibility of a psych's irresponsibility notwithstanding). But I understand the severity of the risk.

In any case, mentioning the possibility of side effects like a reduced libido and PSSD was enough to make him opposed to trying them (though that wasn't my intention so much as providing info the psych didn't).
Psychologist or psychiatrist? A psychologist shouldn't really be advising on medication usage. In any case, no one should be suggesting permanent antidepressant usage off the bat.

Well, I guess things have been resolved then if he has opted not to take anything.
 
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J

jar-baby

Mage
Jun 20, 2023
505
Psychologist or psychiatrist? A psychologist shouldn't really be advising on medication usage. In any case, no one should be suggesting permanent antidepressant usage off the bat.
A (clinical) psychologist. It sounded odd to me too but then I'm no expert.
 
m4rius

m4rius

Student
Dec 23, 2022
110
Most antidepressants did nothing besides a few side effects.

The only SSRI that was significant to me was Zoloft. The beginning doses were fine, I eventually reached 100mg and it still didn't do much, but it helped my premature ejaculation.

Eventually I went up to 125mg and it finally seemed to have worked, within days, I had less anxiety and more energy. A week passes and I realized I kept sleeping less and less, I began getting irritated and more impulsive to the point where I had a pretty explosive day threatening my parents in a frenzy of egomania. It was a manic episode triggered by it.

I stopped Zoloft the day after as advised by my psychiatrist. Never was diagnosed bipolar and don't have it, but I have genes that make me predisposed so that explains it.

That's my experience. :)
 
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MyNameIsRavi

MyNameIsRavi

ughweeeee
Apr 26, 2024
23
I don't really know relevant my experience is as my only experience is with taking Atomoxetine/Stratterra for ADHD. It's an SNRI as opposed to an SSRI but as i understand an SNRI is practically the same kind of drug but also affects increases nonepenephrine as well. I took it for about a year and a half eventually having my dose reach 80mg before i was told that's as high as i can go. I ended up finally getting diagnosed with ADHD last october and my new psych switched it out for Ritalin.

honestly It kinda just made me feel incredibly dull, completely apathetic. It honestly made me feel even more apathetic and devoid emotion than i am now. There were so many moments in my life where i should've been upset or relieved or angry where i kinda just felt nothing. I knew how i should feel, and how i should react but really i felt nothing under the surface. I remember my Dad told me once that his heart failure (something that is eventually fatal) had reversed itself, and yet I could barely muster anything more than a monotone "that's good. I'm glad".

It also just made me feel sick constantly. Gut pains, diarrhea, sharp headaches, nausea and upset stomach constantly. I forgot to eat something after taking it one morning and i ended up vomiting in an alleyway on my way to the shops. Sometimes it got so bad i'd take it and end up passing out in bed for 30 minutes waiting for it to pass. I absolutely dreaded taking it but whenever i tried to quit but i'd get these "withdrawals" so to speak and i'd feel awful. People say you can't get withdrawals but there is absolutely side effects to quitting it.

I guess the one positive(?) from it is that it surpressed my appetite really strongly but I guess i must be in a minority of people though because everyone seems to say SSRIs/SSNRIs make people gain weight. I guess it's just a me thing? Or something that only applies to SSRIs? In the end it enabled an eating disorder in me which made things difficult for me to handle once i stopped taking it.

The funny thing about all of it? I don't think even helped me focus at all. I still struggled to focus on my college work and my own hobbies. Even at 80mg i don't even know if it did anything. I was just desperate for something to help me focus after barely scraping through high school.
 
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