Sertraline

Tried numerous times but withdrawals too bad. Trying sam-e at the moment. Working really well.

Hi are u reducing slowly ?

Thanks for replying I'm trying to stay positive thanks

Hi, so are you taking sam-e as you are reducing sertraline?

I tried to come off earlier this year but I reduced to fast, I felt a lot better and then the symptoms returned. Someone posted on here about reducing 10% per month (I think) will try and find the post as it was most useful...

Hi what is Sam-e ?

Be very careful regarding serotonergic supplements like Sam-E!  They are not safe to take with SSRIs and can create a serotonin syndrome situation.

Hi Natalie, so 6-9 months after being off sertraline the anxiety returned? I'm guessing you are giving yourself a longer time on them now? I've been on them for nearly 2 years, I can still feel anxious, as in the waves in the chest stomach and arms and occasionally the beginnngs of a panic attack, but I so want to be off the meds and free from the anxiety! I'm having a longer course of CBT now and that's really good. 

The old me is a out going person and confident get on with anyone and not moody this med as changed my personality big time and from what I've learned from 6 months of private Cbt is that these meds just cover up the problems and that's not what I want I want to deal with the problem because as u can see from lots of people on this site and other sites as soon as you start to withdraw from these meds all the symptoms come back in force

Wow, that is assuming that everyone who experiences depression will always return back to that state when coming off the meds!  Most depression episodes resolve whether meds are taken or not.  In fact, there is a huge placebo effect with psych meds and going to the doctor in general, and that is shown to be fact.  In fact, when placebos include an element that mimicks start up side effects of psych meds, there is NO difference between the performance of psych drugs and placebo!

When people come off their psych meds without doing the gradual taper, they are likely to experience rebound depression, anxiety and insomnia which are withdrawal symptoms, not relapse, but because these symptoms sometimes dont' occur until months out from stopping, everyone assumes it is relapse. There are people who went on these drugs for pain, not depression or anxiety, but had withdrawal depression and anxiety!   I myself am in the process of doing a very gradual taper so that my system can slowly adapt back to it's "factory default" without as much risk of withdrawal.  Most depression and anxiety are situational, with the person being ok prior to these episodes, so there is absolutely no reason to believe that once off the drugs the person will return to the depressed version before meds.  I have read many accounts of people who got off their meds successfully feeling better than they ever had in their life, before or during drugs.

Don, I think it is awesome that you are doing CBT and seeing that there is a better way to deal with the issues that led to depression than the drugs, and yes, they do change peoples' personalities.  Peter Breggin calls it spellbinding, when people are so profoundly affected by the drugs but don't seem to realize it.

Hi there yes definitely staying on them for at least 2 years this time ... The anxiety came back with a vengeance and most times things had happened to trigger it

Here is a piece written about Neuro Emotions in Withdrawal:

For many reasons, our emotions are on a hair-trigger, amplified, and perseverative. We probably don't even know all of what's going on physically yet, but it includes diminished prefrontal lobe executive functions, rebound amygdala, dysregulated HPA, over-active adrenals, etc. The neuro-emotions include -- neuro-fear neuro-anger neuro-guilt neuro-shame neuro-hurt neuro-regret neuro-self-criticism neuro-grudge-holding ...and more! It is very, very confusing to have these intense neuro-emotions and try to remember that they are not what they appear to be. Emotions are compelling. Emotions during recovery from psych meds are even more compelling. Sometimes, the neuro-emotion is really totally artificial. Some of my neuro-fears have been so unlikely to come to pass as to bear no resemblance to reality or to my personal history. But, I think a lot of the time, part of what makes it so confusing is that there is a grain of reality to the neuro-emotion. For example, some situation might make you a bit angry under normal circumstances, but the neuro-anger is huge. This is when it's very difficult to 1) catch it in the first place and notice this is a neuro-emotion, 2) convince ourselves, yes, this is really a neuro-emotion, not a real emotion, 3) contain the emotion, try not to act on it, or channel the energy into something safe and constructive -- like exercise or journaling or building a birdhouse. []  Whenever you're having an intense, disturbing feeling, try to remind yourself that, right now -- even if it does have something to do with reality -- it is largely a neuro-emotion that you wouldn't be feeling if you were fully healed. And you *will* be fully healed. It's happening! Get ready! 

That is so true betsy you area wonderful person you try your best to help everyone on this site I'm so glad I come across you

God bless

Keep in touch x