why am i feeling rubbish again after 9 weeks of sertraline

Don't give up, you will have the odd hideous day where it all closes back in again - just accept that they will happen, and let the bad day go, because more good ones will be coming. How long have you been on it?

thanks for your reply campergirl.........:-) i've seen alot of your posts on here and they have been really helpful. i was on 50mg for the first 4 weeks then upto 100mg after that, in total i'm on my 9th week just now. earlier in the week (only yesterday) i'd been saying how i was feeling so much better and for no reason whatsoever i woke up this morning with that dreaded feeling again. I have to say, it's caught me well off guard, i was finally beginning to feel back to my old self and getting on with things, and i just don't understand why i'm feeling rubbish when nothing has upset me and i was feeling great. will it be like this forever and it's made me wary of trusting it again now incase it takes me by surprise another time. i'm sick of this, it's caused havoc between me and my boyfriend and he says he can instantly tell when there is something not right with me. surely after 9 weeks, i shouldn't be having down days, i thought the idea of taking them was to illiminate it, i want it gone, think we've all suffered enough. thanks for listening to my ranting this morning, it's much appreciated. you're right, it is hideous, but hopefully later on today or at worst tomorrow i will start feeling good again. just feel at the mercy of my depression again now, just when i though it was me taking control, most upsetting for me feeling like this :-(

They are not 'happy pills', and nothing will guarantee to banish the odd bad day. Are you having any talking therapy along side the sertraline? I have learnt to live with depression to an extent, and treat it like excema - it will have it's flare-ups, I will have bad days, but don't let them knock out the good times.

Hello Gingemac,

I'm sorry to hear you are feeling this way, but i do totally understand. I have been taking Sertraline since November last year & still feel no better & not had any good days that i can remember . I started on 25, then upped to 50, then too 100 & now on 150. The doctor said in 2 weeks we may have to go to 200mg & if this doesn't help try something else & start again.

I'm also at a loss so remember you are not alone.

Butterfly x

that's half the problem, i do let it knock out the good days, as soon as i go back under i'm black about everything and seem to forget about the 2 or 3 weeks that i've been great and enjoyed things. i have had lots of therapy before in the past, and CBT therapy, haven't bothered this time as i'm fully aware of what my issues are, unlike then, and how i deal with them, just my depression makes it so much harder to deal with them. the therapy did help me massively at the time and i still practice the things i was taught now, when i get bad thoughts and paranoia etc. i see my depression as an enemy, set out to ruin my world and everything in it, that brings anxiety and bad though processes to deal with and it's alot to take when it comes from nowhere!! and gets gradually worse as the day goes on. i'm starting to feel a little better at the moment and i'm seeing a little clearer, i looked awful this morning when i came into work. granted this particular episode is quite mild compared to how i have been in the past :-) i mean pre sertraline :-)

I understand it's so difficult to deal with & also getting other people to understand how you feel.

I also had CBT & found it no help at all & am now waiting on a more intense form of CBT???

And also can i say good on you for still going in work as that is something i have not been able to do & cope with.

I do also find the paranoia & anxiety the worse side of all this & also lack of sleep.

Would be nice to keep in touch with someone who understands & help each other through this.

Take care & keep in touch x

I too feel your pain. I have now changed my medication after being on sertraline for two years, the beginning was tough and I had a couple of blips in between. Then Christmas came and the anxiety was so bad it lasted weeks, hence changing the medication. It is really difficult to feel positive when you are having a dark day- my mind goes into overdrive and I convince myself that it's going to get worse and I will lose my job etc etc. I just have to push through it and try to except that my lies are going to be very low. I too have had different types of therapy. Depression and anxiety is a cruel disease and unfortunately a lot of people do not understand how it impacts your life. It's easy to say try to be positive as I know how difficult it is to change those negative thoughts into positive ones. All I can say is we are here to support each other through the highs and lows. X

thanks for your comments butterfly1 and Betsybell,

yesterday i have to just put down to a blip i guess, feeling much better today, but thinking about it, im thinking it could be lack of sleep, i've only ever slept for like 6-7 hours a night, maybe i should start trying to get in bed earlier as i woke this morning and felt groggy and tired, i know people usually do but i'm normally quite awake first thing. i'm going to try and get a couple of early nights for the rest of this week and see how i get on. you're right, we do have to push through it. i just wish people understood and were more acceptable of the illness "depression", some people sail through life not having any mental health issues at all, they don't know how lucky they are!! :-)