Zoloft

[Jokyfoot]

I started taking Zoloft and it's pretty sweet so far. I thought I had gotten over my anxiety in college, because I learned how to be social without freaking out, but really I just disasociated from it. All of the physical symptoms were still there, and my natural state was always "stressed".

Now everyday is a good day. Now I'm always smiling.


Have you tried it?

[Bravoie]

No, stress can be a valuable thing. It can even motivate you to improve or be more proactive about whatever is bothering you. I don't think always smiling is a good thing. You're supposed to be sad and anxious sometimes. It helps keep you balanced. But if your stress or depression is affecting your daily functional life then I guess a SSRI could help

[Kane]

Best way to beat anxiety is to put yourself out in situations that make you anxious, not taking tablets that numb you. Pre-pandemic my agoraphobia was pretty much handled and I was doing great. Since then it's gone down hill, so I'm now out as much as possible to control it again.

Obviously this is just my experience and how I handle(d) it. I found that drugs and therapists done absolutely nothing for me, so took it upon myself. I just think temp fixes like Zoloft don't get to the root of the problem and ultimately you'll still have something mentally crippling you 24/7.

[Bown]

I think there’s a member here who knows a lot about Zoloft smoothies…..

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Bown

I think there’s a member here who knows a lot about Zoloft smoothies…..

yeah. I've been on Zoloft for a while, and it sort of helps. Then I learned the "smart" drug modafinil works as an off-label SSRI supplement, so I started taking that too. Neither drug does much on its own, but together they do a world of good for me. I feel normal for the first time in my adult life.

And I disagree with the idea that anxiety has to have a higher purpose; it definitely doesn't. Sometimes your brain just doesn't work like it's supposed to...



Though I do think SSRI's are over-prescribed because they're the easiest solution. If they don't work for you, try something else. Anxiety/depression can have several causes in the same way a number of things can cause a sore foot

[Nixon]

jokyfoot stands naked in a room for hours while ppl paint him, how much further could he go

[Dungeon Snake]

Originally Posted by Jokyfoot

I started taking Zoloft and it's pretty sweet so far. I thought I had gotten over my anxiety in college, because I learned how to be social without freaking out, but really I just disasociated from it. All of the physical symptoms were still there, and my natural state was always "stressed".

Now everyday is a good day. Now I'm always smiling.


Have you tried it?

Yeah I tried it, I tried pretty much every antidepressant for a while. Now I don't take anything like that any more. I do know the initial glow that you're describing though. I remember a few days after I started taking one (i think it might have been citalopram?) going over to my buddy's house that I hadn't seen in a while, and just being genuinely happy. Like, a level of just pure genuine happiness that I hadn't really experienced since being a kid.

I do think there can be benefit to these types of pills but I would warn you against regarding them as a "silver bullet". For one thing, their benefits decrease over time. They're great for a while but sooner or later you stop getting the positive aspects, it basically "wears off", but you still need to take them to feel normal. At this point, psychiatrists will usually either increase the dose or switch you to a different pill. With me, it became a carousel ride of different pills, trying to find one that worked, and some of them have some pretty nasty side effects. On top of that, you're always coming down off one pill and ramping up on another, and they can some really ugly interactions.

It's funny that you mention youve just "disassociated" from your stress/pain/etc, cuz honestly, that's basically what the pills do. Most of that shit is still going to be there, you're literally just masking it with drugs. That's not to say the drugs are worthless, they do work, at least for a while.
sometimes they can give you the edge that you need to make it through a tough time, or the strength to face your issues head on. But you may find, when and if you stop taking them, that all of your original problems are still right where you left them. I stopped taking psychiatric drugs about 6 years ago and I can't honestly say I miss them at all. Yes, they kept me in a state of ebullience. But it isn't really natural to be happy all the time. Pain and stress are a part of life. In my opinion, it's healthy to feel bad sometimes. Instead of just taking a drug to fix things, I've learned how to manage my feelings better and found healthy, natural ways to improve my mood. I can feel deep sadness at times and I'm able to accept this sadness, feel it completely, and then let it go and move on. And I'm also now capable of feeling a lot of happiness naturally at times - obviously not all the time, but at times when I should.

[Dungeon Snake]

Also, I should add, there's plenty of people who just take these drugs permanently as a lifetime choice and it seems to work okay for them. I can only speak to my own experiences.

[Yamles]

I had post natal depression after my second kid, which I guess just turned into regular depression. I've tried three different types - Zoloft was the first but it made me feel suicidal, Fluoxitine was second and that was fine, helped me for about two years until I felt okay to stop, and I found coming off them really really easy (I know some people struggle with that) so haven't been on anything for 18 months. Started Venlafaxine ten days ago because I've gone a bit downhill and holy shit it's absolutely wiped me out. Definitely feel better, less ragey and tearful, but I feel like I'm living on a different plane of existence and I'm only on a half dose 😬

[Anthropophagus]

Just microdose shrooms or find a natural solution to your problem instead of some mind altering prescription medication. I personally don't believe in mental health meds for anyone except the severely mentally ill and at that level, those people are candidates for liquidation anyway.

[Shaun]

"don't use mind-altering medication, just take shrooms" OK obviously talking out your ass

microdosing shrooms is good for people who are too badass & cool to acknowledge any emotion besides rage... definitely no surprise Sapwn would endorse it

[Anthropophagus]

It has therapeutic value, not just among hippies, and I expect the research to expand on that significantly over the coming years. The opinion of such a mental weakling is no matter to me, though.

[Shaun]

I didn't say microdosing doesn't have value. I've tried it. It's helpful for people who are emotional cripples like you. However that isn't my particular problem so I take something else

It's idiotic to dismiss certain drugs as mind-altering then take psilocybin, unless you don't know what "mind-altering" means. Because it's obvious your problem is your ego (it's weakness when other people are depressed, but not you), because that's what psilocybin addresses. That why microdosing works for you and you think you're better for it; get it? Do you see the irony here? You look like an ass

[Anthropophagus]

Nice edit. I don't know why you're such a defensive little bitch over mental health medication. Especially when there are very real concerns regarding overprescribing/addiction and side effects. I truly believe that most people can conquer what they're feeling without the use of meds, except the profoundly mentally ill. They end up chemically lobomotized. I struggle with anxiety and depression, as I'm sure a lot of people living in modern society do, and I manage both pretty well. I lead a totally normal life - a successful one, even - without the use of meds. There are strategies to balancing a life with mental health symptoms. Would meds "help" in the sense that they'd numb my emotions enough to make it seem like my problems went away? I'm sure. Even if that were true, it probably wouldn't last. I reject such a cowardly approach to living and gain much more satisfaction from handling my business like a man.

[Anthropophagus]

No, having mental illness does not make someone weak. Relying on prescription medications is weak. I've only microdosed twice. I liked the results, but I've not continued it to see if it's a viable long term strategy. I'm familiar with some of the research and it appears promising, particularly as an alternative to prescription medication. And it's exciting as an alternative precisely because it doesn't carry the potential addiction and health issues that meds do. Frankly, addressing mental health without any substances is preferable. I have no ego about this. You're the one who started talking shit. You're just insecure about being a manlet who relies on special pills to get through life. That's fine but never condescend to me about emotional state if that's the case.

[Anthropophagus]

I mean, can you be any bigger of a fucking faggot shilling for pharmaceutical companies?

[Bown]

Shaun, it’s really not worth it. And for what it’s worth, I really appreciated your perspective.

[Anthropophagus]

If you have something to say, then speak up instead of being a passive aggressive little bitch about it. Inserting yourself in the conversation isn't avoiding a debate.

[Shaun]

Literally all I've done to shill is say the meds I take work for me, and defend the idea that they work for me. I already said they're overprescribed and they're not right for everyone

You on the other hand say that if someone needs this medication, it must be a sign of weakness. That makes as much sense as saying it's weakness to take antibiotics to treat a stomach ulcer. In fact, it's never occurred to me until now taking meds is something I should be insecure about, since so many people take them. Maybe the thought never occurred to me because I have a deeper understanding of the illness than you

And it's kind of rich being called insecure by a guy who randomly shows up to pick fights with people he doesn't even like

[Bown]

[Bravoie]

Originally Posted by Bown

If I were depressed and someone showed me that video as a way to convince me to try a SSRI then I think I'd just kill myself rather than comply with living in that portrayed world

[NearHi]

Originally Posted by Bravoie

No, stress can be a valuable thing. It can even motivate you to improve or be more proactive about whatever is bothering you. I don't think always smiling is a good thing. You're supposed to be sad and anxious sometimes. It helps keep you balanced. But if your stress or depression is affecting your daily functional life then I guess a SSRI could help

Originally Posted by Bravoie

If I were depressed and someone showed me that video as a way to convince me to try a SSRI then I think I'd just kill myself rather than comply with living in that portrayed world

Please stop. If you don't need meds then just be thankful and go on with your day. For some of us, it's harder. Crippling sometimes. What might motivate you, will freeze others' in their tracks. Sometimes a small bit of anxiety every day can build up over time and cause a very serious imbalance that really should be treated with medication until the root of the initial anxiety can be remedied.

And it really doesn't help bringing up suicide in a mental health thread like this, especially when it's been mentioned.

[Anthropophagus]

Don't bullshit me and everyone else when the posts are clear to see right above us. I made no personal statement to you initially. I posted my general opinion that I don't think mental health meds are a good idea, and you replied with a sarcastic personal insult. You wanted my attention and now you've gotten it.

And it's apples to oranges to compare antibiotics, a class of medications which has existed for a century, to mental health medications which are comparatively complicated, new, and target brain chemistry which is not well understood. Destroying a bacterial infection is one of the cornerstones of modern medical science. Doping people up with brain meds isn't even close and does signal weakness when alternatives exist and can be effective. By the way, even using that comparison, antibiotics have serious side effects and can be overprescribed too, resulting in GI issues and bacterial resistance. Either way, that was a reductive, retarded fucking point.

I don't think anyone should be insecure about taking meds and if it works for them, great. I'm not here to define anyone's happiness. My point from the beginning is, in my personal opinion, and I'm not a psychiatrist or someone who works in or studies pharmacology, so take it for what it's worth, which isn't much - there are usually alternatives to mental health medication which are healthier, cheaper, and/or natural. You took issue with that first and foremost, for whatever reason, so at this point why don't you just shut the fuck up and move on?

[Shaun]

You have been undermining my improved mental health since you first opened this thread. Of course I took issue with what you said. Your initial statement deserves endless ridicule for being so profoundly dumb.

And there's not much more to say because you're just reiterating you don't think SSRIs aren't a legitimate form of medicine, but in your typical chest-puffing-Sapwn kind of way. So yeah I'd better back off huh?

[Shaun]

I don't think anyone should be insecure about taking meds and if it works for them, great.

You're just insecure about being a manlet who relies on special pills

I reject such a cowardly approach to living and gain much more satisfaction from handling my business like a man.

I'm not here to define anyone's happiness.