Share your SSRI experiences

When I first started Prozac it was literal hell my ocd got so bad but I’ve been on 40mg for a few months and I’m doing good now

It definitely can take some time to find meds that fit you. I was on Zoloft first for a few months and then lexapro for 3 years. The thing is tho, therapy is better than meds. Meds are fine obviously if you can’t function without them, or if you need them to be able to do therapy successfully, or if therapy straight up isn’t an option for you and you just need some sort of treatment. I’d never shame anyone on meds or tell them they don’t need it. I don’t know anyone’s medical, financial, mental health situation. Like I said, I’ve been on Zoloft, lexapro, and I’ve had an as-needed Xanax prescription. The thing is that meds don’t actually help you treat OCD, which is why ideally it’d be supplemented with therapy, if it’s needed at all. Meds are more of a bandaid than a solution. I know not liking meds tends to be frowned upon in the mental health community. But again, I’d never tell someone they’re WRONG for taking meds, but I think people need to be aware that doctors do push meds more than they probably should. I mean, prescribing medication is literally their job, so I don’t blame them. But obviously, you’ve experienced already they can have some really rough side effects. Additionally, the relapse rate for going off meds is significantly higher than the relapse rate of stopping therapy. That’s something I learned in psychopathology. Anyway, make the decision that’s best for you. I don’t want you to be afraid of trying a new med, especially if it’s something your therapist thought was necessary. I’m sure it’s really scary to try a new one after having such a bad experience. Remember, even if it really bad, you’ll get through it! You’ve done hard things before :)

ask you doctor to prescribe you a child's dose. Years ago I took a high dose of some SSRI (can't remember which one) but I freaked out and ended up in the hospital. Since then anytime I've attempted to start meds I ask the doctors to prescribe the lowest dose possible even if it means getting it compounded into a liquid for a child's dose. It helps so that you can slowly introduce the drug into your system without having a severe onset of side effects in the beginning. I'm not saying that you won't have side effects, but it could make it more bearable.