I've been taking 150mg of zoloft everyday ever since my OCD spiked up back two months ago, two days ago, I noticed I was becoming more panicky and numbish? But that was all because I was having a new OCD thought show up, tonight, I had a panic attack thinking that my medication was making me feel numb or having me dissociate and I had a full blown panic attack. I'm scared, any help?
Sorry you’re feeling this way. It sucks. As a therapist and fellow R-OCD sufferer I get it. I had a spike myself today. What is helping me lately is thinking of it as my brain trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Every time you feel pulled into rumination (which I’m guessing is non stop at the moment) just try to disengage with that reminder. There actually is no problem. This is why it is unsolvable. Even tho it FEELS so real, it is a lie.
If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is a spike? I've seen it mentioned a lot of the time, but I can't tell if it's different from a panic attack or if this is an actual thing I should be worrying about, because just earlier, I swore I felt numb and when I realized it. I panicked
A spike is usually used in reference to a recurrence of an obsessional theme. Like maybe it has died down for a bit, then you get hit by it again.
I have been worrying a lot about feeling numb and whenever I tend to notice I am, I panic, and I begin to overthink a lot because I'm worried that it's emotional bunting even though I've been able to cry and laugh just yesterday and today, I'm scared that it means my zoloft dosage is too high and if thats the case, I'm worried if I should lower it for tomorrow or continue taking the 150mg
@Anonymous Don’t change your dose without talking to your doctor. Just see if letting the panic sensations run their course (think of it as an adrenaline rush instead of panic attack. See if that helps at all reframe what your brain is trying to tell you)
Ocd can for sure cause a panic attack. Not something to worry about at all. Not fun either! we just need to continue to retrain our brains that we are ok sitting with anxiety and discomfort
So ya. Body sensations and thoughts can both trigger a panic reaction. This will die down in 15 mins tho as the stress chemicals work their way out of your body (as long as you resist engaging in a story about what the numbness “might” mean).
But what if the numbness is related to my medication, I'm scared that it is, and whenever I think about it. I notice my anxiety spiking
It might be. And you are doing great work just noticing that your thoughts/meaning you are giving this numbness is spiking your anxiety
I'm so scared, I felt like I failed by giving this numbness sensation power, it started after I started getting disturbing thoughts about one of my best friends in the rocd section and two days later. Numbness, I hate it so much
@Anonymous Yaaa 😔. Ocd is not fun. You didn’t fail. Our brains are just wired to scan for danger in a much more amplified way! Our jobs are to teach them that they can relax a little. I know the feelings are scary and feel so real. But they are just feelings. And you will ride them out. It willl get better. Just breathe. Try to focus on your body (it can help you get out of the thought loop). Put your hand on hour heart and show yourself a little extra care and compassion
@VioletRose I think what happened was that I began to hyperfixate on why I was feeling numb which caused me to overhink that it was the medicine and then I started to Google and down that rabbit hole I went. I wasn't always feeling numb, I don't think it's the medication as it's been helping me these past few weeks
@Anonymous Overthink*
@Anonymous That is great insight!
@Anonymous Ya. Getting out of the loop is the best thing you can do. Distraction at this point is sometimes the best way to do that
@VioletRose I'm struggling right now on not focusing on why I'm feeling numb and writing it off as a symptom of OCD, but it's so hard 😫
@Anonymous I know …. And that is a very common experience. Always best to assume it’s ocd. Tell your brain thanks and you will worry about it in 12 hours if it is still an issue then
@VioletRose Thank you for helping me, tonight's been tough for me, and you telling me all this has made me slowly realize that it's a possibility that it could be OCD, but maybe maybe not
@VioletRose I should also mention that I've been worrying so much about feeling numb, can this make you feel numb?
@Anonymous Absolutely yes
You got this! I can hear you are scared. But numbness and panic aren’t actually dangerous. Distressing but not dangerous.
One more suggestion. If you can - distract your brain by listening to a loving kindness meditation on YouTube.
Hello last year I had gone thru a very rough time In my life where I needed to be put on Zoloft 50mg around march 2024. I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and OCD. Ive been suffering from OCD since I was like 11 and depression since I was 19, but I never sought help until last year Im 27 because I knew I needed it to help me get thru life. I was on 3 months on Zoloft and I went to a trip to Miami which honestly helped me so much, I honestly attribute that trip to Miami in healing me more than the Zoloft it self. I met my current girlfriend there. After coming back I felt like a new person. I still kept taking the Zoloft 50mg until late April (2025) this year when I decided to tapper down to 25mg by my self without a doc recommendation, I didn’t feel anything during the month of may this year until like may 30th when I woke up in a panic and I felt like I was back at square 1 before I started Zoloft. Mind you ive been thru some life changes, I recently graduated RN school and my gf moved in with me. Ever since the end of may I’ve been very anxious, my OCD is on high gear and my depression too. I went back up to 50mg I’m seeing a new doc, my questions is has anyone gone thru a similar situation? If so what helped you and how long did it take you to stabilize ?
17f It's day 18 of taking 50 mg of Zoloft And while it doesn't do shit for my OCD, it's still terrible, tbh even worse than it was before meds I almost constantly feel that weird forced happiness-anxiety. I can't sit still, I constantly have new thoughts, good and bad, I constantly feel some weird energy I need to put somewhere but I can't. Like im myself am on the calmer and quieter side. Also I hate physical touch. But on meds. I'm suddenly so energized and extroverted, I'm constantly talking and also I became extremely physically affectionate which is so fucking weird. It's just like im not me anymore, real version of me was replaced by this weirdly happy fake one which is not even that happy, but OCD is still there and is still terrible.
So I just started Zoloft 25mg almost a month ago and I’m still experiencing extreme panic and intrusive thoughts. It’s not fun, I genuinely just always think there’s no way I’ll “make it through life” living like this. And I’ve felt like this for four years straight I feel like recently it’s gotten a lot worse. Even when I feel like my brain is alittle quieter I was so obsessed w ocd that I just go right back to thinking abt it and scaring myself. Also I did ERP hated it I just started ICBT and I kinda like it. But when anyone else gets thought spirals and freaks out and has extreme panic do they have thoughts like they need to be admitted to a mental hospital and smth is seriously wrong with them? Bc the panic that comes with the ocd makes it feel soooo real and debilitating
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