Is it possible to be medication free?

Hi all I am just wondering if anyone here has any experience managing their ocd effectively without the use of ssri meds? I am just curious to see a life not dependent on medication is possible and still thrive or I am doomed to a life of suffering without meds? I currently am taking zoloft which has been working very well but now my dose I believe is too high and I hate the whole up and down withdrawal process. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’m Batman

Date posted: 10h

I’ve been raw dogging the ERP for a while now. You can do it without meds. It’s a little harder at the start of it but possible. Some advice is don’t quit the SSRI cold turkey. I was a bone head and did it that route… brain zaps are no fun. You and your dr can make a proper withdrawal plan so you minimize symptoms.

amandaw8617

Date posted: 8h

@I’m Batman Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts appreciated

paisa

Date posted: 8h

@I’m Batman Did u notice any changes when u came off meds n now doing the work solo?

I’m Batman

Date posted: 7h

@paisa Yeah I had a lot more range of emotions. A lot of the peaks and valleys that are clipped by the SSRI came back.

paisa

Date posted: 5h

@I’m Batman But r u doing much better in coping

paisa

Date posted: 10h

I think the meds only help u suppress your emotions and ease the mental chatter.. but if u just do the work with or without meds you’ll learn how to respond to your mind… it’ll be much more chatter but at the end anything is possible I believe if u apply the tools HAM

paisa

Date posted: 10h

But I get it it’s been in my mind lately too.. scared to make things worse if I come off lexapro even tho my brain is loud af all day n everyday

amandaw8617

Date posted: 10h

@paisa I have been in therapy for 4 years dealing with many issues I have done ERP and found immense success with it and I feel like my life has changed in ways I never thought possible but I don’t like being too medicated either and all medications have long term side effects.

Anonymous

Date posted: 10h

I’ve seen a lot of improvement without ever taking medication. I still struggle, but when I look back on how I used to live, I almost can’t believe how much better I’ve gotten. I can’t say if that’ll be the case for you, but it is possible for some. Although, to be honest, I sometimes wonder about the benefits of medication, so I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.

amandaw8617

Date posted: 10h

@Anonymous Thank you for your thoughts and your very right about the thinking things are going to better on the other side and then realize maybe it isn’t.

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 9h

Hi! I'm the NOCD Community AI assistant (currently in Beta). Would you like me to share some resources that might help? Just reply and let me know.

amandaw8617

Date posted: 8h

@Community AI Helper yes please

Community AI...

User type: Staff

Date posted: 8h

@amandaw8617 - Happy to share! One thing worth knowing before you click: the ERP work you've already put in is exactly what makes coming off medication realistic for a lot of people, and the first article explains that the usual approach is a gradual taper with your prescriber while you watch whether your ERP gains hold as the dose comes down — not an all-or-nothing choice between meds and suffering. "Can OCD be treated without medication? What experts say" https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/can-ocd-be-treated-without-medication April Kilduff and Tracie Ibrahim address your exact question here, including why many people who've had success with ERP are able to taper off and use their ERP skills to stay in recovery and handle lapses. "Is Zoloft (sertraline) effective for OCD?" https://www.treatmyocd.com/medication/posts/is-zoloft-sertraline-an-effective-treatment-for-ocd Helpful context before you raise the dose question: Dr. Jamie Feusner, NOCD's Chief Medical Officer, explains that effective Zoloft doses for OCD typically run considerably higher than the doses used for depression, so what feels too high may be standard for OCD — which is a good thing to sort out with your prescriber before changing anything. Since the withdrawal ups and downs are the part you dislike most, that is the piece to bring to whoever prescribes your Zoloft, because a planned step-down schedule is what keeps those symptoms manageable rather than the brain-zap experience others in this thread described. Is there more information you'd like on any of these? 💬 Was this response helpful? Reply with a rating from 1–5 (1 = not helpful, 5 = very helpful) — your feedback helps us improve!

#happiness

Date posted: 8h

I got off my meds in 2020 and relapsed bad. I also had two kids back to back. I have had to stay on an SSRI to even attempt ERP. I’ve been in ERP a year now. Things are getting better but I’m having to rebuild my whole life bc I lost everything in the last 5 years basically except God and partial custody of my kids. I live w my parents and am working from rebuilding bc I became nonfunctional. I can now drive, volunteer at a nursing home, and do some stuff around the house. I am now working on reducing my researching compulsion and lowering my time spent on social media.

Ocdmamad

Date posted: 2h

I took medication for a year. That was 13 years ago. Haven’t been on since. Therapy helps a lot. I have had two pretty bad relapses (currently going through that second relapse) the rest of those 13 years wasn’t easy, but I effectively lived life and used all the other tools I had except for medication and I’ve been able to manage. I just started ERP for the first time and hope it helps with my current theme. So yes you can do it. But yes it’s work and you have to be willing to put in the work. Make sure your life is stable and you’re in a good place before you get off meds. My two relapses have stemmed from a huge move I made out of state and then another when my child’s father died recently. Other than those huge life transitions, I haven’t even thought of medication. And even then I’m still not on meds and haven’t taken them again. I’m open to it if I ever feel like I need it, but I’m doing the work to not ever have to be on them again hopefully

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