I’m struggling while getting back on an SSRI. It’s been a week and I’m constantly restless, anxious, and not sleeping well. It’s making my thought patterns spiral and think there’s something else going on instead of just the side effects from the meds. I’ve only just begun with NOCD, so I’m having a really hard time breaking out of this negative thought cycle.
Hi :) I can empathize with this, I’ve tried getting back on three times. It does take about 2-4 weeks for the symptoms to wear off but, id say what helped was writing stuff down, this way it could be a track of your symptoms in the case that the ssri doesn’t work and you can go check in with the doc, but also just as an outlet. Be mindful of any triggers that might make anxiety worse, and for me what helped was spending time outside, in nature ideally, long walks helped usually paired with a podcast that helps break the cycle. These aren’t fool proof but they usually help in the temporary :) also reaching out to friends or family for support is a big one too :) having someone there makes a big change wishing you the best! There are people rooting for you
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@RosieS - Happy to share! Starting with NOCD while also adjusting to a new medication is a lot to take on at once, and you're doing it anyway. One thing worth naming: the "is this the meds or is something else going on?" question is itself a doubt loop OCD can feed on. Checking in on your body, scanning for new symptoms, or mentally reviewing how you felt yesterday versus today all bring short-term relief and then make the doubt louder. Bringing the side effects to your prescriber and your NOCD therapist is the useful version of that question; re-asking it internally all day is the compulsive version. "How SSRIs can help manage OCD symptoms: What you need to know" https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/what-are-ssris-and-do-they-work Clinically reviewed by April Kilduff, MA, LCPC, this one lists the common early side effects — including agitation and insomnia, the two you're dealing with — and notes that SSRIs tend to work within two to four weeks for anxiety while OCD symptoms can take six to 12 weeks, so one week in is very early. "How OCD tricks you into feeling physical sensations" https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/how-ocd-tricks-you-into-feeling-physical-sensations Explains why restlessness and physical discomfort become such sticky obsession material, which is useful when your attention keeps landing on what your body is doing right now. Worth bringing both the restlessness and the sleep trouble to your prescriber directly, since they're the one who can tell you whether to wait it out or adjust — and your NOCD therapist can help you target the spiraling itself rather than trying to answer it. Is there a particular piece of this that feels most relevant right now? 💬 Was this response helpful? Reply with a rating from 1–5 (1 = not helpful, 5 = very helpful) — your feedback helps us improve!
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