I was on sertraline for almost 15 years. It took multiple tries to get off. I finally slowly tapered off. The worst withdraw symptom was the zaps for me.
I wish I had never started to begin with. I feel like a part of me is gone now. It is hard to describe.
I was on Paxil for almost ten years. God, the zaps, the nausea, and the memory loss when coming off of it!
I just read a book the other day that I’ve had for awhile but hadn’t read—or so I thought. While reading it, some of it seemed familiar but I just assumed I had started it but never finished. I went to post it to my Goodreads account only to find it already there complete with a review that I had written. I have no memory of writing that review, much less of ever actually finishing the book.
I realized I had read it towards the end of my time on my medication.
That’s a prosaic example compared to the conversations my wife and I have where she’ll mention something funny or endearing about our children who were toddlers at the time but I simply can’t remember them.
If you’re thinking about using SSRI’s for anxiety I encourage you to find a therapist who has an evidence-based practice like ACT.
I was on Effexor for about three years. Once or twice during that time I forgot to take it and got a sample of a dreadful sensation that was unlike anything I had ever experienced. This caused me to look up and read about withdrawal problems people had reported. I was taking three of them a day and I began tapering by taking two-1/2 a day for a couple of weeks and then moving to two a day for two weeks and so on. Over the course of about three months I weaned myself off without once having any sort of withdrawal effect that I could recognize. I was happy to be free.
I know someone who was on diazepam for only a year and he says that it took him longer than a year from the point of final dose to start feeling himself again. I know diazepam is not the same class of drugs, but hopefully the same is true for you - the longer you go from the final dose the more yourself you feel.
Well for one, you’re not supposed to take benzodiazepines longer than a few weeks. Benzo withdrawal can be life-threatening if you’re accustomed to a high enough dose.
I wish I had never started to begin with. I feel like a part of me is gone now. It is hard to describe.