soberred

I figured after being sober 3.5 months, I felt it was time for me to wean myself off of my antidepressant. My last dose was 4 days ago. I love the way it made me feel but the side effects were just more then I could bear. My Dr prescribed it short term for general anxiety. The side effects of the withdraw have been really bad. I do not feel depressed but I have a short fuse and over react to everything. I find myself weepy at the drop of a hat. That feeling of general well being is gone. I know this is only short term. I would not be able to handle this if I were still drinking. My only concern is that it doesn't effect the people around me. I just pray everyday that God grant me patience with people. I tend to have a very honest sharp tongue and can be very blunt with people. Last thing I want to do is hurt anyone due to my moods. I have hurt enough people over the years due to alcohol.

ttbp

Does your Dr know you've stopped taking the anti D's?

I know I couldn't come off mine at the moment. xx

soberred

He only ordered them for me for 3 months. I am the one that asked for a couple of months because I wasn't ready. I have been through this before. Last time I took them for a year and I didn't have a problem stopping. But last time I wasn't a recovering drunk. I didn't tell him I was weaning this time. He trusts I know myself and what to do.

ttbp

I would still run it passed him. You're not really supposed to stop taking them without checking with a Dr.

Nothing to lose.

Take care of yourself xx

Anna

I agree that I would talk to your dr too.

I have been on antidepressants for many years and I don't relate to you saying you love the way they make you feel. For me, they simply level the playing field.

My depression/anxiety began years before my drinking and I know for sure, that I need to treat those issues in order to recover.

soberred

LOL. I know. He isn't just my doctor, he is one of the doctors I worked with. Technically it's not against medical advice. He knows I know what to do.

Cardio

What are the side effects? Perhaps you need a different medication. In fact, it sounds like the medicine is working for you and weaning off isn't in your best interest right now. Have you seen a psychiatrist? You might do well to get a full evaluation if you haven't already. I don't know your backstory, so forgive me if I'm stating the obvious, but you may have underlying anxiety and depression that needs to be treated long term. The alcohol may have been a way for you to self medicate. I have been diagnosed with clinical depression (back in 1997). I've been taking Zoloft since then. Changed my life. Saved my life. But I still drank. When I see my shrink in December I'm going to let him know that I've stopped drinking and about the additional irritability if it doesn't subside by then. He's always asked me what I consume: coffee, alcohol (I lied about that. not looking forward to that conversation), medicine. They all play a part in our drive to just make ourselves feel okay. And like Anna, the medicine makes me feel normal, not anything else. So you should tell the doctor that too.

soberred

My meds leveled my emotions too much. I need to deal with my problems. Not cover them up. My problem isn't isn't depression. It's repression

Cardio

For me I think it's just my wiring. The depression/anxiety are biological. But I still need to treat the symptoms, not unlike having diabetes and taking the correct medicines. Or not being able to see properly and wearing glasses.

Cardio

That's interesting. You may be either taking too much or the wrong kind. I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but you are continuing to self medicate if the doctor/coworker gave you the script but isn't monitoring you. You need a therapist doctor to work with you. I think you're right to want to change that "numbed out" feeling, but you don't need to make yourself suffer more than a "normal" person would to be able to understand your problems. I urge you to find a therapist and not do this alone.

soberred

I am very self aware of what my problems are and why I am the way I am. Nothing can change the things that happened in my past. No psychologist can help me undo it. All it would do is bring up things that are better left alone.

Cardio

That's not what I'm suggesting. I don't have a past that needs uncovering and difficult childhood that needs to be plumbed. But untreated I do have depression. My shrink doesn't chat with me about my sad past because I don't have one. He talks to me about my present emotions and makes sure that the medicine I'm taking is appropriate. He also talks to me about present situations to make sure I'm not deluding myself that I'm self aware when I'm actually not.

I don't know you at all. But I do know that medicine is there to help, not "cover up" stuff. Do what you need to do. But you don't need to make yourself suffer. And I don't understand why you're suggesting that your problem is repression when you want to "leave alone" problems from your past.

Good luck. Figuring this stuff out is all part of the process.

soberred

Side effects are: Bloating, constipation, gas, weight gain, malaise, extreme sleepiness, sexual side effects, aching joints, bizarre vivid dreams, apathy and the ability to feel sad. All serotonin reuptake inhibitor work the same way. We have gotten off track. Just having a bad day.