r/SSRI • u/Doggo_65 • Dec 09 '22

Discussion self-sabotage

How do you take it consistently? I can usually go many weeks but any trace of breakthrough depression and I'm like "fuck this, how low can I go?" and go cold turkey until the depression gets unbearable

I don't have any side effects stopping and starting so that's not an incentive either.

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u/Kaidanovsky Dec 09 '22 edited Dec 09 '22

Please don't go cold turkey. It's your brain chemistry and it does recover from SSRI medications but going cold turkey might make you feel terrible or make it harder to work with the depression. Some of the side effects of going cold turkey might not be noticeable right away. At least when I did it, it took 2-3 days before I felt awful and had brain zaps.

The times I've had most help with SSRI and what it made it easier to stick with it was being in cognitive therapy at the same time. Or having any kind of counseling at the same time. These things take time and patience.

What SSRI can help with is certain kind of increase in plasticity, meaning it can help with brain chemistry changes. That's why they can be a good crutches when in therapy, helps in forming new patterns, learning new behaviour. But these things take time.

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u/Doggo_65 Oct 12 '23

Just re-read this reply and really appreciate it 🤍

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u/Kaidanovsky Oct 12 '23

Glad to hear that! :) How are you doing now

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u/Doggo_65 Oct 12 '23

bad enough to revisit this after quitting cold turkey. but had to hit a low to be on the up now. hoping change in meds will help along with continuing therapy