Diazk: anhedonia

[Diazk]

Hello all,  My Name is Brian, I have been suffering with what I think is post acute withdrawal  from sitralin, It started last July when I was prescribed medication for a anxious episode. After only taking  meds for 9 days, I had severe reaction to medication so I had to stop, During this period the only persistent symptoms are periods of anxiety and anhedonia with suicidal ideation. I have no joy no love for my wife or my 3month old and its killing me ..

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Diazk.

 

Some people very quickly have adverse reactions to antidepressants. After they go off, their nervous systems are upset in the same way as in someone who has withdrawal syndrome. You will need to be patient as you very gradually recover over the next months.

 

Your nervous system has gotten shaken up, please treat it gently -- avoid alcohol and other drugs.

 

See

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Are We There Yet? How Long is Withdrawal Going to Take?

 

"Is it always going to be like this?"

 

The importance of recognizing you're feeling good

 

What does healing from withdrawal syndrome feel like?

 

Withdrawal dialogues & encouragement

 

A lot of people find fish oil and magnesium supplements helpful, see
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

 

[Diazk]

Does this go away, I am so scared. 

 

[ChessieCat]

5 hours ago, Altostrata said:

You will need to be patient as you very gradually recover over the next months.

 

[Diazk]

It's been 6 months since, I took a combination of medication, what is odd is that in August the day after I came out the hospital, I was on a combination of meds that lifted the anhedonia for 13 hours after that, I just recall being emotionless again, I am just confused as to weather this is deppresion or Is this the effect of stopping zoloft cold Turkey, Prior to taking zoloft I was under a lot stress and had severe anxiety  episodes . 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Diazk,

 

I've merged the new Introduction topic you created with the original Introduction topic.  Each member has only 1 Introduction topic where they can ask questions and journal their progress.  It keeps a member's history in one place.  Please do not create any more Introduction topics.  Thank you.

 

Is it withdrawal or relapse?  Or something else?

How do I know it's withdrawal and not relapse?

 

Please read the links which Alto posted previously.

 

Here's some additional information which might help you to understand what is happening:

 

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect.

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  That's why it's possible to experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.

 

These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[ChessieCat]

We strongly encourage members to learn and use non drug coping techniques to help get through discomfort and tough times.

 

Understanding what is happening helps us to not get caught up with the second fear, or fear of the fear.  This happens when we experience sensations in our body and because we don't understand them we are scared of them and then start to panic.

 

This document has a diagram of the body explaining what happens in the body when we become anxious:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/AnxietySelfHelp.pdf

 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help ...

 

Audio FEMALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Audio MALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

dealing-with-emotional-spirals

 

Dr Claire Weekes suffered from anxiety and learned and taught ways of coping.  There are videos available on YouTube.

 

Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes

 

CBT Course:  An Introductory Self-Help Course in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

 

Resources:  Centre for Clinical Interventions (PDF modules that you can work through, eg:  Depression, Distress Intolerance, Health Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, Panic Attacks, Perfectionism, Procrastination, Social Anxiety, Worrying)

 

On 4/28/2017 at 4:03 AM, brassmonkey said:

 

AAF: Acknowledge, Accept, Float.  It's what you have to do when nothing else works, and can be a very powerful tool in coping with anxiety.  The neuroemotional anxiety many of us feel during WD is directly caused by the drugs and their chemical reactions in the brain.  Making it so there is nothing we can do about them.  They won't respond to other drugs, relaxation techniques and the like.  They do, however, react very well to being ignored.  That's the concept behind AAF.  Acknowledge, get to know the feeling involved, explore them.  Accept, These feelings are a part of you and they aren't going anywhere fast. Float, let the feeling float off as you get on with your life as best as you can.  It's a well documented fact that the more you feed in to anxiety the worse it gets.  What starts as generalized neuroemotinal anxiety can be easily blown into a full fledged panic attack just by thinking about it.

 

I often liken it to an unwanted house guest.  At first you talk to them, have conversations, communicate with them.  After a while you figure out that they aren't leaving and there is nothing you can do to get rid of them.  So you go on about your day, working around them until they get bored and leave.

 

It can take some practice, but AAF really does work.  I hope you give it a try.

 

 

[Carmie]

Hi Diazk, 

 

How are you doing?💚

[Diazk]

I am still anhedonic, it's been 9 months now no improvements tho there are differences from what I felt months ago but still no emotions..😔

[Carmie]

10 hours ago, Diazk said:

I am still anhedonic, it's been 9 months now no improvements tho there are differences from what I felt months ago but still no emotions..😔

 

I’m so sorry that you still have the anhedonia Diazk, 

 

It can take quite a while for our brains to heal after being on these meds, no matter how long we’ve been on them. Every day is a day closer to healing though. I find distracting myself from the symptoms is the best thing to do, even if I’m anhedonic. 

 

What are the differences now, that you mentioned, compared to what you felt months ago?

 

Could you please fill out a drug signature. Thank you.  ChessieCat will send you the link. 

 

Sending hugs🤗

[ChessieCat]

Please create your drug signature using the following format.   Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

[Altostrata]

@Diazk, how are you?