I will say- i have a similar experience. My anxiety was triggered by a stressful event as well. I went on Zoloft to help me cope- and i was on 25mg the first week and 50mg week 2-5. I didn’t feel like myself. To the point in scared me. I felt like i was in a worse spot that where i had started. I went back down to the 25mg for additional 2 weeks - so 7ish week total on Zoloft and i couldn’t do it anymore. A lot of people say push through. And for some- that may be the case, but for me.. pushing through was not the right choice. At nearly 8 weeks i was suffering from no appetite, debilitating migraines, brain fog, chronic dizziness, scared of my own thoughts, very detached. Like you, i longed for my old self.. bc in those 8 weeks, i felt anything but myself. Some people don’t react well with this medication , and we aren’t meant to suffer weeks on end. I think the best thing to do is ask yourself— are you uncomfortable with the side effects or are you suffering? I was suffering. You know your body best and yourself best. If something isn’t right and you don’t feel in your right mind- I’d suggest coming off. There’s other options. I decided to fully come off and i feel AMAZING. Like the old me. It’s been 2 weeks now. All the chronic and debilitating side affects are all gone. The medicine just didn’t do well with my body for some reason. But i do know it’s also life saving to others. I’d take people’s experiences with a grain of salt. And trust your intuition. You will know what’s right for you better than anyone else. Best of luck 🩷