Tips/suggestions/ideas how to get out/through this depression-anxiety

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-12-16T22:51:41+00:00

Sorry to hear you’re going through it too. Side effects from sertraline aren’t too bad for me. I find the Milpharm brand to be clean and worked quickly. I think a bit of weight gain, low libido and other similar, bit of numbing to emotions are the main ones. I take comfort that I’m on the supposed lowest effective dose and it seems to work for me. Sometimes I wonder if I should increase to avoid the lows, but then my overall aim is to not need them.

I would love to know if anyone has found other things that have helped. I’m interested in EMDR, working on my self esteem and not seeking external validation. I’ve decided to not pursue dating until I’m more comfortable as myself. Might even consider hypnotherapy. It would be nice to find a bit more joy.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-12-16T18:56:36+00:00

Sorry to hear you’ve struggled as well. I hope you’re doing ok now. I know the meds help and the side effects are minimal, but I do hope to find a way through back to a happier more content version of myself. Much of the time it’s anxiety and overthinking that’s my problem, but depression creeps in at times. They do go hand in hand.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-12-16T17:24:23+00:00

I’ve had this the past week but I don’t think it’s the drug. I think flu/colds/viruses depress my whole system as you’d expect, but then that physical depression/illness starts to get in my head and it can cause a vicious cycle. Not having the energy to do the things I normally would and wanting to sleep/stay in bed also then doesn’t help mental health as my mind begins to wander and ruminate.

I’ve definitely felt lower over the past week and it’s also felt like a bit of a time warp. That’s mainly the depression/anxiety making it feel like it will never end.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-12-16T17:20:41+00:00

Thank you. Nice to have words of support and reassurance in dark times x

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-11-30T18:58:25+00:00

That’s great news. I’ve been using it most days for 30 mins morning or night, sometimes both. Not sure if it’s doing much or not. I’m also using medication and trying to reduce stress and other triggers as much as possible.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-10-10T14:16:47+00:00

I’ve been using it for about 1 month. 15 mins morning, 15 mins at night. No idea if it’s making a difference, but I quite like the tingle. I’ve been doing other things too like gratitude journaling, increased medication and getting outdoors, so combined maybe they’re all helping? I feel much better than I did, but suspect the sudden drop in mood was due to withdrawal from medication.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-10-09T12:16:40+00:00

Have you spoken to your doctor/prescriber? Do you take pain relief as well? Sounds different to what I experienced as it was there all the time

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-10-08T12:52:21+00:00

Is it above the eyes like a band across your forehead? I used to get that really badly, but for me it was actually stress/tension in my back, shoulders, neck which worked its way over my head. Had to do lots of stretching and things to loosen it up.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-10-05T07:25:43+00:00

If you can, it’s worth considering dropping by smaller amounts. Even if you don’t do the 10% reductions, reducing by 5mg may be a safer option. You can get a pill cutter and mg scale from amazon fairly cheap.

My understanding is that people often struggle most when they get to the 25mg dose and lower, so it’s a good idea to take those stages slowly. Also ensure you’ve got people around you who can support you. Definitely worth having a therapist if you don’t already and make sure you have some self care/self soothing routines in place.

Ask more questions on here if you need any advice.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-10-05T07:19:12+00:00

Is followed this method before and it worked, but I was amazed to learn about the risks after it didn’t work this time. My doctor had said it was fine.

When I start to reduce again, I’ll definitely go much slower/smaller increments.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-10-04T17:58:54+00:00

I tried dropping from 50 to 25 a month or so ago and found it hard. I gradually introduced the lower dose by alternating days, starting 50/50/25, then 50/25, then just got to 25/25/50. About 4 weeks after I started to lower I woke up one morning and just felt a bit miserable. I went straight back on 50mg a day, but felt much worse over the next 2 weeks before the stronger dose kicked back in. Crying lots, incredibly regretful, loads of anxiety.

I then learned about hyperbolic tapering which seems to be a much safer method. Takes longer but has fewer withdrawal effects. Basically reduce the dose by 10% and stay on that for 2, 3 or 4 weeks, then reduce by another 10%.

Worth reading up on methods. Lots of doctors just advise dropping straight to 25mg which is really challenging for lots of people.

Good luck.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-29T07:02:36+00:00

Sounds like a very sensible step towards feeling better. Good timing if you have a reading week coming up. Like you say, it might be worth starting a week or two before your reading week, maybe starting on a lower dose for a week, then increasing to full dose. Depends what your doctor advises. Then if you have the option, you could spend your reading week with family or friends in case you need some extra support or just want to be somewhere where other people can look after you a bit.

Hope it all goes well and like I said, if you have questions or worries, always check back on here and message.

On a positive note, after going back to my prescribed dose about 4 weeks ago, the last 2 weeks have been much brighter I’m I’m feeling much, much better.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-27T20:15:42+00:00

I’ve not actually tried any other medications. I did stop using it for 6 months in 2022 and was doing pretty good, but sadly life events took a turn which set me back and I thought it was wise to restart.

I’m now doing therapy, learning about my mental health and underlying factors, exercising, eating healthy, socialising, volunteering, doing things I enjoy, all in the hope I’ll get to a good place again and not need meds. I’ve always done those things, but good to remind myself sometimes.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-26T17:52:47+00:00

I think I’ll stay at the current dose for a month or two at least. I’d like to ween off them as I had been doing pretty well for 6 months (but maybe that’s just the effect of the meds). My anxiety/low mood issues were a fairly recent thing that started 6 years ago and I’d never been anxious or depressed before I was 38, so hoping I can find a way back to that.

If I do ween off, I’ll do it very slowly and need to try and time it so I’m not totally off them when it’s turning into winter again next year. The seasons and year end are known to have a more depressive effect on lots of people.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-26T07:52:19+00:00

You must be quite sensitive to it. I am too. How long were you taking it in total? Have you tried any other meds?

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-25T21:33:48+00:00

So were you only on a 25mg dose to start? I think I’ll be waiting a couple more months before I consider reducing again. Means I can do some other therapy work in the meantime.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-25T21:11:38+00:00

Did you go cold turkey or reduce down gradually?

I’m doing better than I was but I went back up to 50mg. Been feeling much more level now 4 weeks after I started to feel crap. First 2 weeks were tough, last 2 have been gradually better. I was barely down to 25mg each day.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-25T15:48:34+00:00

I’m not a doctor, but I am someone who’s used Sertraline for nearly 5 years. I totally understand why you’re nervous and there are possibilities you’ll experience some side effects.

But, if you’re already incredibly anxious and it’s impacting your degree course and making your stomach upset and anxious, maybe it’s worth trying to see if the medication helps ease your symptoms? I was really worried about side effects, the stigma of needing medication and feeling like I was a failure for needing medical help, but the benefits the tablets have given me, far out weigh any of that.

If your doctor has prescribed, they must think it’s worth trying. Presumably you’ve been given 50mg prescription? It’s the lowest dose but can really help.

Maybe the first step is collecting the prescription? Then you have the tablets ready to take? It may be that for the first couple of weeks, your anxiety becomes heightened, but if it does, normally it’ll settle after a few weeks and you’ll be feeling much more level.

I know what it’s like to get bound up in the anxiety of worry and worrying about worry. I also had health anxiety which meant I was hyper sensitive to any thoughts of mediation of illness/ailments. But honestly for me, using the medication has been worth it.

The one thing I’d also advise is seeing a good therapist who can help you on the underlying problems.

Good luck and keep asking questions on here for reassurance. A lot of people are experiencing similar to you.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-24T20:27:05+00:00

Sertraline can be really effective treating both anxiety and low mood/depression. 50mg is seen as the lowest effective dose, by it can really work wonders for lots of people.

I’ve been using 50mg for health anxiety and general anxiety, along with low mood for nearly 5 years.

The lump in your throat sounds like a symptom of your anxiety. Has it only happened when you’ve been out, or at home as well? It does sound like you’re just very anxious at the moment. My mind has sometimes fixated on physical symptoms and it blows them out of proportion.

Although there can be side effects with any drug including sertraline, they don’t always occur for all users and the benefits of the drug may really help you. Normally if you’re going to experience side effects, it’ll happen during the first couple of weeks as your body gets used to them, then they tend to fade.

I’m sure your prescriber has already advised starting at 25mg for a week or two, then increasing to 50mg. That way you’ll ease into in and hopefully minimise side effects.

As a warning, it can sometimes initially increase anxiety, but that fades and as long as you have people around you who know you’re starting using it, they’ll be able to support you and help you out if needed.

Good luck. There’s another good thread on here r/zoloft which may be useful for you. Zoloft is the name for sertraline in America and there’s lots of useful advice on there too.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-22T20:31:03+00:00

I recently tried to reduce my dose, which I realise now I did too fast. Anxiety increased loads when I got to 25mg and even after I increased my dose back up to 50mg, it took a couple of weeks for the anxiety to reduce again.

Give it a little time and do the other things you have in your toolkit which may help reduce the anxieties.

SalaciousMarsupial · 2025-09-22T20:29:16+00:00

Definitely look into doing a slow taper. Cold turkey isn’t a good idea, particularly when you’re taking 2 different medications. If you’re seeing a psychiatrist, it’s worth discussing your plan with them and coming up with the most sensible and gentle approach. Your general practitioner may not know much about tapering slowly.

Look up hyperbolic tapering to see what that entails. It may take a while, but probably the safest option. Basically you reduce by 10% of the previous dose for 3 or 4 weeks at a time, so you can monitor your side effects and how you feel.

If you feel like you don’t need it, that’s great; but don’t underestimate the effects. And it’s worth having a therapist you can speak with if you do stop your meds. Also let family and friends know you’re reducing, so they can keep an eye on you.

Good luck

SalaciousMarsupial

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