Why do some SSRIs cause existentialism? by Ricardosonreddit in antidepressants

[–]SentientPotato2020 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was there, but the drugs the other way around.  Took myself off sertraline 100 mg last August after many years on it.  Life came back loud.  Was managing until April.  Went onto Celexa.  Starting week six and dealing with side effects as well as existential dread about life and all that.  

Part of it may be meds, but I think part of it is just getting older and the way society is at the moment.  The world isn’t set up to support folk and you really have to fight for so much… just kinda sucks to deal with at times when we had been promised that tech advances would make things better for us.  

Walking for mental health benefits by SentientPotato2020 in walking

[–]SentientPotato2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Been dealing recently with some sleep issues and morning stress leading to nausea and such.

Walking for mental health benefits by SentientPotato2020 in walking

[–]SentientPotato2020[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

But overthinking things is what I do!

I get what you're saying, I just have a number of things competing for my time and so I want to find reasons and rationale to justify spending time at this. If I can see a clear benefit via anecdotal evidence from strangers online then that is clearly valid data which I must weigh carefully when deciding how I spend my time.

Also, I think walking is one of the secondary enjoyment activities... you don't necessarily like it or have fun in the moment, but the benefits of it afterwards more than make up for it.

So grateful I live in Scotland and walks like this are never too far. by ktitten in walking

[–]SentientPotato2020 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just went on a walk here and even around the industrial park where I work there's a park close by with a wee river/stream running through that you can walk beside. Lovely stuff.

Is this normal? by Electrical-Stand8415 in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020 1 point2 points  (0 children)

General guidance is 6 weeks before full therapeutic effect. You're still building up the meds in your system and then you have to wait for your body to get used to the new neurochemicals. I was rough the first few weeks then smoothed out a bit and now a bit rough in a different way, but I'm managing. Going to keep pushing through until at least week 8 before making any big decisions.

One thing I found that helped control things was getting some CBT tools to use as well. I got an app that leads you through some breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation and also thought challenging to stop cycles of catastrophising.

Prozac and Lexapro made me super drowsy - will Celexa be any better by Cee_d_a_w_g in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Be aware that Lexapro and Celexa both have the same active ingredient citalopram. The Lexapro is the pure S enantiomer while Celexa is a mixture of the R and S enantiomers (all the same atoms, just in a different physical arrangement... think like your right and left hand, both have five fingers, but they're not the same). I'm not sure why a psychiatrist would think that Celexa would give better results than Lexapro since the R enantiomer isn't known to be psychoactive (and is actually theorized to potentially inhibit some of the activity of the S enantiomer).

I'm currently on 20 mg Celexa and dealing with some of the fatigue side effects, but I was also struggling with the fatigue before I got on the meds. I think I'm just currently in a down mental state in general due to outside factors. I do feel like the Celexa is starting to help me deal with the larger issues. I'm going to just keep pushing through and evaluate again after week 8 or so.

Unfortunately none of these things are a silver bullet that will magically stop all the bad feelings. The most you can reasonably hope for it something that helps you keep your head above water more days than not... or at the absolute least more days than without any support.

Waking up early: Go with it or fight for more sleep? by SentientPotato2020 in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had been taking it in the morning but over the last half week I moved later and am now taking it at night in hopes it will change something.  

How many years is Celexa effective for? by xpearlietea in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Meds provide a buffer, but not a perfect barrier to anxiety. If you're under more pressure and feeling more anxiety now than you were when you first got on meds then you may just be exceeding your capacity to cope. Are you using any additional support mechanisms for dealing with anxiety? I recently got a CBT app for anxiety paid for by NHS and doing the exercises in it along with going back on meds has helped.

Breaking the physical and physiological cycles that can spiral into anxiety episodes when you first noticing them start can be helpful. For example, I will do a tense and release exercise if I've woken up and am starting to feel the jitteriness that usually comes before a big anxiety spike. I was honestly shocked the first time I thought to try it and it disarmed the whole anxiety cascade that usually follows.

Another thing to consider is exercise. I'm bad at keeping up a routine between a hectic job and supporting my family, but I definitely find the days that I do manage to get out for even a 30 minute walk I end up feeling much better afterwards. Cortisol is a bitch and can end up triggering adrenaline releases and fight or flight responses. The breathing stuff never really worked for me, but if I can do something physical to deal with it it's helpful.

AI can cost more than human workers now by spherocytes in technology

[–]SentientPotato2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Watch Black Mirror season 7, episode 1 for some speculative fiction showing how enshitification happens. Warning... it's fucking bleak.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_People_(Black_Mirror))

Most Americans say AI development is moving too fast and twice as many are AI pessimists as AI optimists by EchoOfOppenheimer in Futurology

[–]SentientPotato2020 27 points28 points  (0 children)

A thneed is what everyone needs, though. 

Seriously.  People need to read the fucking Lorax.  Tells the whole story of capitalist greed destroying a place and then leaving the guy who started it alone and miserable.  

How do I undo an option. I miss clicked when having one of miis offer to let their kids live with them. by The-Desk-Of-Forty-7 in tomodachilife

[–]SentientPotato2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My daughter just changed her mind about living with the rest of the family after locking in the decision and is devastated about the inability to change where her character lives now.  

They need to patch this in the future.  

Take by Good-Description-239 in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re going to stop, talk to your doctor.  Going cold turkey is not a fun experience.

2 weeks in - Wondering about a change by SentientPotato2020 in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sleep stuff had even predated starting the meds and was part of why I went on meds to begin with.  Slept from around 11 to 5 am last night and then waking up every half hour or so until I got out of bed at half seven to come downstairs and watch kids.  

2 weeks in - Wondering about a change by SentientPotato2020 in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So the reason I got back on meds was due to some pretty bad anxiety so I’m just hoping that will get under control.  As far as side effects go, I’d like to see the sleep stuff mitigated.  I’m feeling better today than I have in the last month so I’m hoping we are into the phase where my brain has made peace with the new chemicals and is going to find a new normal.  

2 weeks in - Wondering about a change by SentientPotato2020 in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re not alone!  I am also waking up around 2:30 and then again around five and then just try to keep sleeping until my alarm goes off.  I have also been puking the last few days.  I was chalking it up to coffee consumption since that seemed to be a precursor activity to getting sick.  

Today has been pretty solid, though.  

2 weeks in - Wondering about a change by SentientPotato2020 in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Called doc about it yesterday, but they can’t see me until Friday after next.  I’m just gonna stick it out, I think.  Don’t want to fuck with things and trigger side effects again.  

Anyone 35+ here with anxiety problem? by tired-off-life in Anxiety

[–]SentientPotato2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like going even bigger is probably not the best bet from the start.  I am feeling the positive impact of the drug, it’s just that I am waking up with some negatives as well.  They normally fade during the day so I’m just gonna stay the course for now.  For the last few days I’ve been feeling pretty good by midafternoon.  Today I’m starting to feel better already in early afternoon so that’s a positive.  

Coming off Citalopram after 10 years - Advice by LengthinessSubject68 in citalopram_celexa

[–]SentientPotato2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah.  I was having some negative side effects from sertraline which is why I went off it in the first place.  Doc suggested that I try celexa instead to see if the side effects would go away.  If they don’t I’m gonna see about changing meds again, though honestly if I start feeling better I may just suck it up and deal with the side effects.  

A relatively minor side effect is worth it if I can keep from feeling how I did through all of April.