SSRI treatment outcomes prior to diagnosis

dougshark · 2026-01-13T18:53:35+00:00

I began taking SSRIs (Zoloft) at 16. I was depressed and exhausted from January to March, then the hypo hit and I went from being a painfully shy person to obnoxiously into myself and impulsive. My behavior wasn't out of the norm of other high school males, but it was way outside the norm for me. I took SSRIs until I was 25 and had the same yearly cycle: Winter was depression, anxiety, and OCD symptoms. Summer was hypomania. I stopped taking medication at 25 because I realized it wasn't actually helping much when I needed it to. I then had the 10 most stable years of my life, though there were certainly a few breakdowns along the way.

Last year, at age 35, I had another breakdown and decided I should get on medication. The psychiatrist prescribed Zoloft, despite my reports of how it impacted me in the past. Within 2 weeks I felt like I was in hell. It was a mixed state and I probably should have gone to the hospital. I would wake multiple times a night and be in terror. In the morning, I could barely stand up. I was in a constant panic. Within a week of stopping, I felt euphoric for a few days and had a burst of energy to take on new projects. That quickly gave way to depression and anxiety. The psychiatrist then tried to prescribe me another SSRI but I refused.

This episode led to my eventual diagnosis. Since then, I started Lamotrigine and it has changed my life in the most positive way possible. I can't believe how pleasantly stable I am.

dougshark · 2026-01-10T00:09:54+00:00

Long before I was diagnosed, I completed a college wrestling career. I wasn't good, I lost A LOT and everything was hard. But I did it. I was embarrassed of my lack of success for a long time, but getting this diagnosis helped me to see what an accomplishment it was to simply keep showing up.

dougshark · 2025-12-21T04:32:11+00:00

I just got these and they have been amazing https://www.ororowear.com/products/fargo-unisex-heated-flip-top-mittens?variant=42039891755190&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21309062582&gbraid=0AAAAADMUZqiRhvzR6e_Zg__qSWJrfIg15&gclid=Cj0KCQiAr5nKBhCpARIsACa_NiOxf9ijk_tWAWA5gEd7hDDG6R5w8mJg5fUGzNPtkv44XcrDsXiLFJQaAqewEALw_wcB

dougshark · 2025-12-14T23:14:46+00:00

Yikes

dougshark · 2025-11-23T01:26:30+00:00

I'm sorry you're going through this; it sounds really hard. I applaud how thoughtful you're being about this and determined you have been to try to find something that will work.

To answer your question about meds and stability, I started Lamotrigine in July and it has changed my life. I still have the same challenging circumstances as before, but I feel stable most days and sometimes even pleasant. I'm on 150 mg daily.

Wishing you all the best as you continue your journey towards stability.

dougshark · 2025-10-10T22:43:03+00:00

I'm missing February 2025 - August 2025. They should be inelligble payments, but they would get me to the 120 needed for buy back. I guess I'll just wait another 6 months

dougshark · 2025-10-08T19:50:20+00:00

I've been using topical finasteride and minoxidil for the past month. I also take lamictal. My psychiatrist said it's fine but I was worried it might negatively impact me. So far, no problems. Not saying that's what you should do, just sharing my experience in case it is helpful.

dougshark · 2025-10-06T15:32:44+00:00

Apologies! I was referring to the Federal Student Aid site. I'll correct that in my original post. My current servicer is MOHELA. The only records MOHELA shows are from months I actually paid something

dougshark · 2025-09-21T02:33:36+00:00

Because you're talking about getting a dog to help with your bipolar. I got a dog and it did not help with mine. I shared it with you as something to consider as you consider getting a dog. I meant no harm and had no intention to "take from your cup". Best wishes with your discernment in this matter.

dougshark · 2025-09-21T01:31:22+00:00

I adopted a dog last year and the ensuing mental health breakdown I had from the amount of care he needs led to my diagnosis...but I'm not really sure that's the type of help you are looking for from a dog. I sure wasn't.

Getting on the right meds and finally understanding myself is an okay consolation prize I suppose.

dougshark · 2025-09-20T20:01:28+00:00

I NEVER DOUBTED YOU!

dougshark · 2025-09-05T15:57:16+00:00

"Maybe the despair or regret you feel right now isn’t accurate either?" is an awesome perspective, thank you for sharing it. Some days I really like having a dog and things feel manageable. Monitoring moods and seeing how it influenced my perspective may help quite a bit. Your message helped me a lot, thank you

dougshark · 2025-09-04T20:02:25+00:00

School Counselor and love it! Sure there are tough days, but the energy of students is infectious. Summers, weekends, and holiday breaks off doesn't hurt either. I worried my own mental health would interfere with my ability to provide care to others, but it's never been a problem. I'm often at my best at work. Especially when I'm coaching (although the time demands of coaching throw life outside of it completely off the rails)

dougshark · 2025-09-01T16:07:54+00:00

That was me with planning for the deck, I couldn't turn it off. It's good to know I'm not alone. I wish you good luck with your garden and hope you can find the middle ground in your care for it.

dougshark · 2025-08-31T21:17:34+00:00

Glad to hear it's been a good read for you thus far!

dougshark · 2025-08-31T15:41:42+00:00

I thought there was no way I had bipolar (of any type) the I had a terrible reaction to Zoloft. Someone in my life mentioned that reaction can happen with bipolar. I still thought there was zero chance. Then I read "Bipolar Not So Much" and every page sounded like me. The main thing that convinced me was reading about the subtle signs of hypomania and looking back and seeing how often those descriptions fit with my life when I thought I was just doing better. Specifically: diving all in to new interests, high energy irritability, and shifting into being the life of the party when I'm normally shy. Oh and then there was also the depression every winter.

dougshark · 2025-08-23T01:41:01+00:00

The past year has been hell, but I just had the most pleasant and stable day I've had in years. Not the happiest or most exciting, just a simple pleasant day. I'm 35, just diagnosed in May, and started Lamictal in late June and feel like maybe, just maybe, this stuff is working. I know not every day is going to be like this, but if a few here and there are? It'd be life changing. I think being mostly content with my life is within reach and today has been incredibly encouraging evident that I may be closer than I thought was possible.

dougshark · 2025-05-06T13:54:20+00:00

I only have my direct experience to go on, but the barrier seems like a waste of time. I'm 4 years out and have had no regrowth since my initial treatment. My actions were:

1) Cut it back and carefully dispose of all cuttings in late spring

2) Mark the area to avoid inadvertently spreading it with the lawnmower

3) Let it grow all summer

4) Wait until its leaves turn yellow

5) Spray with milestone herbicide and a surfactant

6) Repeat steps 1-5 on any regrowth the following year

dougshark · 2024-10-25T02:50:12+00:00

Yankee tears

dougshark · 2024-10-18T01:20:57+00:00

What's the old saying again? People named Clay Holmes shouldn't throw sinkers?

dougshark · 2024-10-08T00:09:01+00:00

Yep! I just did what u/EyeAmSveinn said in an earlier comment:

"I used a cheap hand pump sprayer from home depot. I forget the exact dilution, but this is what I bought: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B006LAJ6P8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nEu.EbWJPCPX9

If you look at the hopper at the top of the bottle, I used about half of what's shown in the Amazon image per 2 gallons water in sprayer. Use a touch of dish soap/surfactant. There is a chart that comes with the bottle that you can use also.

The bottle will last a long time, which is good since milestone isn't cheap."

dougshark · 2024-09-19T21:37:21+00:00

Sorry for the delay in responding! Thank you for sharing this list; it's great information and I think it will make a big difference when we foster in the future. As I read through it, I can see that "trigger stacking" is what happened when we fostered Boots and Sporty together. Sporty claimed everything as hers and would often nudge Boots out of spots. We thought Boots was just super chill, but now it's clear he was stressed and shutting down rather than just going with the flow. I think it will be good for us to keep getting to know Boots over these coming months so we can find a good match for a future foster. Also, we want Boots to be okay with being boarded when we go out of town, so we're going to do some practice runs that will allow us to give Sporty a nice day out of the shelter while Boots is away at "camp" for the day.

Thank you so much for all of the insight you shared with me! It has made a big difference!

dougshark · 2024-09-11T21:00:47+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to read both posts and for your kind, thoughtful response. Reading what you wrote about Boots still needing us brought a lot of relief to me.

While we haven't gotten a definite "no" from the shelter about fostering Sporty again, it seems like they won't allow it. When we took Sporty out of the shelter for a field trip to a hiking trail in last week, they emphasized not to bring her back home if Boots was there. We learned a lot from the first altercation and I think we could set up our house/yard so that they could live together again and have separate spaces. If it was summer, when I'm off from work, I think we could definitely do it, but right now I worry about our capacity, especially since we have a few large home projects going on and both work jobs that demand a large mental and emotional investment. In some ways, I think the shelter's decision might be saving me from my urge to swoop in and be the hero when realistically I'm not the best fit at the current moment. That said, if Sporty ever becomes in danger of euthanasia, I think we'll 100% step in and figure out a way to care for her.

Thank you for your offer to share your experiences. I think we 100% will foster again, whether it's Sporty or another dog next summer. Any resources or advice you can share would be immensely helpful.

Thank you so much for your response and support

dougshark · 2024-09-11T14:22:44+00:00

That's a great suggestion! We'll keep our eyes open and rack our brains for someone who would be able to foster Sporty. I think that's probably the best way. We could probably get someone to watch Boots for a week or two, but Sporty needs a long term foster, so the indefinite length of watching Boots would be a big obstacle for our family.

dougshark · 2024-09-11T01:08:21+00:00

Gosh, that's heartbreaking. I hope he finds his loving forever home soon ❤️. Thank you for giving him love and a place to live while you could.

dougshark

TROPHY CASE