Thanks for sharing! Makes me want to go back & watch LOTR. I remember reading your story on SA. Do you remember the drop to 0 being much different from your other drops? Or was it pretty similar? I finally got to 0 a few days ago! 😬 

Edited February 17Feb 17 by Dee12h

Thanks for sharing that getting off sugar has helped.

i have been off refined sugar for a while but have recently wondered if I'm eating too much fruit so I'm trying to now snack on things like nuts rather then apples and bananas.

just means being more organised! 
 

thanks for also sharing your journey. 
Rosie x

 

On 2/16/2026 at 7:34 PM, Dee12h said:

Thanks for sharing! Makes me want to go back & watch LOTR. I remember reading your story on SA. Do you remember the drop to 0 being much different from your other drops? Or was it pretty similar? I finally got to 0 a few days ago! 😬 

Lord of the Rings is wonderful.  I read all the books in my teens.  And I have the movies.  The only thing I remember about the drop to zero, was that I finally felt like the veil was completely lifted.  By that, I mean, that there was still a tiny bit of numbness even from being on a minuscule dose of the drug.  There were no major symptoms. Congratulations on dropping to zero!!  Woohoo!!!

On 2/19/2026 at 11:38 AM, Its-me-Rosie said:

Thanks for sharing that getting off sugar has helped.

I'm not 100% off sugar, but I eat almost none.  However, I was a heavy daily sucralose user - 4-6 packets per day.  I stopped that cold turkey, which is OK to do.  It was really affecting me, because for several weeks, my GI tract went through a big adjustment.  Now that I'm off, my sleep is better, and my brain is clearer.  

On 1/30/2026 at 11:20 PM, getofflex said:

On a positive note, I can now feel my emotions fully.  I feel like a complete human being again!  My husband says he can connect with me better, and I’m back to being the person he knew prior to the drugs.  My cognitive skills are sharper, and my memory is even improving!  My intuition and perception are much keener.  (I was always an intuitive person, but the drugs took that away too).  I am more creative.  The colors are sharper and brighter, music touches my soul now and gives me joy and peace. Now that I’m no longer numb, I’m better able to stand up for myself and set boundaries, instead of just letting unacceptable behavior from others continue.  I feel my spiritual life is much richer, and I actually have a conscious contact with my God, instead of just feeling spiritually dry and far from God.  All of these are priceless gifts that money cannot buy, and I will never take these things for granted again.

Awesome to read your recovery story! I am wondering how long it took you to get your emotions and intuition back? I literally took an SSRI 1,5 month and all my emotions, my intuition, and inner world got blunted. Been 7 months since last dose and still don’t feel normal 🥹

So happy that you're doing well and as a believer in the Lord I'm sure you can relate how dry and far away God feels in the midst of this. I've never felt so alone. I wonder if you could answer a few questions regarding your journey. Were all of the suggestions that you mentioned referencing after you were completely off the medication or while you were still weaning from it? Also, I finally found a Christian Psychologist that is Medicare approved but I'm not sure how she can help me when the drugs mask symptoms and having side effects from a drug I don't know what the difference is between what's the actual drug withdrawals and what I may be dealing with that are part of my makeup and struggles from past experiences. She's not 100% on board with my description of how much of what I'm going through is withdrawals from the drug so I almost feel a bit defensive when I'm speaking to her because she has the typical Medical mindset you might say that you should be able to just wean yourself from these Pharmaceuticals within a matter of months and be on your way. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated:-)

Hi @Dinora,

Thank you for joining the forum. When you get a moment, please post a thread in the introductions section to introduce yourself and a bit about your story.

On 5/4/2026 at 8:15 AM, Sophia said:

I am wondering how long it took you to get your emotions and intuition back? I literally took an SSRI 1,5 month and all my emotions, my intuition, and inner world got blunted. Been 7 months since last dose and still don’t feel normal 🥹

My emotions started coming back in 2019, when I was still on a very low dose of Lexapro. They came back in spades, but it was mostly the painful emotions - grief, and anger. I will say, I took several years getting of that last milligram of Lexapro. I've now been off 4 years. Please give yourself plenty of time, and be extra patient. These drugs make profound changes to our brains, and it can take years for the brain to revert back to its non drug state fully.

On 5/7/2026 at 1:28 PM, Dinora said:

Were all of the suggestions that you mentioned referencing after you were completely off the medication or while you were still weaning from it?

They are good for both tapering, and after we are off the drug.

On 5/7/2026 at 1:28 PM, Dinora said:

I finally found a Christian Psychologist that is Medicare approved but I'm not sure how she can help me when the drugs mask symptoms and having side effects from a drug I don't know what the difference is between what's the actual drug withdrawals and what I may be dealing with that are part of my makeup and struggles from past experiences.

I too went to therapists while I was on drugs, but not when I was tapering off. In my own experience, I could get some help from the therapy, but since I could not access all my trauma or emotions, the help I could get was limited. Since I've gotten off all drugs, many emotions that were previously numbed by the drugs have been coming up. I'm not using a therapist at this time, but have other methods of processing and working through these emotions. I am going to Al Anon and ACA (Adult Child of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families), and have an excellent sponsor.

I thought it would be a good time for an update. Believe it or not I'm still dealing with some residual protracted withdrawal. I believe this is because I was on SSRI drugs for 15 straight years, and Lexapro is a particularly strong SSRI drug, and I'm not young anymore. (65 currently). My main issue is that I still have sleep issues - middle insomnia. However, that could be being caused by trauma. I have complex PTSD from severe childhood abuse and neglect. That causes hypervigilance, and sleep issues. I will say, that I am mostly over withdrawal at this time, and my life is pretty much normal. It was a long slog. It was definitely worth it to get off the psych drugs.

This past 12 months has been challenging, and very busy, with lots of transitions. A year ago, I had to walk away from some family members, because they were very abusive. While that was a good thing overall, there was a grieving process. Then, my youngest son moved out in November, and that was another grieving process. In January, I had a reishi mushroom supplement adverse reaction, and a sucralose detox. It took my gut 6 months to fully recover from that. I had PT on my knee in May and June, and then my older son's wedding on the East coast in July. The wedding was wonderful, but the traveling sucked. I'm not much for traveling anymore. If things settle down, I hope to become more active in this forum. I'm glad this forum is here, and thanks to all who are running it!

Good to hear from you....things are progressing nicely and I am glad. Being 66, I can relate that healing seems slow but you are getting there.

It's great you were able to travel and enjoy the wedding. ❤️🙏

@LostinCanada good to hear from you! I'm glad things are progressing nicely for you! How are you doing these days?

11 minutes ago, getofflex said:

How are you doing these days?

I seem to hold more than taper. Caused myself a setback trying methylated B12. Made me feel like I had CT again... unbelievable.

I've been dealing with extensive nausea and bloating for the last year, only to discover my ginger supplement has xylitol in it.... stopped that about a week ago and my gut issues are so much better. What a crazy journey. ❤️🙏

I'm sorry to hear about the B12. I've heard that the B vitamins are activating. I'm glad to hear that you solved the gut issues, though. Paxil is a tough drug to taper off, but in time, it will happen! Yes, I compared it to a rollercoaster ride, when I was in acute withdrawal years ago. It does get better! You are wise to hold more than taper. This will help your CNS. It may get easier to taper in the future.

Thanks @getofflex , so grateful for you. ❤️🙏

Hey @getofflex thanks for the update, it is always nice to hear from you :)

Sorry things have been rough for you this year. That is a lot to deal with for a person not also recovering from withdrawal but ontop of all the healing you have had to do over the years I can imagine it has been a real challenging time for you.

My lad is 13 soon, and whilst I am sure we have plenty of time before that happens, it terrifies me the idea so I think I get how you have felt there!

Pleased to hear of your other Sons wedding and that it was a great experience. This is the big thing for me atm, travel, I can't really imagine it and it is something I really want to start to do. It is a work in progress.

As you know there is a seat here for you whenever you are ready we would love to have you on team.

Chippy