2 hours ago, Need to End said:

Is there anyone here that can say they are living a good life free of constant suffering?

Suffering in what way?

Just living life like normal and not suffering in the mental and physical ways we all are. I find life hard to lie each day and I’m wondering if anyone is livings productive full life on here.

2 minutes ago, Need to End said:

Just living life like normal and not suffering in the mental and physical ways we all are. I find life hard to lie each day and I’m wondering if anyone is livings productive full life on here.

Most people who post regularly on a forum like this are still struggling to some extent. The ones who don’t post are the ones who have recovered and often don’t think to gone back to say.

That makes sense. I’m sorry for the question I just am so scared. Feels like it’s too late for me to get my life back. Age is really messing with me since I’m not fully functioning and there’s no timetable on when this will be over.

2 minutes ago, Need to End said:

That makes sense. I’m sorry for the question I just am so scared. Feels like it’s too late for me to get my life back. Age is really messing with me since I’m not fully functioning and there’s no timetable on when this will be over.

You don’t need to apologise. I know how hard it can be as you say, I think everyone on here feels this sense of time. It’s learning to shut that off, find some peace through acceptance. Acceptance of what is happening, but acceptance that it will pass. I find every time I feel that grief for the lost time, I just bring myself back to the day, in the end, that’s all that matters right now, just this day.

25 minutes ago, Need to End said:

That makes sense. I’m sorry for the question I just am so scared. Feels like it’s too late for me to get my life back. Age is really messing with me since I’m not fully functioning and there’s no timetable on when this will be over.

Don't apologize @Need to End your concerns are understandable but as chippy says most of those here are still in very active stages with a big struggle.

Keep holding onto hope, fight bravely and you will reach a success story.

remember it's never too late.

I’m so not good at that. I constantly think about the money I owe from the divorce and the market being upside down and all these things I know are reality. I don’t get how tj dk that without one day getting my legs swept out existentially.

5 minutes ago, Need to End said:

I’m so not good at that. I constantly think about the money I owe from the divorce and the market being upside down and all these things I know are reality. I don’t get how tj dk that without one day getting my legs swept out existentially.

It's hard to integrate this process with life and feel useful, I'm there with you atm, but there are times when you need to put your head down a bit and simply survive with effort to what you're capable of. It won't stay that way, even in the process itself, there will be long windows in which you'll be able to level up much better.

I need that. I’ve been tapering from 20 mg to 2.1 mg with holds along the way and never felt okay on this drug. I don’t think I’ve had a stretch yet. I switched to this drug just to taper and it’s been hell so my mind has not confidence anything positive is in my future since it’s been so hard with no let up.

19 minutes ago, Need to End said:

I need that. I’ve been tapering from 20 mg to 2.1 mg with holds along the way and never felt okay on this drug. I don’t think I’ve had a stretch yet. I switched to this drug just to taper and it’s been hell so my mind has not confidence anything positive is in my future since it’s been so hard with no let up.

It usually doesn't work, I've tried it and failed miserably, but that doesn't change the fact that the system can recover well from that too.

You're in an active phase, your mind is flooded so it's hard to find positivity, but keep remember that it's temporary.

I hope a long, bright window comes your way and gives you more strength.

Hang in there, I'm with you in the fight.

Ty. Can you clarify what you mean when you say “it usually doesn’t work”?

Switching in between drugs, tried that with Zoloft & Seroquel, was awful..

3 minutes ago, Fullhealing said:

Switching in between drugs, tried that with Zoloft & Seroquel, was awful..

The idea of a longer half-life or more sedative that will shock the system less, for many it really doesn't work as the system has to "get used to" a new drug while withdrawing from the previous one and if the body rejects it which often happens there's double withdrawal to deal with..

Edited May 3May 3 by Fullhealing

@Need to End Unfortunately you are not the only one who has tried the 'Prozac Bridge' and it not go well. As @Fullhealing has said, it often isn't a good move. I have seen many try it just to taper, I personally never advice it, although it is suggested on SA in some topics, I think it usuaylly turns out poorly and tapering directly from your original drug is always best IMO . But it is done now, and I am so very sorry how it has gone for you so far. You are doing very well indeed, given the circumstances, trust your body, you are getting closer to zero, this is good. One day at a time.

3 hours ago, Need to End said:

That makes sense. I’m sorry for the question I just am so scared. Feels like it’s too late for me to get my life back. Age is really messing with me since I’m not fully functioning and there’s no timetable on when this will be over.

@Need to End i know you are struggling and it’s a big and scary thing you’ve embarked upon. Constantly worrying about negative things only intensifies them. You can start small with things like practising acceptance, being extra kind to yourself, distractions, and challenging negative thoughts. I know these things might sound trite and there’s no magic wand which will eliminate or cure what you’re going through. A change of perspective can help if even only for a short time. Try to live in the present, not the past or the future. This probably isn’t what you want to hear but I’ve managed to significantly change the way I speak to myself in my head and it has made a difference. Do you have a therapist or coach?

Hi @Need to End ,

I can hear how deep all this feels for you right now, especially with everything you’re trying to carry at once.

One thing I wanted to nudge back into the picture is that this may not be just one thing going on. You’ve mentioned before that Prozac didn’t feel right to you from the beginning (since "Day 1"), and that's important. While withdrawal can absolutely account for much of what you’re experiencing, it’s also possible you’re dealing with a mix of withdrawal and an adverse or paradoxical reaction to the Prozac itself. I don’t think that gets enough attention sometimes. Member @Finni here is also sensing she is caught between an adverse reaction (activation) from her mirtazapine dose while at the same time suffering from withdrawal from it.

The whole “Prozac bridge” idea isn’t one-size-fits-all. It can help some people, but it can also backfire, especially if the medication itself isn’t a good fit for the individual. So in your case, it may not be just about tapering effects, but also how your system is responding to Prozac. I recall you clearly describing your severe panic shortly following the first dose of Prozac you ever touched.

I’d also keep your clonazepam in the picture. Even at a steady dose, benzos can sometimes contribute in ways that aren’t obvious, particularly when other meds are present. Things like tolerance, tolerance withdrawal, interdose effects, or even paradoxical reactions in some cases can certainly occur. I’m not saying that this is the case for you, but given the complexity here, it’s something worth at least considering as part of the overall picture.

And then there’s your real-life stressors—divorce, finances, grief, thoughts about age, all the pressure you’re under. Those aren’t just trivial “background distractions”, but instead they’re meaningful, and they can amplify everything you’re feeling physically and mentally related to tapering and withdrawal. Anyone in that position would be struggling. And there's nothing in your situation that says you've been doing anything wrong.

I also remember you mentioning ERP in a post. I actually think that’s something worth keeping on the table. Not necessarily as a "fix" for everything, but as a way to help you relate differently to the anxiety and thought looping as your system settles.

You’re dealing with a lot at once here and are understandably overwhelmed. It’s not just “withdrawal” in a simple sense, and I think recognizing the full picture may help you make more sense of what you’re going through.

Thinking of you as you work through this.

Thank you @Gaucho . I think you’re right on. Now I need to figure out how to live and make this manageable.

New side effect is that my face is breaking out and have massive bags under my eyes. It just doesn’t stop. I look considerably older than I did Right before this starts and just unhealthy in the face. I’ve kept my body in shape at the gym but my face has taken a toll which just addds to the depression of this. I noticed it mostly after adding in klonopin.

I read an article about RFK's plan to address getting off SSRI's today and in the comments people were replying with their experiences saying SSRI's cause "brain damage". Is that true?

Im sorry guys the fear is rising for me instead of falling and lately Ive been so dizzy and vomiting I just need to be better.

2 minutes ago, Need to End said:

I read an article about RFK's plan to address getting off SSRI's today and in the comments people were replying with their experiences saying SSRI's cause "brain damage". Is that true?

Im sorry guys the fear is rising for me instead of falling and lately Ive been so dizzy and vomiting I just need to be better.

No, SSRI's don't cause brain damage. There's nothing they can do to physically alter the brain's structure. What they do is mess with your blood/brain chemistry, which in turn triggers a fear response when you try to stop taking them. That response builds on itself as your body and brain react to the fear. The area that controls the fight or flight response is one of the most primitive parts of the brain, and it can't tell if a threat is real or not; that depends on our more advanced functions. When the feeling of fear gets overwhelming, our logical brains struggle to control the sensations, and again that just triggers more physical symptoms. The key to recovery is learning to accept the thoughts but not react to them, so they trigger more symptoms. And the way to do that is to work on coping techniques.

Also, speaking as an American, I wouldn't take a damn think RFK Jr. says or does seriously. He depends on fear mongering and misinformation to push his agenda.

You can recover.

This news about Jordan pederson suffering g akathesia 6 yrs after stopping the meds has me wondering - is this common?

Don't compare yourself to anyone else. You will always gravitate to the worst possible news. We live a couple miles from a very busy airport. Yesterday, I saw a news story about a bakery truck driver who was injured when a passenger jet's landing gear grazed the top of his truck as it was landing (at another airport). That's not going to stop me from driving past our airport if I need to get somewhere.

Anxiety manifests in different ways in different people. Many people in withdrawal suffer from akathisia but they recover--check the Success Stories forum. No symptom will last forever, even though it seems it will--that is the worst part about WD and recovery. I went through months of never thinking I'd get better, but I kept trying coping techniques and eventually I began to improve. There's a branch of psychology/philosophy that says the Universe sends you what you're interested in, even if what you're interested in isn't what you want. If you ruminate on all the terrible things that may happen, that's what you'll find. If you move your attention to positive thoughts and outcomes, that's what you'll get. I know how hard it is, especially at first, but you can do it. You have that strength already in you.

I guess he took 4 mg of klonopin and cold turkey switched to ketamine

7 hours ago, Need to End said:

This news about Jordan pederson suffering g akathesia 6 yrs after stopping the meds has me wondering - is this common?

He had other struggles at the same time, in any case, I wouldn't dive in there, remember that for every bad testimony, there is a good one, hold on to those.

Guys I’m sorry I just really don’t feel like being here today and that I’ll not be happy again. This is so freaking scary it isn’t letting up

You’ll be fine. You are fine. You need to calm your body and your mind. Try breathing in for a five count and then five seconds out. Walk around your house to burn the excess physical energy. Divert your thoughts by touching five things and describing them in your mind. I know it’s scary but you’re okay.