On 4/29/2026 at 4:38 PM, caitlinnathanie said:

Yes i get brain zaps especially when i try to sleep and i get really bad tremors in the night and when i wake up. i ask them a lot but they see me as a lunatic. Evertything that i ask is being weird they are being so freaking weird here as if im doing this to myself bc of fear. They say i have to do stuff this week and have to attend daily activities next week. im so done with this i just want my life back tbh

I got all this, I had brain zaps at the limit of what was physically bearable, almost every 10 minutes, day and night, during the first month off approximately. Then, they became less frequent between 2-3 months off, and like you, especially in the evening when I go to bed and also in the morning when I wake up. I don’t have any anymore at all. Your brain struggles to find a balance in serotonin; that’s the origin of this symptom. It’s because the medication was taken from him too quickly.

I also had tremors almost all day, but especially in the morning when I woke up, and that went away too! (I just had a little leg shaking attack a few weeks ago, which lasted a few hours, but that’s all).

I’m here to tell you that all these distressing symptoms will disappear over time! 😐 Try not to pay too much attention to them. You’re going through a rough patch, but it’ll get better, I promise.

They don’t know anything about it. From what I’ve read, we can reintroduce the medication up to 3 months after its discontinuation (to be confirmed with your doctor). It doesn’t always work to reduce withdrawal symptoms! It’s up to you to think carefully. If you have 2 months off, you can try to hold on for another month, if you feel up to it... I’m at 4 months off with cold turkey and a lot of symptoms have improved or disappeared.

Courage...

On 4/29/2026 at 5:39 PM, caitlinnathanie said:

i genuinely don't understand life anymore, feels like i never existed and idk what this is. Feeling has gotten really bad, has anyone had this before and this severe? so complete detachment that u don;t even know how u exist anymore and feel like ur so out of it u don't understand it anymore. more then the feeling of dead ?

Yes, @caitlinnathanie , I still have this... it's a total disconnection from everything, and its soo scary 😰 ...

But it will pass with time, the brain just needs time to regain its footing after all the "modifications" it has undergone because of these dirty poisons of shit 😢!

On 4/29/2026 at 5:47 PM, Sophia said:

Do you experience this extreme dpdr because of immense fear? Or because you feel like your mind is very blank and you have reduced inner monologue / bad cognition?

I had a very blank mind 2,5 months off fluoxetine. I could not hear my inner monologue in my head anymore and did not have spontaneous thoughts. It was really scary. That has gotten better for me.

In the past (before meds) I had dpdr because of high stress / anxiety. I felt a lot of existential fears and overthought life, my body, and my experience. It was really scary but it did eventually go away once my stress levels were lower again. I know it’s hard.. but try to ignore the dpdr and try to keep doing things… like eating, showering, walks. Try to use your senses to become a little more present.

Same as @Sophia , I also had an episode of DR/DP before taking the medication. It was temporary (it only lasted a day of memory) and it followed a situation of intense stress. It went away on its own afterwards, but it’s gotten much much worse (and in a horrible chemical way, i can't explain with words), under all the medication, and still now... calm is absolutely necessary for you now...

Fucking hate meds, this is why i never took them tbh! I used to get meds all the times but never took them. It took me a month to take these meds bc i had a bad feeling. Wish i would just listen to my gut feeling though.. Lesson learned. All because i wanted to prove my parents i could go to school, parents who literally don;t support me when shit got hard. When im out of this i wil ONLY live for my self and i can;t wait to work, live on my own again and just enjoy life.

2 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

Fucking hate meds, this is why i never took them tbh! I used to get meds all the times but never took them. It took me a month to take these meds bc i had a bad feeling. Wish i would just listen to my gut feeling though.. Lesson learned. All because i wanted to prove my parents i could go to school, parents who literally don;t support me when shit got hard. When im out of this i wil ONLY live for my self and i can;t wait to work, live on my own again and just enjoy life.

We all hate them too. Thats the spirit @caitlinnathanie and it enjoy it you will!

having a really really hard time today... :(

4 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

having a really really hard time today... :(

Sorry to hear. Remember the better days. They will get stronger over time.

12 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

having a really really hard time today... :(

Sorry @caitlinnathanie better days will come, remember you are stronger than this, hang in there.

i justgenuinely ffeeling so confused and overwhelmed idk what to do anymore though. Had like 3 days where i felt a little okay, not great but yea and now i feel even worse, paniciking again

Concentrate on those three good days. My first window was only about 20 minutes, but after that I knew I'd recover. I went through some dark times, but I hung onto that window until the next one came.

12 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

i justgenuinely ffeeling so confused and overwhelmed idk what to do anymore though. Had like 3 days where i felt a little okay, not great but yea and now i feel even worse, paniciking again

Sorry to read this. As @mstimc60 has said it’s a fantastic sign you had 3 better days. I know that doesn’t make the bad wave days any better, we all have what I like to call ‘wave brain’ in those days, but keep those better days in your mind, there will be more of them to come. The path is not straight and can be a little bumpy but you will have more of these better days.

That's very encouraging sign @caitlinnathanie your system is slowly in Non-linearly way finding balance.

Try your best not to get too excited and accept that this is an integral part of the process. so pleased you had relatively good days, rest assured that there will be many more much brighter ahead.

2 minutes ago, Fullhealing said:

Try your best not to get too excited and accept that this is an integral part of the process.

Such important advice.

1 hour ago, mstimc60 said:

Concentrate on those three good days. My first window was only about 20 minutes, but after that I knew I'd recover. I went through some dark times, but I hung onto that window until the next one came.

yea but only the concerning part is they were better days bc i could like ignore the symptoms a little, let them be there as hard as they were and i could like watch a movie with my partner and laugh a little... but i havent had a moment yet were the symptoms were like less or something :((

1 minute ago, caitlinnathanie said:

yea but only the concerning part is they were better days bc i could like ignore the symptoms a little, let them be there as hard as they were and i could like watch a movie with my partner and laugh a little... but i havent had a moment yet were the symptoms were like less or something :((

This is the important first step in recovery--accepting the thoughts and feelings will come, but not reacting to them. As you practice that, the feelings themselves will begin to fade. You are on the right track!

1 minute ago, mstimc60 said:

This is the important first step in recovery--accepting the thoughts and feelings will come, but not reacting to them. As you practice that, the feelings themselves will begin to fade. You are on the right track!

Thank you.. this means a lot to me! I do get panic attacks or i am sad. But i am doing more now getting out of bed, making my own food, letting it be there. Before i was only in bed crying, screaming, unable to watch a movie, show or anything now i even watch movies of 2 hours without a panic attack. But it still feels so off bc the symptoms still increase and get worse. But yea, ill update u guys once in a while. Today has been a really bad day... :( Next week centre parcs with my partner so that must be nice!! In nature and in another surrounding, another little house :D

12 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

yea but only the concerning part is they were better days bc i could like ignore the symptoms a little, let them be there as hard as they were and i could like watch a movie with my partner and laugh a little... but i havent had a moment yet were the symptoms were like less or something :((

That's is real acceptance work right there, well done, it's interesting to see how it works In a paradoxical way as it feels like if we let the symptoms be they will eat us alive while the more we release and give them freedom without resistance they actually lose their grip.

This journey is full of symptoms of varying intensity so it's better to accept and learn to live alongside them, until finally, slowly over time, they disappear.

Edited May 6May 6 by Fullhealing

55 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

Thank you.. this means a lot to me! I do get panic attacks or i am sad. But i am doing more now getting out of bed, making my own food, letting it be there. Before i was only in bed crying, screaming, unable to watch a movie, show or anything now i even watch movies of 2 hours without a panic attack

That’s a bigggggg step in your progress!

You will never wake up and be magically healed. It’s in these little steps !

i canttt do it anymore havent slept aat alllll im confusedc i feel likee im dying all of a sudden.. it went well for a few days and now its sooooooooooooo bad more than ever im dizzy too cant feel my bodyplss

22 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

i canttt do it anymore havent slept aat alllll im confusedc i feel likee im dying all of a sudden.. it went well for a few days and now its sooooooooooooo bad more than ever im dizzy too cant feel my bodyplss

A few good days in a row is a great improvement, hold on to it.

This wave, like all others, will get tired and go away, hang in there.

53 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

i canttt do it anymore havent slept aat alllll im confusedc i feel likee im dying all of a sudden.. it went well for a few days and now its sooooooooooooo bad more than ever im dizzy too cant feel my bodyplss

I know this is a tough ask and tricky journey, but you have this Caitlin! Look how you had a few better days. This is amazing progress in a short time. Unfortunately waves and windows are a real phenomenon in all this, ride those waves. Each time there will more healing. You have totally got this!

5 hours ago, Chippy said:

I know this is a tough ask and tricky journey, but you have this Caitlin! Look how you had a few better days. This is amazing progress in a short time. Unfortunately waves and windows are a real phenomenon in all this, ride those waves. Each time there will more healing. You have totally got this!

but its getting worse still, those better days were the symptoms strong but i could manage them but now they are so so so strong i cant even sit in bed or lay down i feel so unsafe, im having trouble breathing and i cant even have a panic attack bc im almost fainting and i cant feel my body it feels like im genuinely dying

29 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

but its getting worse still, those better days were the symptoms strong but i could manage them but now they are so so so strong i cant even sit in bed or lay down i feel so unsafe, im having trouble breathing and i cant even have a panic attack bc im almost fainting and i cant feel my body it feels like im genuinely dying

Im so sorry to hear. Unfortunately sometimes things worsen in the waves, I know this must be distressing for you, it isn't right that you should have to deal with this. What is seen is that over time the windows become better and waves become less. Be reassured this is normal.

5 hours ago, Chippy said:

Im so sorry to hear. Unfortunately sometimes things worsen in the waves, I know this must be distressing for you, it isn't right that you should have to deal with this. What is seen is that over time the windows become better and waves become less. Be reassured this is normal.

but it feels like im gonna lose conciousness.. ? is this normal? my heead hurts too and so dizzy

59 minutes ago, caitlinnathanie said:

but it feels like im gonna lose conciousness.. ? is this normal? my heead hurts too and so dizzy

Unfortunately dizziness and a sore head, are both common symptoms. Obviously if you are very worried, some tests or a visit to a doctor to make sure nothing else is going on maybe advisable. I very much suspect there isn’t though. Hang in there Caitlin better days coming.