So I have dealt with anxiety since I was about 17 years old (currently 37). For the first 10 years I was adamant about not touching medication because I was worried it would change my brain and avoided it like the plague. 2016 hits and I go into such a bad episode that I end up having to take time off of work. This is when I was put on Prozac (20mg). After a few months I stabilized and went back to work. Life went on and around 2021 I ended up having to add Venlafaxine to the prozac because it had stopped working and this helped for a bit but towards the second half of 2024 I tapered off both the prozac and venlafaxine because neither one was working. Over the course of 2025 I trialed several other meds that can be seen in my signature and nothing really helped. In early 2026 I took Ativan for 6 weeks straight my psych told me I could continue longer if I wanted to (horrible advice) but I knew being on it long term was not good, I was only taking .5mg to 1mg a day but still. When I stopped the Ativan I went into withdrawal, 6 weeks later my psych had me trial Buspirone which I took for a month before having to stop due to side effects of chest pain. When I stopped the Buspirone I started feeling off, dizzy, brain fog, and just a general sense of not feeling right. 2 weeks later at the recommendation of my new psych I reinstated a low dose of Lexapro 2.5mg and from the moment I reinstated things went downhill. I felt immediately off, brain fog, dizziness, cognitive impairment, visual issues. I figured this was just start up symptoms but after 4 weeks I switched to liquid to taper off because it was not subsiding along with new symptoms like reduced skin sensitivity and reduced genital sensation. I tapered down for 5 weeks and got to 2.0mg before discontinuing due to the symptoms just continuing to get worse. I'm now 2 weeks off the meds and the symptoms have just continued to get worse along with a few new symptoms since stopping which I'm sure are attributed to withdrawal. I know I'm only 2 weeks out but I'm worried that the adverse reaction to the Lexapro caused some type of damage and I'm in it for the long haul in this recovery.

Edited July 31Jul 31 by SarahMc

Welcome to the forum!

 

This is a volunteer-run, community forum aimed at helping those who are tapering and/or experiencing difficulties with psychiatric medications and withdrawal syndrome. We are not medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice. We simply offer support and opinions which you could use as talking points with a medical provider knowledgeable in withdrawing off psychiatric medications.

 

Please familiarise yourself with the forum rules and the disclaimer located here: Guidelines

 

Please make sure your signature is kept up to date with your drug history. This will allow members to see some basic information about your drug history and situation so that they may help you best. Information on how to do this is located in the FAQs section above, but here is a direct link: Update Signature

Once this is done, future posts made by you will have this signature turned on by default. For this reason please keep it clear but condensed as possible.

Please use the format outline here Preferred signature/drug history format

In particular, could you please condense your signature to make it more easily readable? It should only contain dates, doses, and drugs, no additional context or information (you can save that for the body of your thread).

I'm so sorry to read about the tough time you've had recently you will find plenty of support here for sure.

 

1 hour ago, overthepill said:

When I stopped the Ativan I went into withdrawal, 6 weeks later my psych had me trial Buspirone which I took for a month before having to stop due to side effects of chest pain. When I stopped the Buspirone I started feeling off, dizzy, brain fog, and just a general sense of not feeling right. 2 weeks later at the recommendation of my new psych I reinstated a low dose of Lexapro 2.5mg and from the moment I reinstated things went downhill. I felt immediately off, brain fog, dizziness, cognitive impairment, visual issues. I figured this was just start up symptoms but after 4 weeks I switched to liquid to taper off because it was not subsiding along with new symptoms like reduced skin sensitivity and reduced genital sensation. I tapered down for 5 weeks and got to 2.0mg before discontinuing due to the symptoms just continuing to get worse. I'm now 2 weeks off the meds and the symptoms have just continued to get worse along with a few new symptoms since stopping which I'm sure are attributed to withdrawal.

Unfortunately I think the cumulative effect of all of the meds you have started and stopped in the last couple years has sensitized your nervous system quite a bit. We call this kindling: Hypersensitivity and kindling.

1 hour ago, overthepill said:

I know I'm only 2 weeks out but I'm worried that the adverse reaction to the Lexapro caused some type of damage and I'm in it for the long haul in this recovery.

You can certainly recover from this, but it's really important at this point not to introduce any further drugs to your system. Additional drugs do not help with withdrawal and kindling, and will likely just make things worse. What your nervous system needs now is time and patience. We can't say how much time -- some people recover quickly, and others take longer. But you'll find plenty of people on here in similar positions who can offer you support and advice.

Since you are only two weeks out, one thing you could consider is reinstating a very small dose of Lexapro, waiting to stabilize, and then tapering off slowly: Reinstating an Antidepressant. This is a very personal decision, and is not guaranteed to help. In some cases, it makes things worse.

In the mean time this is what I would do if I were you:

 

-Stay Hydrated 

 

-Eat a good clean whole food diet, avoiding processed foods and sugars.

 

-Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and antihistamines and any other psychoactive substances.

 

Supplements are to be avoided initially, as they often irritate our nervous systems. Try to get your nutrition through food.

 

Down the line, you may wish to introduce Fish Oil and Magnesium. Those who can tolerate them have found them calming to the nervous system. Be careful try one at a time and start low and see how you get on should you choose to try them.

 

A daily walk is very important as much as you can manage, if you can manage it. Gets you your fresh air and Vitamin D does wonders for your mind!

 

You are very welcome here and I hope you find the site supportive.

Edited July 31Jul 31 by SarahMc

1 hour ago, SarahMc said:

Welcome to the forum!

 

This is a volunteer-run, community forum aimed at helping those who are tapering and/or experiencing difficulties with psychiatric medications and withdrawal syndrome. We are not medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice. We simply offer support and opinions which you could use as talking points with a medical provider knowledgeable in withdrawing off psychiatric medications.

 

Please familiarise yourself with the forum rules and the disclaimer located here: Guidelines

 

Please make sure your signature is kept up to date with your drug history. This will allow members to see some basic information about your drug history and situation so that they may help you best. Information on how to do this is located in the FAQs section above, but here is a direct link: Update Signature

Once this is done, future posts made by you will have this signature turned on by default. For this reason please keep it clear but condensed as possible.

Please use the format outline here Preferred signature/drug history format

In particular, could you please condense your signature to make it more easily readable? It should only contain dates, doses, and drugs, no additional context or information (you can save that for the body of your thread).

I'm so sorry to read about the tough time you've had recently you will find plenty of support here for sure.

 

Unfortunately I think the cumulative effect of all of the meds you have started and stopped in the last couple years has sensitized your nervous system quite a bit. We call this kindling: Hypersensitivity and kindling.

You can certainly recover from this, but it's really important at this point not to introduce any further drugs to your system. Additional drugs do not help with withdrawal and kindling, and will likely just make things worse. What your nervous system needs now is time and patience. We can't say how much time -- some people recover quickly, and others take longer. But you'll find plenty of people on here in similar positions who can offer you support and advice.

Since you are only two weeks out, one thing you could consider is reinstating a very small dose of Lexapro, waiting to stabilize, and then tapering off slowly: Reinstating an Antidepressant. This is a very personal decision, and is not guaranteed to help. In some cases, it makes things worse.

In the mean time this is what I would do if I were you:

 

-Stay Hydrated 

 

-Eat a good clean whole food diet, avoiding processed foods and sugars.

 

-Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and antihistamines and any other psychoactive substances.

 

Supplements are to be avoided initially, as they often irritate our nervous systems. Try to get your nutrition through food.

 

Down the line, you may wish to introduce Fish Oil and Magnesium. Those who can tolerate them have found them calming to the nervous system. Be careful try one at a time and start low and see how you get on should you choose to try them.

 

A daily walk is very important as much as you can manage, if you can manage it. Gets you your fresh air and Vitamin D does wonders for your mind!

 

You are very welcome here and I hope you find the site supportive.

Thank you for the information. Due to the fact that I had an adverse reaction to when I got on the Lexapro I don't know if a reinstatement would fix things or make them worse?

20 minutes ago, overthepill said:

Thank you for the information. Due to the fact that I had an adverse reaction to when I got on the Lexapro I don't know if a reinstatement would fix things or make them worse?

It's always really hard to predict how reinstatement will go. I definitely don't think you should think of it as something that could "fix things." The only real solution to the situation is unfortunately time. But you say that your symptoms have only continued to get worse since you came off the lexapro, and that you have some new symptoms now, so it's possible (absolutely not guaranteed) that a reinstatement of a very small dose (think 1 mg or less) could help cushion some of those symptoms. But as I said, it could also make things worse, and it does seem like you're pretty sensitive to any changes right now.

Either way, at some point you will need to tolerate your symptoms for a while and just give your nervous system time to calm down. I'm sorry, I know it's a really tough situation 💜.

1 hour ago, SarahMc said:

It's always really hard to predict how reinstatement will go. I definitely don't think you should think of it as something that could "fix things." The only real solution to the situation is unfortunately time. But you say that your symptoms have only continued to get worse since you came off the lexapro, and that you have some new symptoms now, so it's possible (absolutely not guaranteed) that a reinstatement of a very small dose (think 1 mg or less) could help cushion some of those symptoms. But as I said, it could also make things worse, and it does seem like you're pretty sensitive to any changes right now.

Either way, at some point you will need to tolerate your symptoms for a while and just give your nervous system time to calm down. I'm sorry, I know it's a really tough situation 💜.

I

1 hour ago, SarahMc said:

It's always really hard to predict how reinstatement will go. I definitely don't think you should think of it as something that could "fix things." The only real solution to the situation is unfortunately time. But you say that your symptoms have only continued to get worse since you came off the lexapro, and that you have some new symptoms now, so it's possible (absolutely not guaranteed) that a reinstatement of a very small dose (think 1 mg or less) could help cushion some of those symptoms. But as I said, it could also make things worse, and it does seem like you're pretty sensitive to any changes right now.

Either way, at some point you will need to tolerate your symptoms for a while and just give your nervous system time to calm down. I'm sorry, I know it's a really tough situation 💜.

I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me, I think the thing that has me concerned is the fact that my symptoms are constant from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, I read about other people going through this and their symptoms seem to come in waves or occasionally so the fact that mine are just present 24/7 and have been since I started the medication has been concerning. Have you encountered other members on here who's dizziness, brain fog, cognitive impairment, visual issues, and head pressure was constant?

1 hour ago, overthepill said:

I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me, I think the thing that has me concerned is the fact that my symptoms are constant from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, I read about other people going through this and their symptoms seem to come in waves or occasionally so the fact that mine are just present 24/7 and have been since I started the medication has been concerning. Have you encountered other members on here who's dizziness, brain fog, cognitive impairment, visual issues, and head pressure was constant?

Not everyone has windows and waves, and even if they do their windows may not be “clear” windows where all symptoms disappear and they feel normal. I have a lot of symptoms that come and go but I have constant brain fog and some degree of cognitive impairment. Many people also start having windows only gradually as they heal — so they might have several months of constant symptoms and then slowly start having a couple better days or even better hours here and there. Remember you are still in the very early days!

It may take time, but if you stay away from other drugs you WILL heal.

48 minutes ago, SarahMc said:

Not everyone has windows and waves, and even if they do their windows may not be “clear” windows where all symptoms disappear and they feel normal. I have a lot of symptoms that come and go but I have constant brain fog and some degree of cognitive impairment. Many people also start having windows only gradually as they heal — so they might have several months of constant symptoms and then slowly start having a couple better days or even better hours here and there. Remember you are still in the very early days!

It may take time, but if you stay away from other drugs you WILL heal.

I don't even want to take a Tylenol for a headache at this point 🤣 Do you recommend any timeframe for when to try to introduce supplements? I used to take omega 3, vitamin C and D and Coq10 but have since stopped them all even though I have a vit D deficiency. Also any opinion on fermented foods I know gut health is important for recovery but I also know that pretty much a light breeze can cause an adverse reaction at this point. Any foods you recommend that have helped you?

Overthepill, welcome to the forum, there is a wealth of knowledge and support here. I myself was on citalopram, which is the older version of Lexapro. Lexapro is more potent. As far as the reinstatement I would ask other moderators to chime in on that. As Sarahmc has said it is kinda a hit and miss if it might help. As far as vitamins, I did try them but they did not do well with my CNS, so I avoided them. If you can get your nutrition from all natural foods if possible and avoid processed food, sugar, caffeine, ect,. Your system will let you know what is tolerated, and then just incorporate things as you go to see what works. Everyone is different so just listen to what your body is telling you. Again time, and patience is our friend, it may get a bit bumpy along the way, but do reach out if your unsure of things. Again , welcome to the forum with much needed support as you go through this process.

10 minutes ago, Bernadette said:

Overthepill, welcome to the forum, there is a wealth of knowledge and support here. I myself was on citalopram, which is the older version of Lexapro. Lexapro is more potent. As far as the reinstatement I would ask other moderators to chime in on that. As Sarahmc has said it is kinda a hit and miss if it might help. As far as vitamins, I did try them but they did not do well with my CNS, so I avoided them. If you can get your nutrition from all natural foods if possible and avoid processed food, sugar, caffeine, ect,. Your system will let you know what is tolerated, and then just incorporate things as you go to see what works. Everyone is different so just listen to what your body is telling you. Again time, and patience is our friend, it may get a bit bumpy along the way, but do reach out if your unsure of things. Again , welcome to the forum with much needed support as you go through this process.

Thank you for the warm welcome Bernadette, it's nice to have a community where we can all heal together although I wish we were all here under better circumstances. Luckily I don't drink alcohol or coffee to begin with so that won't be hard for me. The sugar part will be a little harder because I have a sweet tooth and my wife is a baker. I guess I will have to reel it in. The processed food part won't be too hard she keeps me on a mostly whole foods diet, I do like the occasional tinned fish or canned beans and vegetables hopefully that is still considered whole foods. Anything you have found that has helped you personally in your journey?

Overthepill, my sister who live in Ohio has here own bakery and yes I myself have to rein it in a bit and be careful on the sweets, my system definitely tells me otherwise that I'm gonna pay for it later 🤣🤣 somethings that have agreed with me and didn't upset my system were, sardines in mustard sauce, picked herring, tuna , sauerkraut which helps with good gut bacteria, in moderation though. Red beets, any kinda beans, lean meats, your run of the mill mushroom. I like beef and gravy over rice/brown rice with the mushrooms mixed in. Whole fruits and vegetables went well,. But just take things slow and see what you tolerate, your system will let you know. One I started to listen to my system it made things easier. Things I've learned over time through this process was don't Google everything it tends to get the mind ruminating and not a place you wanna get stuck in. Be kind to yourself, have a good support system around you, patience and time are your friend. I tried vitamins but they tend to not agree with my disabled nervous system, so I stayed away from them, but everyone is different. If you want to try vitamins, it is only suggested to try 1 at a time and at the lowest dose to see how you react. But personally we get enough through the food we eat and why upset your system anyway. You will go through some rough times but this is what we are here for, there is a wealth of knowledge and support on this forum and so happy you have joined us. Feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like, and we will try to answer to the best of our ability. I am at 21 and a half months from zero, and was it a bit bumpy, yes to say the least, but I have reached a time where the windows are longer and kinder, and the waves just a nusens. Special thoughts and prayers for now, Bernadette xxx

Hi @overthepill Welcome to the forum. I am glad you found us, we understand here.

Reading your post above, your body has been through so much, I am not surprised you are not feeling great and I am so sorry to read of this. You didn't take Lexapro for very long, and whilst you will have built up a little dependance in that time, it sounds like your body really did not appreciate having the drug added into your system. As Sarah has said this and all the other drug changes has caused you harm (kindling). Your body needs time and lots of good inputs from your diet, low stress, but mainly time to recover from this. You can and will recover. The healing journey is up and down and often experienced in windows and waves, but healing is happening all of the time.

I am not sure I would advise RI personally, I think although you have experienced some additional 'WD' symptoms from stopping, I would think restarting would just add more irritation to your system. Lexapro is very potent. If you wanted to try RI I would try a VERY low dose to check for further upset, like 0.1mg. You could increase a little from there if you didn't worsen, it might cushion things for you, it might not. The choice is yours and we are here for you what ever you decide.

Chippy

Agreed, I think that having had an adverse reaction, you're quite likely to react badly to further psychiatric drugs.

None of this is an exact science but I've observed that quite a few people who react significantly negatively shortly after starting a psychiatric drug react similarly to trying additional ones.

@Chippy @Luke Thank you for the warm welcome. For context I took the Lexapro for 4 weeks as a tablet cutting a 10mg pill into quarters to get 2.5mg. Then on the 5th week I switched to liquid and did the following: 2.5mg for 4 days, 2.25 for 6 days, 2.0 for 8 days then started experiencing insomnia so I did a partial reinstatement to 2.15 for 10 days but started to feel worse at around day 8 so I dropped back down to 2.0 again which I took for 8 days before discontinuing the med due to the symptoms just continuing to get worse. At this point I don't know if the symptoms got worse from the med itself or the constant dose changing due to trying to taper off because I was feeling bad or a combination of the two.

16 hours ago, Bernadette said:

Overthepill, my sister who live in Ohio has here own bakery and yes I myself have to rein it in a bit and be careful on the sweets, my system definitely tells me otherwise that I'm gonna pay for it later 🤣🤣 somethings that have agreed with me and didn't upset my system were, sardines in mustard sauce, picked herring, tuna , sauerkraut which helps with good gut bacteria, in moderation though. Red beets, any kinda beans, lean meats, your run of the mill mushroom. I like beef and gravy over rice/brown rice with the mushrooms mixed in. Whole fruits and vegetables went well,. But just take things slow and see what you tolerate, your system will let you know. One I started to listen to my system it made things easier. Things I've learned over time through this process was don't Google everything it tends to get the mind ruminating and not a place you wanna get stuck in. Be kind to yourself, have a good support system around you, patience and time are your friend. I tried vitamins but they tend to not agree with my disabled nervous system, so I stayed away from them, but everyone is different. If you want to try vitamins, it is only suggested to try 1 at a time and at the lowest dose to see how you react. But personally we get enough through the food we eat and why upset your system anyway. You will go through some rough times but this is what we are here for, there is a wealth of knowledge and support on this forum and so happy you have joined us. Feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like, and we will try to answer to the best of our ability. I am at 21 and a half months from zero, and was it a bit bumpy, yes to say the least, but I have reached a time where the windows are longer and kinder, and the waves just a nusens. Special thoughts and prayers for now, Bernadette xxx

Thank you for all the helpful information Bernadette.

I see your system is struggling, from what I see you have disrupted your CNS, in my opinion you are definitely tappering to fastand need to hold till your nervous system settles down, Lexapro is more potent than citalopram, and once I got to 5mg I need to put the breaks on for a bit. I've had to hold for several months to get in back to a somewhat normal state. Listen to your body it will and always does tell you when. From what my Doctor told me of the difference between the both Lexapro and citalopram is that 40mg of citalopram is like taking 20mg of Lexapro, so yes it's definitely more potent. Other lower you are the slower you should go so you don't disrupt your CNS . As far as RI , I'll let the other moderators chim in. Stay strong and you will get through this.

6 minutes ago, Bernadette said:

I see your system is struggling, from what I see you have disrupted your CNS, in my opinion you are definitely tappering to fastand need to hold till your nervous system settles down, Lexapro is more potent than citalopram, and once I got to 5mg I need to put the breaks on for a bit. I've had to hold for several months to get in back to a somewhat normal state. Listen to your body it will and always does tell you when. From what my Doctor told me of the difference between the both Lexapro and citalopram is that 40mg of citalopram is like taking 20mg of Lexapro, so yes it's definitely more potent. Other lower you are the slower you should go so you don't disrupt your CNS . As far as RI , I'll let the other moderators chim in. Stay strong and you wil

Today is 2 weeks off and I'm having a really rough day today, my head symptoms are really strong today, dizziness, brain fog, head pressure, cognitive slowing, a general sense of not feeling present and visual issues. The frustrating part is that these symptoms are the reason I discontinued the medication but it seems that they have gotten worse since stopping. It's like I can't do anything right 😔 and I know it's very early for me as I'm only 2 weeks off but I can't even comprehend feeling the way I'm feeling at the moment for months or years it's a terrifying thought, then I think about what if I just keep getting worse, and don't plateau and start to stabilize. I'm just having one of those spiraling thought days 😔

Edited August 1Aug 1 by overthepill

On 7/31/2026 at 12:24 PM, overthepill said:

Have you encountered other members on here who's dizziness, brain fog, cognitive impairment, visual issues, and head pressure was constant?

Me 😜🙋‍♂️

From the day I started tapering to a few years afterwards, I had those symptoms. I'd wear a headache hat(amazon) to sleep in and sometimes at work. That helped better than any pills, really.

I became somewhere close to unemployable 😁😆 but still made it through. About a year off the meds things got substantially better and the construction work in my head trailed off. It took another year for the CNS to calm down and to no longer feel sensitized. I interviewed for a very competitive, prestigious position in a new career recently and got it. Just a few years ago I thought I'd have to go on disability.

Things got better for me, and I think they will for you, too!

17 hours ago, overthepill said:

@Chippy @Luke Thank you for the warm welcome. For context I took the Lexapro for 4 weeks as a tablet cutting a 10mg pill into quarters to get 2.5mg. Then on the 5th week I switched to liquid and did the following: 2.5mg for 4 days, 2.25 for 6 days, 2.0 for 8 days then started experiencing insomnia so I did a partial reinstatement to 2.15 for 10 days but started to feel worse at around day 8 so I dropped back down to 2.0 again which I took for 8 days before discontinuing the med due to the symptoms just continuing to get worse. At this point I don't know if the symptoms got worse from the med itself or the constant dose changing due to trying to taper off because I was feeling bad or a combination of the two.

Pleasure

Cutting tablets is not accurate enough, the peices need to be weighed. Preparing Doses for Tapering - Weighing & DIY Liquids

Switching to a liquid can be destablising in itself and we normally suggest a gradual crossover taper. Using Manufactured Liquid Antidepressants

Generally that is a lot of changes in a short space of time and the nervous system does not like this.

It could be a combination of both as you said.

10 hours ago, j1290 said:

Me 😜🙋‍♂️

From the day I started tapering to a few years afterwards, I had those symptoms. I'd wear a headache hat(amazon) to sleep in and sometimes at work. That helped better than any pills, really.

I became somewhere close to unemployable 😁😆 but still made it through. About a year off the meds things got substantially better and the construction work in my head trailed off. It took another year for the CNS to calm down and to no longer feel sensitized. I interviewed for a very competitive, prestigious position in a new career recently and got it. Just a few years ago I thought I'd have to go on disability.

Things got better for me, and I think they will for you, too!

How did you function like this? I can't think or focus, my head feels like it's in the clouds and my DPDR is terrible. It's like all my mind can focus on is how off I feel.

1 hour ago, overthepill said:

How did you function like this? I can't think or focus, my head feels like it's in the clouds and my DPDR is terrible. It's like all my mind can focus on is how off I feel.

You may want to try distraction and calming techniques to take the focus off your symptoms. If you can get outside, find a comfortable spot and look around. Name five things you see and describe them in detail in your mid. Pay attention to scents and name them. Be aware of the sounds around you and name them. If your mind takes you back to anxious thoughts, just bring them back to awareness without any judgement. Don't fight the dark thoughts because that gives them more power. Accept that the thoughts will come but you can dismiss them as unneeded and unwanted. Refocus on awareness. Just a few minutes a day for starters--don't judge yourself if it doesn't work at first--it will get easier.

1 hour ago, mstimc60 said:

You may want to try distraction and calming techniques to take the focus off your symptoms. If you can get outside, find a comfortable spot and look around. Name five things you see and describe them in detail in your mid. Pay attention to scents and name them. Be aware of the sounds around you and name them. If your mind takes you back to anxious thoughts, just bring them back to awareness without any judgement. Don't fight the dark thoughts because that gives them more power. Accept that the thoughts will come but you can dismiss them as unneeded and unwanted. Refocus on awareness. Just a few minutes a day for starters--don't judge yourself if it doesn't work at first--it will get easier.

Thank you for the advice, unfortunately due to my light sensitivity I haven't been outside since this whole issue started. I know eventually I will have to start going outside again but it just overwhelms my system so much to be out in the sunlight.

2 minutes ago, overthepill said:

Thank you for the advice, unfortunately due to my light sensitivity I haven't been outside since this whole issue started. I know eventually I will have to start going outside again but it just overwhelms my system so much to be out in the sunlight.

Overthepill, if you chose to venture out side you could use sunglasses. I had to do for some time because of light sensitivity. It wit get better.

6 minutes ago, overthepill said:

Thank you for the advice, unfortunately due to my light sensitivity I haven't been outside since this whole issue started. I know eventually I will have to start going outside again but it just overwhelms my system so much to be out in the sunlight.

You can do the same practice inside. The object is to get your attention off your ruminations.

34 minutes ago, mstimc60 said:

You can do the same practice inside. The object is to get your attention off your ruminations.

Thank you I will try these exercises, I've noticed that when I'm with my wife and daughter it's easier to distract myself because I am actively engaging with them. But when I am alone I feel like the thoughts and ruminations consume me alive.

39 minutes ago, Bernadette said:

Overthepill, if you chose to venture out side you could use sunglasses. I had to do for some time because of light sensitivity. It wit get better.

Its weird though because it's not just light sensitivity, things look visually weird I'm pretty sure I'm having some type of vestibular issues or dpdr or a combination of the two. Do you know what I'm talking about?