1 hour ago, Steve1 said:

What do I do if I get worse? Is up dose an option?

I wouldn't recommend it, just keep holding, that's your best course of action now, the more you hold, the more you will stabilize.

This answer will not change.

But what do you do if you wait months and don't stabilise?

1 hour ago, Steve1 said:

But what do you do if you wait months and don't stabilise?

Some people take a long time to stabilize -- I have personally been holding for 5 and a half months and haven't stabilized yet, though I've seen good progress.

I think right now it's really important to practice acceptance and take things one day at a time without trying to predict the future. This is the best way to keep the nervous system calm and promote healing.

13 hours ago, Steve1 said:

Do you think its withdrawal @Catbird or ongoing activation from escitalopram i.e. the body is rejecting the drug?

Many thanks

It’s likely a combination of things which have sensitised your nervous system @Steve1

I've still not stabilised coming up to 6 weeks on 5mg

@Steve1

Stabilizing can be unbelievably slow, like trying to turn a huge ship around.

Some people say that things stabilize very quickly after a certain amount of time spent being destabilized. I hear some people say “ symptoms got really bad and then they just stopped.”

Others see little hints of getting better along the way, and it takes a while for those little windows to grow and grow.

One thing that has helped me is to see each week almost like a day, like a week really isn’t that long in this process.

Stay the course ❤️

Every few days I seem to get new symptons. Will this misery ever end?

12 minutes ago, Steve1 said:

Every few days I seem to get new symptons. Will this misery ever end?

It's totally normal for symptoms to change constantly as you stabilize. I know it's miserable, but you will get through it. Try to engage your coping skills. Things will get better.

So yesterday I felt withdrawal was predominantly the main sympton. Today it feels like constant activation (like when I was on 10mg). So confused at what to do.

4 hours ago, Steve1 said:

So yesterday I felt withdrawal was predominantly the main sympton. Today it feels like constant activation (like when I was on 10mg). So confused at what to do.

How long have you been at 5 mg? I see August, but curious about how many weeks.

Hi @Finni 6 weeks today

Just wish I knew if it is predominantly withdrawal or activation now?

@Chippy do you think its mainly withdrawal or activation I'm experiencing now?

10mg for 9 weeks (non stop activation)

Last 6 weeks + 1 day 5mg

17 hours ago, Steve1 said:

So yesterday I felt withdrawal was predominantly the main sympton. Today it feels like constant activation (like when I was on 10mg). So confused at what to do.

Sounds like things are fluctuating which is a good sign, windows and waves. I know Finni struggles feeling one or the other atm. Can be tough to tell imho as you can feel all of these symptoms on and off the drug.

24 minutes ago, Steve1 said:

@Chippy do you think its mainly withdrawal or activation I'm experiencing now?

10mg for 9 weeks (non stop activation)

Last 6 weeks + 1 day 5mg

I couldn't tell just from what you have said, it could be either.

Are things worse shortly after taking your 5mg? If you wanted to try reducing I think I would do something small like 4.9mg just to test the water and see how you react.

On 9/15/2026 at 12:53 PM, Steve1 said:

What do I do if I get worse? Is up dose an option?

Nobody knows

17 hours ago, Steve1 said:

Today it feels like constant activation (like when I was on 10mg). So confused at what to do.

windows and waves, keep holding ❣️

In theory hopefully both activation and withdrawal will dissipate over the next few weeks/months?

29 minutes ago, Steve1 said:

In theory hopefully both activation and withdrawal will dissipate over the next few weeks/months?

The fact things flucuate is a very good sign. This implies the body is trying to stablise. Makes holding make a lot of sense to me.

I feel at night and when I wake up the body is craving a pill. But soon after taking the pill I get activation.

33 minutes ago, Steve1 said:

I feel at night and when I wake up the body is craving a pill. But soon after taking the pill I get activation.

If this is a consistent pattern where you feel like you’re getting interdose withdrawal in the evening/overnight, but you’re reacting to the dose when you take it, one thing you could consider is splitting your dose. So you’d be taking 2.5 mg twice a day instead of 5 mg once a day. We generally recommend moving the doses apart slowly, so start by taking them an hour apart, then two, then three, until you’re taking them 12 hours apart.

The hope would be that this would keep the level of the drug in your body more consistent, and since you would be taking a smaller amount of the drug each time you’d experience less activation right after taking it.

Makes sense thanks for the suggestion

1 minute ago, Steve1 said:

Makes sense thanks for the suggestion

I keep thinking about doing this

Just back from the Drs....he says my anxiety has "evolved".

He also says if I think escitalopram is harming me just to stop taking it!

12 minutes ago, Steve1 said:

Just back from the Drs....he says my anxiety has "evolved".

Siiggghhh. I’ve heard this one too, another classic 🙄.

13 minutes ago, Steve1 said:

He also says if I think escitalopram is harming me just to stop taking it!

It’s really awful how little most doctors know about withdrawal and how much truly harmful advice they give their patients.

I tried to tell him that we aren't treating anxiety now, we are treating the side effects/withdrawal. He didn't believe me.