Hello fellow SAD forum transplants! Happy to be here, and have a place to continue my story. I'm 20 months post cold turkey from Prozac. 

 

Here's a link to my intro thread on SAD

 

I'm doing fairly well. Many symptoms have come and gone, some have lingered. At this point in time, I'm able to work 3-4 days per week without much issue. For that, I'm grateful. However, I'm still living paycheck to paycheck and rely on my partner for much monetary support. I have difficult days where the physical symptoms are overwhelming and painful, but I push through because I have no other option. This year I have to return to work full-time and to be honest, I'm afraid, but again... No other option. The ball keeps rolling whether I want it to or not!

 

When I'm not working, I'm doing my best to live life intentionally. Slowly, thoughtfully. I try not to rush or let anxious thoughts control my feelings and behaviors. I focus on things that desensitize my overactive nervous system--drawing, reading, nature walks, breathwork exercises, camping (when we can afford it). I stay off social media to avoid the dopamine flood and constant stimulation. I've been in solo therapy for over a year now and couples therapy for half a year. Both help. 

 

Now more than ever, I'm drawn to peace and quiet. A dark, rainy afternoon with candles and soft jazz. A weighted blanket, cup of tea, and a good book. A cool summer evening in front of our backyard fire pit... We're hoping to move into a rural area after I get a full-time job, as we've both realized that's the kind of environment we'd like to settle in.   

 

I can't recall the last time I've had a "true" window without any symptoms, but I reckon I'm lucky to be able to function at this level after an adverse reaction and a cold turkey. Recovery takes as long as it takes. It is brutal and unrelenting at times, but I'm happy to still be here. 

 

May 2026 be a year of healing for all! 

 

Welcome to the forum, Hemly.

 

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Hey Hemly

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Great work on your thread all perfect :)

 

Good to hear you are doing ok, I can see you are another AR/pretty much CT. So many of us here in the same boat. Time. The best thing isn't it.

 

Sounds like you have a really good handle on managing your CNS whilst you recover. All very sensible indeed. I empathise with it all.

 

Functioning is about how I describe myself. Not really living in many ways. I've not had really any true windows, maybe one. I think this is common. 

 

We are happy you are here too, and I wish you well on your recovery going into 2026.

 

Speak soon

 

Chippy

Thank you for joining.

 

Hopefully you'll continue to improve, you're at sub two years and there's plenty of scope for it.

Hello Hemly :)

 

It is nice to read your story as it gives a lot of hope. I would say you are definitely on a path to a success (story).

Would you say, through the withdrawal process, you had a moment of "turning the corner"? Or if you would say after such and such month things were easing up a bit?

Happy to see you made it over here Hemly. I look forward to hearing about your continued progress. Glad things are at the least leveling out for you!

 

I was Jg0492946 on SAD.

Hello Hemly :)

 

It is nice to read your story as it gives a lot of hope. I would say you are definitely on a path to a success (story).

Would you say, through the withdrawal process, you had a moment of "turning the corner"? Or if you would say after such and such month things were easing up a bit?

 

Hi Marina! Thank you for reading.

 

Yes, there have been a couple times where I felt I turned a corner, and reached a new "withdrawal normal." Mine were around 8 months off and 15 months off. Truthfully, those times can be hard to recognize.

 

In retrospect, if I hadn't tracked my daily symptoms (something I've since stopped) I'm not sure I would've been able to see the improvement. 'Cause it all feels bad when you're in it!

---

Happy to see you made it over here Hemly. I look forward to hearing about your continued progress. Glad things are at the least leveling out for you!

 

I was Jg0492946 on SAD.

 

Hey Jg!! So happy to see you here! 

Thank you for replying, Hemly! I hope you heal completely in the near future.

Sharing a couple of videos I found useful in my current withdrawal state. 

 

The overarching theme is learning how to respond to symptoms with neutrality, without the mindset of "I'm going to accept this so it will go away." That's still teaching your brain resistance. It's not about accepting or allowing, per se, but truly sitting with these sensations, these feelings. 

 

I've been practicing this repeatedly, every day. Something I didn't have the capacity or knowledge to do in acute withdrawal. It's a skill that takes a long time to develop, especially when your nervous system is so dysregulated, though definitely worthwhile. Works outside of withdrawal issues too! 

 

and 

Hello again, friends! It's been a long while since I've made a post. The short of it is: generally, I'm doing well.

I recently started working full-time again, and being able to do so without much issue has been such an unexpected gift. I had no idea how my body and mind would handle it, and while there have been some struggles from lingering symptoms, I've not left work early or called out more than once per month. My husband and I have "graduated" from joint therapy, after an extremely challenging two years for our relationship. We've rebuilt, and are focused on our future together.

Hormone fluctuations continue to be my biggest challenge—ovulation and menstruation are, most of the time, symptom heavy. I feel fantastic for about a week every month, and the remaining three I'm met with variations of unintelligible anxiety, head pressure, dizziness, heart palpitations, and more. SI returned a few times, and I was at my wit's end. I decided to buy Maggie Sterling's Soft Regulation course, and to my surprise, it helped SO much. Part of it is similar to the DARE response for anxiety. You have to slowly change your response to your body's alarm bells for your nervous system to desensitize. It's made a world of a difference for me.

I'm optimistic I'll have another positive update in a few months. Healing is happening every day!

11 hours ago, Hemly said:

Healing is happening every day!

100%!

13 hours ago, Hemly said:

The short of it is: generally, I'm doing well.

Glad to hear it, I hope your next update is also positive.

Hopefully a success story here is coming down the line.

Hi, @Hemly !

Can I ask you which symptoms are still there and which had disappear with time? To give us an idea of your progress?

Thx a lot ! 🙂