Let's talk MENTAL HEALTH medications!
Have you ever felt a little out of place and noticed that your brain isn't functioning healthy and wanted to try SSRI or NDRI medications but don’t know much about them. In that case, congrats you have made it to the right place. I am in no way shape or form a professional but I can share some of my experiences and opinions on Zoloft and Lexapro. Now, you may be wondering what the difference between an SSRI and an NDRI medication is and honestly, I didn’t even really know until recently. So I am just gonna make this short and sweet for you all. An SSRI and an NDRI is also known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and selective norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor and are used for anxiety and then depression. SSRIs increase serotonin whereas NDRIs increase the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitters in the brain. The most important thing to take into account is that SSRIs make you feel absolutely horrendous the first few weeks until you feel better. You also need to know that if you go from an anti-anxiety to anti-depressants your withdrawal symptoms will be bad causing extreme chemical brain imbalances. It is exactly like coming off of hard drugs. Zoloft is used for depression, OCD, panic disorder, and dysphoric disorder. It can improve life and appetite, it also makes people feel less fearful. Lexapro helps restore serotonin in the brain. It is commonly used for GADs or as a beginning medication. So, let me tell you a little about my withdrawals from coming off of Lexapro and starting Zoloft. First off when I went on Lexapro I felt like a whole new person. I called it my happy pills but after upping my dosage after a full two years it eventually wore off. So, when It stopped producing serotonin I became more unstable than I already was. Then when I began anti-depressants such as Zoloft it was even worse. Not only was I majorly depressed but I was also withdrawing from a drug keeping me sane for the past two years. I cried all day, never left my bed, had no appetite, overslept, and had the most suicidal thoughts. This may have lasted two months but being on medication and getting my brain to function right is so beyond worth it. Having these withdrawals kind of puts you in fight or flight mode. I chose to fight but some days I would still allow myself to feel. After finally adjusting to Zoloft I am a lot more stable. I still struggle and am learning to heal but It’s made me feel much healthier. The moral of the story is that if you want to try medications I would give it a go. It gives you a little push to get your shit together and even on the bad days there are also good days as well. My anxious asf friends have changed so much since being on medication and honestly so have I. You literally feel like you are a whole new person that is able to feel so much gratitude for everything in your life. I am truly forever changed by these meds even though it was a challenge it pushed me and showed me how resilient, strong, and brave I am and how beautiful my friends have grown and healed into such emotionally matured people.
