200mg sertraline and still hopeless

[Trying73]

I guess the best place to start is with a bit of background info. I’m a single mum to 2 DD’s aged 7 and 3. I was first diagnosed with depression and anxiety 10 years ago, I’ve had CBT and sex therapy. Five months ago my go increased my dose of sertraline to 200mg and told me that that was the highest dose I could take and that if that didn’t work we’d have to look into other options.

At first the increase seemed to help but over the past few months my thoughts and feelings have become more and more negative. I worry about everything and find myself desperately trying to fight fires that haven’t even been lit. I’m a compulsive people pleaser, and I’m self loathing. I have no confidence or self esteem.

I’m always tired and unmotivated. It’s affecting me as a parent, I feel like I’m not good enough and a disappointment to my parents.

I know I should go back to my gp but that feels like yet another failure and the thought of ‘other options’ scares me.

Hey OP just to say sertraline is the first line treatment used this is because is works well for 'most' people.
Some people it just doesn't that isn't a reflection on you it's just how medicines work differently for different people.
Please go back to your GP there are lots of others things to help xx

Do go back to your GP and see what else is available. Try to see it a proactively helping yourself, not as a failure. I’ve been where you are and sertraline has been useful for me but by no means a miracle cure. Hope you’re feeling a bit better soon.

I’ve taken fluoxetine and citalopram in the past. Citalopram was a no go. I took fluoxetine through pregnancy and changed to sertraline to breastfeed. I know they’re commonly used and that there’s whole world of options but it just seems so drastic.
I just find it really difficult to admit to myself that I’m as ill as I am. There are times when I think I’m being pathetic or just lazy and I need to give myself a shake then other times when I listen to what I’m saying and know it’s not right/normal

So you've tried a couple of SSRIs, which have helped but not enough. (How did you get on with fluoxetine? It has a longer half-life than some of the others, which can help.)

Luckily there are also other alternatives. It may be that you need a companion tablet that targets a different neurotransmitter. Or maybe an SNRI. It's just a matter of finding the chemical that you're missing.

Nothing useful to add sorry OP, but I just wanted to say this could be me. I'm going through the same thing but on 150.
How are your physical symptoms if you have any? I feel like the sertraline has improved my mood but I still feel achy, tired and physically unwell. Can't decide whether it is a physical issue that has caused the mental health problems or the mental health issues leading to physical problems.

Feel like I've wasted the past 2 years feeling this way, I've just got back from the doctors an hour ago and they're going to do a lot of tests to try rule out physical causes

So sorry you are struggling OP.

I have just come off Sertraline as it was not working for me. It was the wrong drug for me - that’s all. It’s not you at fault, it’s the drug.

I totally understand the feelings of failure over everything. Your GP needs to hear it. Write things down and read it all out to the GP.

I’m no expert - just a fellow sufferer extending a handhold.

Are you doing any therapy on top of the AD's? Sertraline alone wasn't enough for me and I'm doing DBT on the NHS.

Thank you so much for your responses, I’ll try and answer your questions best I can.

I was a huge fluoxetine fan up until my last pregnancy when I had a serious depressive episode after which it never quite seemed to work.

I haven’t experienced any physical issues with sertraline well none that I’ve attributed to it anyway, I have noticed that it’s had an affect on my memory and concentration.

I’ve recently finished sex therapy which I had alongside the sertraline. My lack of self worth has had a terrible affect on my past relationships to the point where I now don’t feel worthy of someone. My gp thought that it could help but I didn’t find it useful

I hate to be that person but why don’t you pop into Holland and B and get some CBD oil ,absolutely changed my life x