Hello! I had pnd after the birth of my daughter (1st child) and was prescribed 150mg sertaline a year ago. It took the dark, hopeless feeling away (great!), but my anxiety has been sky high the whole time. As I felt so rubbish when I started sertraline (2 months pp), I just thought that was my 'new normal' as a mum. I knew I wanted to come off the drug eventually, so I've been tapering down over the last 6 months and until last week was on 50mg. Still had loads of anxiety though, and the thing that bothered me most was this weird disconnected feeling, where I didn't feel present, or 'in the moment', especially with my daughter, or doing anything really. It was really stressing me out, the idea I could never be fully relaxed in my own life anymore! Well, I forgot to take it on Saturday, and noticed I immediately felt better. Calmer, less anxious, more able to enjoy and appreciate things and not feel like I needed to rush on to the next thing I had to do. That was the catalyst I needed to stop taking it. I realise I haven't started withdrawal symptoms yet, which I'm prepared for and know will be horrible as they were each time I dropped a dose (insomnia, bad anxiety, just feeling WEIRD etc).
Has anyone else had a similar experience of feeling better when stopping, and think sertraline made them more anxious? It would be so great to think that the anxiety I've felt for the last year was down to the drug and not just the way my life will always be now I'm a mum!