Sertraline - how did you feel when it started to work?

[Mjdmw]

i feel terrible, always have, it’s now worse, I’ve been given antidepressants many times over the years, never taken them. I was given some last month, after a meltdown in a doctor surgery. When they called me, I told them I’ve been taking them and got another prescription. She up my dose but I haven’t taken the first dose. I’m afraid I’m going to numb, to everything including my daughter, I feel like a terrible mum, I want
to start, but how did it make you feel? Was you numb to everything?

Amazing.
Yes a bit of a mentally numb feeling. But in a really good way. The bit that was numb is the bit that was driving me crazy. The worry just went. I stopped worrying irrationally about things which are no my problem, not my business, or not about me.
At last I 'didn't care' anymore.

But not about the important things, and the important people, it freed me to concentrate on them.

No, not at all numb. Personally, they made me feel more relaxed and calm.
I took them for anxiety and they were really helpful. You need to take them for a week or so before you can feel their effects though.

A little numb for the first few weeks that it began to work - but that was a blessed relief after the rollercoaster of anxiety, tears and rages.

I felt really chill and like life was simple and doable again.

As the weeks went by the numbness subsided and I can laugh heartily and have fun as well as feel sad about things. However, I don't get the debilitating sadness and emptyness that I was getting before.

I just feel fine, like I did before everything went dark and scary.

The first few weeks were rough but when I reached therapeutic dose I just felt so calm and relaxed. I sleep better, I don't dread waking up, I'm more productive, but the absolute best part was my inner monologue finally shut up. Silence in my head now until I choose what to think, what a pleasure!

Honestly amazing. A total game changer. I realised one morning that I was singing in the shower. It had been so long that I didn’t recognise the sound.

It’s worth sticking with in my experience.

I had horrendous diarrhoea every time I changed my dose but I never felt numb. I have ocd so am on 200mg, and have been for about five years. Took a while to kick in (months, but it’s usually faster for depression), but basically I don’t feel constantly like I’m fighting against the tide.

definitely not numb at all, and I do understand your concerns as I was worried about this too. I still feel happy and I feel sad and I sometimes feel low, but I can actually recognise those emotions now.

I was really worried about starting too. I’m in my forties and have had ocd for thirty years and declined them all that time and now I feel silly 😂

More relaxed, more settled,but it took quite a few weeks to get there and adjusting the dose. It helped me get through a tough time alongside doing behavioural activation, therapy etc

I was terrified they'd numb me too, it took years for me to pluck up the courage to try them.

It was.. Absolute chaos the first few weeks, I won't lie. But then after about six weeks I felt still. Not numb but steady. It's not made me the happiest person on earth who tap dances to work or anything, but I feel more balanced. If my moods before were The Smiler at Alton Towers they're now more of a lazy river. I still feel everything, just with the volume turned down low on the bad bits. It's definitely worth a try.

Sertraline was amazing for me after my husbands cancer diagnosis to ease my anxiety over his health but I also noticed a considerable improvement in my overall mental health. Social anxiety massively improved which made me realised how much general anxiety has affected me my whole
life.
I am concerned about long term use of it and having to rely on antidepressants for happiness so this will be my last month of using it sadly after 18 months.
I didn’t notice numbness but I was on a low dose. It did make me feel very nauseous initially but it went after a couple of weeks x

I felt a bit flat but honestly it was so fucking good to not experience the low lows. Give it a good try for a few months and see for yourself. For me it’s been life changing.
I still feel but I feel within a smaller range now so less violent swinging between highs and lows.

As others have said it was a game changer.

I was super scared to try them after a bad time on citalapram as a teen but my anxiety got so bad.
I just felt calmer, my brain didn't chatter as much. I still love deeply and laugh wholeheartedly. I just deal with the bad stuff better.

It also gave me a bit of clarity to see past the anxiety and look in to therapy and look at other behaviour patterns, which has lead to me being assessed for ADHD.

They really have been a godsend.

Good luck OP 💚

Not sertraline but other treatment for depression actually did the opposite for me. Before the treatment worked I felt completely flat and slow and numb and just couldn’t do anything properly, even thinking. Now I can chat to people normally again, feel happy and sad normally in response to different situations, have my sense of humour back. It’s amazing. Good luck, I hope you find a good way forward

I am on day 7 of 50mg sertraline as I've had months and months of severe anxiety and panic attacks particularly health anxiety

and so far I am not feeling much if any better

I think theyve affected my sleep, it's hard to drop off and then I wake up super early between 5 and 6 and the I'm wide awake. Then mornings are the worst I have a feeling of impending doom and panic but tbh I had that anyway!

I really hope it improves , these posts sound quite positive

They took a while to kick in for me, maybe 4-6 weeks but i never felt numb. I felt much less anxious (was prescribed for anxiety and depression), life just seemed more doable but the biggest thing was that I just gave so many less fucks about things I couldn't control, like my DSS mother's behaviours, which was always a massive anxiety trigger for me.

Honestly the best thing I ever did, good luck and take the plunge- worst thing is if you don't like to, you can just stop and try something else ❤️

Thank you for all your replies, I’ve always just been concerned id be so numb that I wouldn’t be able to connect with my daughter emotionally or how ever she needs me to. If that makes any sense.i just feel like the worst person and mother recently and i wanna be better for her, I just don’t know how, so that’s why I said yes to the tablets.

Can I just start with the on I have now 100mg or should I start with halfing them and taking 50mg which is originally what the doctor gave me in the first place that I never took. My mum took my first box and said I could deal without it. So I’ve only got 100mg now.

This sounds really good ❤️

I'm on day 8 today so fingers crossed I start to feel an improvement x

Decided to tell my story as I know how much I was craving any good news when started sertraline. Long story short I had anxiety, panick attacks most of my life. I am 37 now and everything started when I was about 13. Depersonalization and derealisation was my main problem. I've been worse for some months, then dealing fine and worse again. Panick attacks was something normal for me. But then... I had a really rough year. Toxic relationship, break up, stressful and demanding job, a lot of personal issues. And I felt worse than ever. Anxious, overwhelmed, drained, no motivation, isolation. Don't think I ever felt so trapped in my own mind. This started to affect my job, decided to see GP. Left with prescription for sertraline. Got meds and decided I will never take them I will manage. I think it is very normal for anxious people to be petrified of meds. I was too. It took me another 5 months to give it a go. When I reached the point when I thought it just can't get sny worse than this. First two weeks, not gonna lie. Rough. Especially mornings. I felt very very anxious until at least early evening. And tired. Awful stomach issues. From both sides iykyk. Insomnia. And ZERO appetite. I was reading people stories and decided to push it through. Around week 2-3 noticed slight change. Less stomach issues, less anxiety in the morning. Good day and bad day. When entered week 4... OH GOD. I feel like me again. I am motivated, feel lighter, happy. I forgot how it feels not to being heavy, overwhelmed and always in my own head. It's so good to feel normal. Don't get me wrong, I can feel anxiety is still somewhere, but it feels like its behind a glass. My mind is not taking me straight there. So if you are still worried, just starting and side effects kicking your ass. YOU GOT This. It's worth it. There is nothing to loose. Good luck