should i try zoloft?

[michaelmyers]

hi im an 18 year old male and ive had generalized anxiety disorder, depersonalization and social anxiety disorder for about 3 years. I only recently went to the doctor because i couldn't take it anymore. My doctor gave me 50mg of sertraline/zoloft but i haven't taken it yet. My life is ruined by my depersonalization and GAD. I can't even go cross the street without my whole body getting tense and i get startled easily by any little noise, It is holding me back from life and now im stuck in my room all day and drinking beer. When i wake up everything feels hazy and i feel anxious and tense. I also recently lost my first love after we have been together for 3 months and my first part time job and that has driven me to drink 6 beer a night because i feel so much pain and all of that made my anxiety worse. i'm anxious tense and tired 247, i try exercising and relaxing but that only works for a few hours. I had anxiety about finding another girlfriend, girls call me cute all the time and even my guy friends say im a good looking guy but im so obsessed about my looks and i still have extremely low self esteem and keep thinking that i won't find another girlfriend and that has been giving me bad anxiety. My ex treated me like crap towards the end and i was so good to her and that destroyed my dignity and made me feel unwanted and unloved. I also don't know why i lost my job i know i did nothing wrong but they fired me and wouldn't give me a reason. I feel so lost and don't even know who i am anymore, i feel like a different person everyday because of my depersonalization. It's hard to get out of bed and when i sleep to long my GAD gets worse. I feel hopeless and i don't even know if i have depression i wasn't diagnosed with it but i have no motivation at all, even taking a shower or taking out the garbage is a struggle for me. Should i try the zoloft my doctor gave me? i heard some side effects can be bad and i don't want my hair falling out because i heared SSRI's can do that.

If anyone can give me some advice that would be much appreciated, i have nobody :(

[em1]

hi im an 18 year old male and ive had generalized anxiety disorder, depersonalization and social anxiety disorder for about 3 years. I only recently went to the doctor because i couldn't take it anymore. My doctor gave me 50mg of sertraline/zoloft but i haven't taken it yet. My life is ruined by my depersonalization and GAD. I can't even go cross the street without my whole body getting tense and i get startled easily by any little noise, It is holding me back from life and now im stuck in my room all day and drinking beer. When i wake up everything feels hazy and i feel anxious and tense. I also recently lost my first love after we have been together for 3 months and my first part time job and that has driven me to drink 6 beer a night because i feel so much pain and all of that made my anxiety worse. i'm anxious tense and tired 247, i try exercising and relaxing but that only works for a few hours. I had anxiety about finding another girlfriend, girls call me cute all the time and even my guy friends say im a good looking guy but im so obsessed about my looks and i still have extremely low self esteem and keep thinking that i won't find another girlfriend and that has been giving me bad anxiety. My ex treated me like crap towards the end and i was so good to her and that destroyed my dignity and made me feel unwanted and unloved. I also don't know why i lost my job i know i did nothing wrong but they fired me and wouldn't give me a reason. I feel so lost and don't even know who i am anymore, i feel like a different person everyday because of my depersonalization. It's hard to get out of bed and when i sleep to long my GAD gets worse. I feel hopeless and i don't even know if i have depression i wasn't diagnosed with it but i have no motivation at all, even taking a shower or taking out the garbage is a struggle for me. Should i try the zoloft my doctor gave me? i heard some side effects can be bad and i don't want my hair falling out because i heared SSRI's can do that. If anyone can give me some advice that would be much appreciated, i have nobody :(

Hello there Zoloft is a very good medicine to take
I was on it for one year and it helped me loads
I think taking anything is your own personal choice
It won't make your hair fall out
I wish you well

[Emilym80]

I've taken it briefly and I have a friend who takes zoloft and it works really well for him, stopping his panic attacks and all of his physical symptoms and he has no side effects whatsoever. You're most likely to get a slightly upset stomach in the first week or so, but that's probably it. If you feel that bad it's probably worth taking the zoloft to get things under control and then beginning therapy (to address not only the anxiety but self esteem issues etc) so you have some strategies to overcome your anxiety using mindfulness etc, because ultimately you don't want to have to rely on the medication for the rest of your life to feel normal. There's no need to expect any side effects but you can always ask your doctor if anything's worrying you or maybe even see a psychiatrist once or twice if you're worried about whether or not it's the right medication for you, but I'm sure your doctor knows what they're doing.

Good luck :)

[doug39]

I was on zoloft for awhile and I hated it. It did help my anxiety but I became an emotionless zombie. I felt good but I also felt nothing. It also messed with my sex life. I could get an erection but I could never orgasm.

[gypsylee]

I've been on lots of different SSRIs, including Zoloft. They've all helped me out of depressive episodes. They don't make my hair fall out but they do make the anxiety quite a lot worse for the first couple of weeks.

I can relate to everything you've written here..

All the best,
Gypsy x

[trinidiva]

I currently take zoloft. I only take a small amount...but it has helped me tremendously get my life back. The first few weeks when you are trying to get to a therapeutic level in your system is rough....I had stomach upset....mostly in the morning, which then affected my appetite which then caused me to lose weight. After those four to six weeks though. ....the fog will lift....and that anxious feeling will dissipate.
Just remember. ...nothing is in stone. If the dosage is too high....you can work with your doc to perhaps start out at a lower dose.

Good luck to you and please keep us posted.

[michaelmyers]

I currently take zoloft. I only take a small amount...but it has helped me tremendously get my life back. The first few weeks when you are trying to get to a therapeutic level in your system is rough....I had stomach upset....mostly in the morning, which then affected my appetite which then caused me to lose weight. After those four to six weeks though. ....the fog will lift....and that anxious feeling will dissipate.
Just remember. ...nothing is in stone. If the dosage is too high....you can work with your doc to perhaps start out at a lower dose.

Good luck to you and please keep us posted.


Hey, i will definitely keep everyone posted. The only crappy thing is that i love to have a few beer a night and its going to be hard for me to quit alcohol

[trinidiva]

Yep. ....but you gotta figure out what's more important. .....

[em1]

Having a beer or two won't do much,I used to have a glass of red or two at the weekend
And I know so many others have to.
I think it depends on you,every case is different
You will find where your happy and what you can and can't do

[gauth1234]

It can help! As with any medication try to get off it as your health gradually improves.

[michaelmyers]

It can help! As with any medication try to get off it as your health gradually improves.

Yeah, im going to take it tomorrow morning, hopefully all goes well. Im not sure what this is but im going to explain it. i will just be sitting there and sometimes its after i eat i will feel very foggy like im high or something and than i will feel extremely depressed and anxious and i will start having alot of negative thoughts, it usually happens randomly

[trinidiva]

Just remember the first few weeks may be rough. Just keep focused on why you are taking it to get through the crappy feelings in the beginning. There are plenty of people (myself included) who would be willing to give you encouragement through this rough patch!

[michaelmyers]

Just remember the first few weeks may be rough. Just keep focused on why you are taking it to get through the crappy feelings in the beginning. There are plenty of people (myself included) who would be willing to give you encouragement through this rough patch!

yeah i was also worried about losing weight on the pills, right now i have the biggest urge to go and pick up a 6 pack of beer but i keep telling myself not to and now im extremely hungry

[trinidiva]

Yeah....I would really refrain from any heavy drinking till you know how the meds will affect you........

[Ambition]

hi im an 18 year old male and ive had generalized anxiety disorder, depersonalization and social anxiety disorder for about 3 years. I only recently went to the doctor because i couldn't take it anymore. My doctor gave me 50mg of sertraline/zoloft but i haven't taken it yet. My life is ruined by my depersonalization and GAD. I can't even go cross the street without my whole body getting tense and i get startled easily by any little noise, It is holding me back from life and now im stuck in my room all day and drinking beer. When i wake up everything feels hazy and i feel anxious and tense. I also recently lost my first love after we have been together for 3 months and my first part time job and that has driven me to drink 6 beer a night because i feel so much pain and all of that made my anxiety worse. i'm anxious tense and tired 247, i try exercising and relaxing but that only works for a few hours. I had anxiety about finding another girlfriend, girls call me cute all the time and even my guy friends say im a good looking guy but im so obsessed about my looks and i still have extremely low self esteem and keep thinking that i won't find another girlfriend and that has been giving me bad anxiety. My ex treated me like crap towards the end and i was so good to her and that destroyed my dignity and made me feel unwanted and unloved. I also don't know why i lost my job i know i did nothing wrong but they fired me and wouldn't give me a reason. I feel so lost and don't even know who i am anymore, i feel like a different person everyday because of my depersonalization. It's hard to get out of bed and when i sleep to long my GAD gets worse. I feel hopeless and i don't even know if i have depression i wasn't diagnosed with it but i have no motivation at all, even taking a shower or taking out the garbage is a struggle for me. Should i try the zoloft my doctor gave me? i heard some side effects can be bad and i don't want my hair falling out because i heared SSRI's can do that.

If anyone can give me some advice that would be much appreciated, i have nobody :(

Maybe you should gradually cut down on the alcohol by having one less beer each day for the first week then 2 less for the second week and so on each week until you have no more than say 2 beers on the average day. Alcohol does calm anxiety BUT when its wore off you feel a lot worse so maybe having less alcohol will help in the long run.

Anxiety, dizziness, depersonalisation etc are common symptoms of hangovers and having too much to alcohol and only lead you to drinking even more in order to feel better. It becomes a vicious circle. Also too much alcohol ruins your general health causing liver damage and increased risk of getting cancer :(

Then of course look at the money you will save by drinking less alcohol! Buy your self something nice with that money.

Try Zoloft by all means but first and foremost I'd recommend cutting your alcohol intake gradually, you may be surprised after a while that you actually feel better, but don't expect to feel great overnight. You might actually find that you don't need the Zoloft!

As you cut back do some exercise that makes you less anxious and feel good too! After all you admitted that exercise makes you feel better for a short while so it must be working! :)

Good luck

[michaelmyers]

Maybe you should gradually cut down on the alcohol by having one less beer each day for the first week then 2 less for the second week and so on each week until you have no more than say 2 beers on the average day. Alcohol does calm anxiety BUT when its wore off you feel a lot worse so maybe having less alcohol will help in the long run.

Anxiety, dizziness, depersonalisation etc are common symptoms of hangovers and having too much to alcohol and only lead you to drinking even more in order to feel better. It becomes a vicious circle. Also too much alcohol ruins your general health causing liver damage and increased risk of getting cancer :(

Then of course look at the money you will save by drinking less alcohol! Buy your self something nice with that money.

Try Zoloft by all means but first and foremost I'd recommend cutting your alcohol intake gradually, you may be surprised after a while that you actually feel better, but don't expect to feel great overnight. You might actually find that you don't need the Zoloft!

As you cut back do some exercise that makes you less anxious and feel good too! After all you admitted that exercise makes you feel better for a short while so it must be working! :)

Good luck

hey ive been feeling depersonalization long before i started drinking, and i don't drink enough to get hangovers

[trinidiva]

Drinking for me made things so much worse....and I really didn't drink much to begin with.social drinks on weekends.

Now...I have a drink of wine every now and again...and that's about it.

How's the zoloft been going? How are you feeling?

[michaelmyers]

Drinking for me made things so much worse....and I really didn't drink much to begin with.social drinks on weekends.

Now...I have a drink of wine every now and again...and that's about it.

How's the zoloft been going? How are you feeling?

hey, i haven't taken it yet. I did cut down on the drinking but i would like to try CTB or something before i go on meds, with something like GAD can that be treated without meds? do i really need zoloft?

[trinidiva]

hey, i haven't taken it yet. I did cut down on the drinking but i would like to try CTB or something before i go on meds, with something like GAD can that be treated without meds? do i really need zoloft?

CBT is great. It basically teaches you the tools on how to handle it when you start to feel the anxious feeling. Breathing techniques, etc. It does take time to learn and implement...but I think definitely worth it. I really can't say if you still need the Zoloft or not....I think that depends on your level of severity.....definitely a discussion to have with your doc. I know that personally, I am on a ridiculously small amount....I guess enough to take the edge off, and I still use my CBT training when I get into anxious situations.
You have complete control over how you want to structure your recovery , in my opinion, the doctor can only make a suggestion. ...within safe limits. I tend to try to be more conservative when it comes to taking meds....but thats just what works for me....

[michaelmyers]

CBT is great. It basically teaches you the tools on how to handle it when you start to feel the anxious feeling. Breathing techniques, etc. It does take time to learn and implement...but I think definitely worth it. I really can't say if you still need the Zoloft or not....I think that depends on your level of severity.....definitely a discussion to have with your doc. I know that personally, I am on a ridiculously small amount....I guess enough to take the edge off, and I still use my CBT training when I get into anxious situations.
You have complete control over how you want to structure your recovery , in my opinion, the doctor can only make a suggestion. ...within safe limits. I tend to try to be more conservative when it comes to taking meds....but thats just what works for me....

okay, my GAD is mild, i don't get panic attacks or anything but im constantly over thinking and worrying about things. Say if something small happened i would make a hug deal out of it, My gad does effect my life because it makes my vision weird like lights look way brighter and i get a bit of tunnel vision and going out in public is stressing because every little noise scares me and my whole body gets tense and its very uncomfortable to live with. Maybe i should take zoloft and do CBT, would doing both have more benefits? and does my anxiety sound bad enough to treat?

[ctb1988]

To answer your most recent questions: medication is most effective when combined with therapy like CBT. If you have the means to see a psychologist, I definitely suggest it, especially if you can see one who works closely with whoever is prescribing you medication. And it most definitely sounds like your anxiety is bad enough to treat. I get the hunch you're dealing with some depression, too. I think it's pretty common for people seeking treatment to wonder if they're "sick enough" to be worthy of getting treatment. It most definitely sounds like your life is pretty significantly impaired by these conditions.

As far as drinking on zoloft and SSRI's go: it's not dangerous in the way that drinking and taking a benzo like xanax or klonopin is. It's not going to make you black out after 2 beers or stop you from breathing in your sleep. In fact, I know several people who drank heavily on SSRI's, but I can guarantee you that none of them got the relief they were looking for from their medication.
I was prescribed zoloft (along with trazodone) about 4 years ago to treat an GAD/depression when I was in college. I also drank like a fish. About 6-7 nights a week, and anywhere from a few drinks to half a bottle of vodka. I'm sure you've heard it a billion times, but I still want to emphasize that everyone responds differently, so here was my experience. SSRI's are weird: I kind of expected to feel different, like a light turned on. But everytime my psychiatrist asked me how I'm feeling, I felt pretty much the same, so she'd up my dosage. Honestly, to this day, I can only tell the difference between being "on" and "off" medication after I'm off. Because of this, I was on the max dosage. I don't know if I was still depressed, but I certainly wasn't happy. My anxiety was better in some ways, but worse in others. For example, I'd wake up in the morning tired and a little hungover. Instead of going to class like usual, I'd say "fuck it" and not care. Instead of stopping at a bottle of wine, "eh who cares" and I'd be on my way to the bar, and then I would black out that not- not directly because of my medicine, but because I didn't care about the consequences of drinking.
A year before that, I was on another cocktail of medication, including the SSRI Celexa. I was drinking about the same amount, and my doctor told me to take my medication at night. Well, when you're drinking, especially when you're out, you might miss a dose here or there, and THAT really caused problems for me, and drinking only exacerbated them.

Ambition is also right about drinking making things more difficult in the long run with anxiety. Drinking relieves anxiety (in some ways it works like a benzo, which is used to treat anxiety). Whatever you do, don't quit cold turkey, even if it is just 4-5-6 beers a day you're drinking. I had a really bad bout of anxiety last week and I was really nauseous. I usually drink 3-4 glasses of wine a night (it's VERY rare that I don't have my nightly wine), but I skipped drinking for a few days because my stomach couldn't take it. I have a hunch that that took my anxiety from bad to ridiculously unbearable. I was having multiple panic attacks a day. After a little research, it doesn't take much alcohol on a daily basis to get minor withdrawal symptoms (the most common being anxiety and panic).

I guess this was a long winded response regarding some of your issues, but I guess my message is: get treatment, especially CBT. If you want to take the zoloft, do it, but make sure you're communicating well with your doctors. Drinking on it isn't the worst thing in the world, but your treatment will be much more successful if you're able to soberly monitor how you feel and can taper off the alcohol.

[trinidiva]

okay, my GAD is mild, i don't get panic attacks or anything but im constantly over thinking and worrying about things. Say if something small happened i would make a hug deal out of it, My gad does effect my life because it makes my vision weird like lights look way brighter and i get a bit of tunnel vision and going out in public is stressing because every little noise scares me and my whole body gets tense and its very uncomfortable to live with. Maybe i should take zoloft and do CBT, would doing both have more benefits? and does my anxiety sound bad enough to treat?

That is definitely something you want to talk to your doc about......but like I said....it is really your choice how you want to structure things. If you feel like perhaps you aren't ready for the zoloft....maybe try just the CBT sessions first and see if that works for you. Then if you need to add the meds...you can probably do so....but definitely talk to your doc. It is a working recovery program that you and your doctor have to put together....tweak if necessary. I would suggest that you keep an open mind....do not get frustrated if one thing doesn't work...simply keep an open mind to trying something else. I have tried a few different meds, and recovery programs and therapy before finding what worked well for me. You can do it!