Zoloft and how one should feel

[Velrose]

Ok, I am not quite sure if this will make sense, or if it is even something someone could answer... but in the last month, I have been on zoloft. I've felt actually more normal than I have in the last few months, but over the last few days, I have had some minor bouts of anxiety as the result of my obsessive fears and thoughts.

I suppose what I am getting it, is how is this med supposed to make a person feel? I am COMPLETELY new to the whole ssri thing, save for a short and terrible period of time I was on lexapro (only a week.)

[jdawgzy]

I could use a little more description, but it doesn't sound bad. Minor bouts of anxiety are still normal. If medication would relieve you from anxiety completely, i'm sure just about everyone would be taking them. I've been taking Zoloft for about a month, since i switched from Paxil. Paxil wasn't bad at all, but i just wanted to experiment some more, to see if any medication was better. Zoloft hasn't done a whole lot for me so far, but these medications all work in different ways for people. No one's brain is working the same exact way.

[Velrose]

Thanks for your reply. I know it is kind of a strange question to ask, and perhaps even harder to answer since I know everyone reacts differently to certain medications. The thing is, my doc told me the zoloft (and the lexapro which again... was a disaster for me within 1 week) would get rid of my obsessive fears. Through therapy and all, I have conquered my fear of someone breaking into the house, of course, there is a still a SLIGHT fear, but nothing insane like it had been before. I guess... ok... this will sound out there, but my biggest and most haunting fear is spontaneous combustion of myself...or my house catching fire. THIS is the reason I am in therapy now. These are the fears that had me go on meds, these are the fears that were so debilitating that for a week straight I spent 4-5 hours a day sitting in a bathtub convinced that if I was in water, I wouldn't burn. This is why my diet has changed so dramatically-- (I live on V-8 and salmon most of the time, and I CANNOT eat anything greasy, if I do, I am hit with sudden pangs of anxiety...after all..grease catches fire. >_<) I suppose...I guess... what is the typical "desired" effect of zoloft. Was my doc right in telling me that it would get rid of the obsessive thoughts? (if I was a perfect case and the medicine worked fantastically that is) And how long should it take before I feel the full effects of it?

Like I said, I'm completely new to all of this. I've had issues with anxiety and obsessive thoughts in the past (bad weather used to be a big one for me--I would sit in front of the weather channel wracked in fear if there was a dark cloud in the sky and I couldn't go to bed at night without checking the weather repeatedly) But that all went away on it's own (granted...after YEARS...I only freak out now if there is an actual warning for my area) so I've never been on meds before.

[jdawgzy]

ok... this will sound out there, but my biggest and most haunting fear is spontaneous combustion of myself...or my house catching fire.
Well some people have this OCD,obsessive compulsive disorder, that causes them to think of these farfetched fears. I've had some trouble with this too. I used to be afraid of the sky. I was afraid something would fly down at me, or i'd be sucked into space. I got to the point where i was unable to even glance at the sky without shivering within. I'm going on a flight really soon, which is gonna test my anxiety some. I will have a dose of Ativan. I've never used it; hope it works.

[Velrose]

yeah my therapist says I show some fairly common signs of OCD-- it just is so annoying...so tiring... I wish I could be rid of these thoughts. Good luck on your flight though--ativan has been a life saver at times for me. ^_^