As someone who’s struggled with anxiety and depression I’ve been prescribed multiple SSRIs and had different experiences. I’ve taken Prozac and Zoloft and I think one other similar and was switched bc my nurse practitioner just kept upping my dose despite me feeling fine until the medication made me too euphoric. Another one stopped working after a depressive episode where I lost my job during COVID. Effexor helped save me from a dark empty hole and I was able to come off of it and feel normal. However I feel that blank numbness after another tricky life situation (traumatic breakup, working a toxic job that gave me severe anxiety where everyone openly gossiped about people in front of their cubicles and feared constant layoffs, friend group betrayal after the breakup where they made fun of me for being abused) and it’s been a couple years and I’m wondering if I should try meds again. I tried effexor again but had terrible side effects and had to stop. Other meds gave me crazy anxiety and insomnia starting them or not being able to cry or eat, and emotional blunting which I ironically have now with depression.
I think the biggest factor for me is isolation and not having a close support system where I live. I’m scared of longterm effects of these medications but also wondering what else is left to so to feel happy again or just have my spark back. How did you balance your mental health after multiple traumatic events and how did you get your spark back?