SunnyD said:

Great Scott said:

Throw them in the trash.

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I agree

I think SSRIs are overall very damaging drugs to your mental health

But do what you want

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Can y'all shut the fuck up? Attitudes like yours are what prevent so many people from seeking and obtaining the help they need, thus keeping them in a cycle of suffering.

OP, due to intense childhood trauma and abuse, I've suffered with severe depression and dissociation most of my life. I didn't seek professional medical help until Christmas of my sophomore year of college (~2015) because I was at my rope's end: being constantly emotionally manipulated and abused by my mother (who likely herself has undiagnosed PTSD caused by her  own childhood experiences with the Biafran Civil War in Nigeria in the 60s and abuse at the hands of her family) during such a pivotal point in my young adult life, feeling like I couldn't live or make choices for myself because my African parents were so bent on ensuring I lived FOR them/was a vessel to live vicariously thru, almost being asked to leave the university because of my 1.9 GPA, crying almost daily at the thought of having to possibly share the same roof with my abuser again after tasting sweet freedom and peace at college for the first time, and just dealing with general self-loathing/hate, constant suicidal ideation, history of self-harm and disordered eating, etc. I recognize that my life definitely was not as bad as others, but it was bad enough for me, and I was at a serious risk of harming/killing myself.

So I made an appt. with the campus counseling center, had my first session/consultation with a psychiartrist, was prescribed 50 mg of Celexa at the time and sent to a therapist for the next year. It took a couple of weeks for my body to adjust to the medication (my sleep schedule got kind of messed up, I had zero appetite, had minor visual hallicinations, and more, but in retrospect, they honestly
were peanuts compared to the turmoil I was experiencing before I got on them. And that's fine because the purpose of these SSRI's is to get you and your brain to a good enough place to where you feel like you can cultivate the habits needed to tackle your mental health issues without medication, and then you wean off. And you work with doctors + health professionals every step of the way so that everyone's on the same page).

Everyone that I was sent to or went to for help was kind, empathetic, and completely committed to ensuring my recovery, and I am endlessly grateful for them; they've helped me change my entire life.

These days, I'm on 150 mg of Sertraline. Side effects are minimal and I'm currently trying to wean off because I feel like I'm in a healthy enough place mentally and can begin working toward optimal health without this crutch.

Ultimately, life's pretty neat and wild at the same time, and I've accepted that
everyone has their own hangups and traumas that need to be worked thru, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help. Because we can't do it by ourselves.

Immense love from me to you, OP. Feel free to PM me if you ever want to talk.