battle keeps going…… advice / replies gratefully received

[J-ames]

First off - thanks for reading , and hope you are yourself ok.

the tldr; 20 years of taking ssri ( sertraline/escitalopram). Last 6 years awful diurnal mood feeling very depressed in the morning with disabling levels of angst ( for no reason - unattached to anything really). Life has got smaller as means of coping and I exist - manage to work but not much else.

Tried snri duloxetine but whilst it’s been beneficial in some ways - clearer head/ less fatigue , better gastro - I still battle profoundly with morning depression and unbearable anxiety that can feel almost paranoid at times. Thoughts of taking stronger meds or augmenting feels too much - suggested by psych ( small dose of anti psychotic)

I’m healthy - I run, eat well, sleep well , don’t drink - but can’t beat the feeling of depression and something feeling like dread / doom always looming.

Been actually thinking it is time to go back to ssri and try Prozac! - more activating, may help with the anxiety/real awful thoughts……..

Or is it time to wean off all together over a year see what life feels like without tablets? I don’t think that’s a good plan tho as I’m genuinely getting more disabled my the morning depression and diurnal mood at moment. I want to continue to work - I just can’t keep living with this fear/dread that feels unattached to anything but stops me being able to engage in the world like i used to.

anyone care to share a similar experience, what has helped , or if late switching to Prozac after other meds had been helpful?

Stay well everyone. We are all intrinsically ok

[gajh]

Are you in therapy or just taking meds?

[J-ames in reply to gajh]

Therapy for many years ……

[gajh in reply to J-ames]

Good I was going to suggest you try. When do you run? Can you run first thing in the morning when the dread is the worst or do you already do that? What coping skills have you already tried? Have you tried doing a body scan meditation? I do much better with the body scan than with just a meditation that focuses on the breath.

[Good_for_us]

Hi J-ames, I’m sorry you have been suffering with increased depression and anxiety.

I’ve taken Zoloft (50 mg) for like 25 years, along with Doxepin. The Doxepin is a baby dose- only 25 mg. Dox also helps with anxiety and depression in larger doses and perhaps even in the baby dose I take. I honestly wish I could get off medication as I know there are both short-term and long-term side effects. But I also realize that they also act as a safety net for my depression and anxiety. I definitely still get some level of depression and doom and gloom but I can still be mainly functional (can work, etc.). But I can totally relate to you as my world is definitely smaller, as I get anxious doing things outside my comfort zone. Which is not good for me, since I’m mainly an extrovert.

It great you are a runner. I’m sure that helps a lot.

I don’t know about the anti-psychotic- that seems kind of extreme, even a small dose.

Do you ever try non-medication ideas such mediation, deep breathing, getting off your phone ? I wonder about these for me, as well! I’ve even thought about hypnosis.

Hoping you get some good guidance with your options!