[tsol]

It's different for everyone. I can't stress that enough. But for me, it's amazing. It's like a silver bullet. It literally makes me happy. I know people say it's artificial happiness, etc etc but it really legitimately allows me to be happy. My stress levels go way down, and my self discipline increases. It doesn't turn me to a zombie-- I was a zombie before compared to now. Always distracted and held behind by my anxiety and difficulties expressing myself.

I get why people do drugs-- they make people feel good instead of bad. But this stuff feels like a cheat code. It makes me feel good all of the time. From the perspective of a my old depressed self, feeling neurotypical like this is like being high all the time. I should also state I've only been on it about 6 months, so long term experience is to be seen.

There are also other options, if you're willing to try. Exercise of course can be a big help. Cold showers totally eliminate my depression as well. Wim Hof breathing was life changing in terms of anxiety, though I would never have in a million years thought that a breathing exercise could help me. There are some supplements, like Saffron and Kanna, out there than can help as well. I use some of these, and together they enormous difference.

[ab-dm]

Do you mind me asking what you were like before?

I’ve had generalised anxiety disorder for ~12 years and have kept it manageable using some of the techniques you’ve described (breathing and meditation being the main two) however this year has brought some challenges that has really ramped it up and is now causing major issues that I’m struggling to manage.

My doctor was happy to prescribe some for me, but I’m scared as hell about starting them. Side affects aside, getting off them sounds like it can be a nightmare.

[coffee_beqn]

My anxiety was “manageable” for most of my life but this year it boiled over. I would get something like panic attacks multiple times a day with a racing heart and was constantly distracted by catastrophic thinking the whole day so I knew I couldn’t manage basic life by myself anymore. I’ve been quite happy with SSRIs but I wouldn’t mind going off them once my life and the world settles down.

Basically I felt like I didn’t have the mental energy to fight with just active methods like meditation and needed some passive baseline help from medication

[tapoxi]

Getting off SSRIs varies from person to person. Typically if you're careful to slowly taper down your dose you shouldn't experience any weird side effects.

I can quit cold-turkey from a high dose without issue, but that seems to be rare.