Summary

The author discusses their personal journey with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, the positive impact of Sertraline (a generic form of Zoloft) on their condition, and the societal stigma surrounding mental health medication.

Abstract

The author of the article shares their experience with mental health struggles, specifically Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which was diagnosed after the birth of their second child. They reflect on the realization that their lifelong anxieties made sense following the diagnosis. The author describes how their condition worsened after college, leading to sleepless nights filled with existential dread. The introduction of Sertraline, a generic form of Zoloft, significantly reduced their anxiety, although the initial absence of anxiety felt unsettling. Over time, the medication improved their life exponentially, prompting them to remain on it despite the potential for other treatments. The author also touches upon the societal stigma associated with taking mental health medication and invites readers to share their experiences and thoughts on the subject.

Opinions

The author believes that their diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder was an "aha moment" that brought clarity to their lifelong experiences.
They express that the effectiveness of Sertraline was akin to a sudden relief, although the newfound calmness initially felt wrong and led to a self-induced return of anxiety.
The author is content with the improvements Sertraline has made in their life and is hesitant to explore other medications, citing the stability and responsibilities they have, such as raising children.
They acknowledge the stigma surrounding continuous use of medication for mental health and are seeking to create a dialogue about it, encouraging others to share their stories to foster a sense of community and understanding.
The author hints at a complicated relationship with religion and its impact on their mental health, suggesting it could be a topic for future discussion.
They express disappointment with ADHD medication in a passing comment, indicating a contrast with the positive effects of Sertraline, and promising to elaborate in future content.

Mental Health Roundup Part 1: Anxiety and Sertraline

It strikes me as interesting that mental health is the phrase used in blog posts that are so often written by people who are not healthy — from a mental perspective.

I guess, there isn’t really another way to say it…but there it is.

I have mental health problems.

It’s something that I’ve been pretty aware of, off and on, for most of my life, I think, but was only diagnosed with around 6 years ago, just after the birth of my second kid.

That diagnosis was Generalized Anxiety Disorder. And this was one of those aha moments in my life. I don’t feel like I’ve actually had too many aha moments but this was definitely one of them.

When I looked back on my life and completed the questionnaires, it just made so much sense. There were elements of social anxiety but the generalized anxiety was the one that fit.

It got worse, just after college (that’s when everyone’s psyche sort of starts to fall apart. I think that’s why so many people go to college for the rest of their lives if they can manage it).

I began to wake up in the middle of the night, filled with existential dread. Thoughts of death and religion and oblivion haunted me during those midnight hours. They were the worst when I was alone but I think they were there all the time.

And of course, nobody likes to think about death but it isn’t healthy when you can’t step away from the thought ever.

(Some of this is related to my complicated relationship with religion which could probably be a series of blog posts in and of itself but I’m not ready to go into that.)

I won’t go into too much else about that except to say that I was prescribed a generic form of Zoloft which worked wonders for me. Now, I understand that I was one of the lucky ones and it isn’t typical for the first medication that someone tries to be the one that works the best.

It’s even possible that there is another medication that could help me more but I really don’t want to go off of this stuff(Sertraline Hydrochloride). I mean, I’ve got kids and crap to do. I barely had time to go to the doctor to talk about this.

I’m going to quickly tell you, what I think, is a pretty funny story about something that happened to me when I first started this medication. In this story, I was sleeping on the couch.

No, I wasn’t in trouble but my wife was pregnant and having trouble sleeping.

Also, I genuinely like to sleep on the couch sometimes.

The doctor and the internet both informed me that it can take around two weeks for the medication to really begin to take full effect.

So I awoke, on the couch, in the wee hours of the night, in a state and time, in which I would have been awash in anxiety about life, the universe, existence, getting back to sleep, and pretty much anything else that popped into my mind.

It was at the moment that I distinctly remember, that it wasn’t there. The anxiety wasn’t there. Well, I think it was there a little bit but it was a surprising decrease.

Sounds great, right?

The funny thing is that it just felt so wrong. And in a relatively short amount of time, I had worked myself back up into a reasonably unpleasant feeling of anxiety. It was like I had dug it up from somewhere though.

Eventually, I got the hang of it and although I still occasionally have trouble sleeping, my life has improved exponentially because of that. Which is sort of why the ADHD medication was so disappointing, but more on that later.

Over the next couple of years, a couple of different doctors slowly ramped me up to the maximum dose. Each increment seemed to make subtle improvements. I don’t think that I ever really asked for it because, like I said, that initial reaction was so substantial I didn’t believe it could be any better.

Leave a comment with your own experiences and attempts to treat your anxiety. I know that we aren’t alone in this world but there still seems to be a sort of stigma about continually taking medication for mental health.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below………..PLEASE! I need those sweet, sweet comments.

Originally published at http://www.kylejohnmorgan.com on August 26, 2019.