Antidepressants And Traumatic Memory Recall

[user27357]

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Sorry, just to be sure I'm clear on this, do you mean when you came off the meds you had to start back at the beginning working on traumatic memories?

no, I just found myself thinking about them all of the time again.Thats the jist of it for me, the best I can say about the ssri's is that they allowed me a break from my non stop fretting about the past and trying to find the answers that would set me at ease finally, but they also eliminated that part of me that makes me good at solving problems in my job. I get a good challenge and I think about it in the shower, while driving, mowing the lawn, watching bad TV with my wife.........until I get an answer. Unless I am on the SSRI's and then I just watch bad TV.

When I come off an SSRI I start right back in where I left off, trying to assess blame and determine causes for horrible events that happened forty years ago, seeking an answer that will always elude me and wastes time and energy.

I try to stay busy and involved in NOW and HERE and it works better than any SSRI ever did or will.

 

[Changing4Best]

I am taking Hydroxyzine HCL for sleep and it is working relatively well. I used to take Clonazepam, but it became something that my body became immune to, so it no longer worked. I have taken antidepressants before and also have had to come off one that was incompatible with a medicine that was prescribed some time later. I did not have much trouble when I stopped taking it, but I also took another antidepressant which replaced it.

 

[Marymickaela]

I can definitely relate to your post. I have been on antidepressants (Celexa and before that Zoloft) and mood stabilizers (Trileptal and before that Lamictal) for over 10 years. I felt zero emotions and remember thinking that if something drastic, say one of my children dying, I would feel nothing. Well I started EMDR in July and was actually able to cry. Then in August I accidently forgot to put my night time Trileptal in my pill case and had some major rage issues, but felt something. My Pdoc and I cut my antidepressant in half for several weeks and now I've stopped taking it altogether. I also cut my night time Trileptal by 1/4 just to see if it helped.

We had to have my cat put to sleep two days ago and I sobbed like a baby and have found myself crying off and on when I think of him. But it feels like appropriate crying. I've also been have to have orgasms for the 1st time in probably 10 years. That alone was worth going off the antidepressant. The Zoloft has the same side effect.

I also take a high dose of Clonazepam (3 to 4 mg) and don't think it does anything, but feel I'm totally addicted to it. With my cat dying I'm taking it like candy. I find myself taking it even when I'm not stressed. That has got to stop, as it just makes me tired. Plus I have read it affects the memory and I can't remember anything. How am I going to remember a repressed memory while on such a high dose? I won't.

My Pdoc told me the Trileptal is to stop me from feeling too many emotions, but it's not right not to feel any. I personally want to remember some of my repressed memories. It's like a part of me knows something terrible happened, but just can't remember/feel those emotions. I want to so I can deal with them in EMDR treatment.