Zoloft Withdrawal/Deep rooted problems

[TravelOD]

I'll start from the top. When I was a child, me and my mother were both held at gunpoint and robbed. After that, when living with my father, I would try to call my mother everyday. If she did not answer, I immediately assumed the absolute worst. I had myself convinced as a child that she was dead, and my father was not much help to re-assure me as they had recently divorced. Every time I was wrong thinking that she had died. Now in my 40's, a professional in the medical field, I was put on Zoloft a month ago for severe morning anxiety (I would wake up in a severe panic for no reason, sweating, fear, etc.) Recently I decided to try to quit Zoloft cold turkey for some pretty nasty side effects. Now, the ?separation anxiety? has returned. Today, while my wife was out, I tried to call her and she wouldn't answer. It was like being returned to when I was 8, and when my wife didn't answer the phone I immediately assumed she had died in a car accident. Is psychotherapy the best option at this point or could it just be the Zoloft withdrawal?

Cowan Travel, OD

[flicka250]

If you're having such discomfort from tapering down on the zoloft you may want to taper more slowly. Talk to your health care provider about perhaps returning to a higher dose to relieve the discontinuation symptoms and then coming off more slowly. You've been on zoloft for many years and it will take some time and patience to come off of it comfortably, but it certainly can be done. Sometimes Prozac is added to help with discontinuation symptoms and then once the original SSRI is discontinued the prozac is then discontinued with very little trouble since it leaves the body more slowly.

[Cassia403]

I have been on zoloft sine i was 12. I am now 22 and as a personal choice i feel its time for me to get off of it and try to sope with things on my own. I was on 100 mg. Now iam down to 50 and its been about a month now. I find it diffacult at times but then i just clam myslef down and cope. I have been going though... (Headaches, The need to scream for now reason, random crying, Moodswings. ect) I wanted to come off this med because... when i want to start a famliy i can't be preg. and be on this. Not healthy for baby. My advice is if you have been having trouble with a teenager... this is a big big mistake to put them on this. You will regreat this later. My mother did. so just think about it. any questions... my e-mail is ***@****

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

I would recommend psychotherapy since you have this long lasting fear that is interfering with your life.  You may know the origin, but you can't know what it really means to you now without some professional help.

[venora]

Get yourself a good therapist to resolve your issues.It will do you a world of good.it will probably do more good than a med
Good luck and let me know how you are .
Love
Venora