I started having panic attacks/anxiety around a month ago after going 20 years without (I'm 47). My doctor (primary) put me on Citalopram (Celexa), and after 3 days I had to stop after suffering every side effect including horrible insomnia. It's been over 2 weeks since stopping the drug, and I still have insomnia. In fact, I feel like I've lost the ability to sleep. My body is tired, but I just can't transition to sleep. But I must fall asleep at some point, because I'll remember a dream. I took a nap today and it felt like my body was asleep but my brain was quite active. Yesterday I felt the closest I did to feeling normal, and I was confident that my sleep would be better last night, but it was worse. My sleep was much, much better before the Citalopram. I'm in the process of seeking therapy, but according to intake personnel it could take a month. I don't know how much longer I can put up with this. I'm wondering if I'm experiencing the "paradoxical effect" of SSRI's, where serotonin in the brain is decreased instead of increased. Apparently that messes up your whole system, and may be irreversible. I mean, I've never been the most optimistic person even before the panic, but I have sunk to the very bottom of the well.