Posted by freckafree on June 10, 2005, at 22:12:56
Last year, I fell in love with a wonderful man whose gave so much to me emotionally. He wrote me beautiful, expressive letters. We shared so much in our responses to music, poetry, art, nature. He shared his inner life with me as I shared mine with him.
Then he started taking Effexor.
I noticed the difference very quickly -- as did he. As he puts it, "I can't cry anymore." He looks at the things he wrote to me in the past and says, "I don't feel any differently about you, but I couldn't write this now if I tried. I just can't get to that place anymore." He rarely listens to music now, because it can no longer provide him with an emotional experience.
I am having a very difficult time dealing with this. All the soul-nurturing things he gave me are greatly diminished. But, alas, I am in love with him, and can't just throw a switch to make myself not be.
He recognizes the problem, but the Effexor has been controlling his depression well, so he's hesitant to make a change. He has a dr appt coming up, and I have asked him to discuss taking a break from Effexor, which he is willing to do.
Having fought with depression myself (I'm currently taking Welbutrin), I want him to be whole and well. But there must be other choices out there that could control his depression without the loss of emotion. (His dr did not recommend Welbutrin because he tends toward anxiety also.)
Can anyone speak to this loss of emotion? Other side effect have abated over time. Will this? (He's been on it for about 6 months.) If he does taper off Effexor, how long might it be before his emotional capacity returns?
poster:freckafree
thread:510840
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050606/msgs/510840.html