Posted by Kath on February 12, 2006, at 17:20:08
In reply to Re: Cold Turkey Effexor, posted by benbetter on February 10, 2006, at 7:27:00
I've been off Celexa about 3 months. I went off it VERY gradually, but for weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeks afterwards (actually it didn't start immediately) I would get annoyed pretty easily & I would SNAP if something really bugged me. After discussing it at length with my daughter (29 & a former anti-depressant user) I realized that I often would feel teed-off, but the times I'd blurt out whatever came into my head, were in situations that had been bugging me probably for the 5 years of being medicated, but I hadn't said anything about them.
Once, the same daughter had done something where I'd experienced the same reaction. She did it to various family members at different times, to observe the reaction - we were all the same:
As we were standing side by side, she'd do something - for me she lightly tapped my upper arm....just kept doing it. I looked at her questioningly, then looked away. She just kept doing it & eventually I said (quite annyoed) STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was there when she did this with my husband and my son. They had the same reaction. Looked at her, or moved away etc & finally were pissed off as they said stop-it. We found it very interesting. Rather than saying "stop it - that's bugging me" or whatever, right when it started to bug us, we put up with it until it was REALLY annoying & then exploded!! I find that astonishing. I've tried that experiment with various people & all but one time, it's always been the same reaction.
My doctor said that I'd be feeling more at both ends of the emotional spectrum & things would even out after a bit. It's true in both cases....I'd start to cry reading a sad article in the paper; or laugh like crazy over something not tremendously funny; or get really ticked off when I wouldn't ordinarily have. I also am now "evened out". The main difference I notice now, is that if I'm treated in a disrepectful way I speak out where I wouldn't have before.
Best of luck...Kath
poster:Kath
thread:603175
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20060117/msgs/609013.html