I, (19F) have a girlfriend (also 19F), I think I may be overthinking this so I’d love to hear other’s thoughts
I have been on zoloft 150mg for about six months now. I tried to lean off of it once, but ended up going back on. The first time I went off, I communicated it clearly with my girlfriend, and I had a lot of mental weight bearing my decision (both inside and outside my relationship). I went back on it once I was feeling my emotions in my chest, stomach, and physical health. It was a very hard decision to make as I’ve been trying to get away from this medication as a mental crutch.
About three days ago, I started lowering my doses again. This time, I haven’t told anyone about it to take all the mental weight off of it, and just try and do everything as normal as I can. I’ve never kept anything from my girlfriend, though, and we always communicate very clearly. It’s absolutely eating me up that I haven’t told her about this change, and I’m not sure how she’ll take it if I successfully get off the medication without telling her I was going through that process. On the other hand, it’s my medical situation, and it feels justified to keep it private. So, am I the asshole for keeping this information away from her?
Info: Are you consulting with your doctor about weaning off? Cause Zoloft withdrawals can be really bad
Yes, I am!!
Then that is honestly all that matters. It’s your medical information and your right to keep it private.
If you have been prescribed zoloft by a physician then you probably shouldn’t just be taking yourself off of it. Maybe talk to your doctor first.
It’s not a mental crutch. You wouldn’t wean off insulin if you had diabetes would you?
Nta. But it does sound like you *not* telling her is having a detrimental mental effect on you? You say the guilt is “eating you up”. This isn’t a particulalry healthy attitude.
So while it is, obviously, completely up to you who you tell about your meds, you might feel better for telling her?
It’s your medication and you do have the right to keep it private, but Zoloft withdrawal can be nasty. I think YWBTA if you didn’t at least give her the heads-up that you’re trying to taper off so she knows what side effects may cause you to need medical assistance and what side effects may cause her to think you hate her.
It seems to me you have a mental load going on from NOT telling her. How is that compared to the mental load from when you did tell her?
I hope you are doing this under the supervision of your doctor. SSRI’s are not to be screwed with on your own.
Zoloft withdrawal is no joke. You will need to titrate down over weeks. Fort docs help.
If you had diabetes you wouldn’t spend time and energy trying to ‘get away from this insulin as a crutch’ stop denying yourself the medical treatment you need and take your meds
You should only make changes to your meds under the supervision of your physician. GF’s opinion doesn’t matter. NTA and call your doctor.
YTA, but to yourself. I have been on Zoloft myself so I can firmly say that it is serious medication and for a deeply serious reason. You were prescribed that amount for a reason by a medical professional. It is not up to you to willynilly try to adjust your medication. Get professional help to revise amounts, are you currently in therapy? 6 months is not nearly enough time for you to have become remotely “not depressed” or ready. The point of meditation and antidepressants, in my eyes, is not to “forever be on them”. It’s to give you respite and relief from really bad depressive episodes, and to set healthy life habits that prevent you from falling into self-destructive habits and suffering from depression symptoms.
I am close in age to you, and have had similar thought patterns as you initially, but the fact that you are thinking in this way indicates you need more professional help and that you in fact need the medication. Lowering your own dose of SSRIs like Zoloft can lead to withdrawal and depression relapse. You are managing your psychiatric medication in an unsafe manner.
Not only do you need to tell your girlfriend, but reach out to your broader support system. It is your medical situation, but you are intentionally harming yourself in a way and that impacts not just you but your situation. You know you are doing something wrong, hence the hesitation to tell someone who cares about you.
You should talk to your doctor out of anybody. I mean unless your gf is a doctor?
NAH but please consider what you mean by “a mental crutch”. It is a tool that helps you be happier in the world. Your home is also a tool that helps you stay warm and dry, but I don’t think you’re planning to wean yourself off living indoors as it’s a “physical crutch”.
If you feel that there are side-effects that are harming you or you feel that there was a situation that made the zoloft necessary that is now resolved, talk to your doc about getting off of it. Otherwise, anti-depressants are a wonderful way to get your brain chemistry into an alignment that makes life better. If your body doesn’t make the brain chemicals you need, off the shelf is fine!
It’s not a weakness to need medications for any condition. But, a lot of people do get the impression that medications that treat the part of you inside your skull are somehow different than ones that treat the part of you in your chest or abdomen. It’s all the same system! It’s you. Please do what you need to stay healthy!