Note: Not off-topic but not directly related to this exact article. Just sharing my personal story of withdrawal from an anti-depressant as I am in withdrawal right now. I figure it might be helpful to anyone else about to or in the process of coming off an anti-depressant. Feel free to get in touch if you want to talk outside of HN. See profile.

It has been almost three months since I stopped Sertraline (Zoloft) and it has been hard but I think harder for my wife. I have been a really moody, angry bastard. Withdrawal otherwise hasn't been too bad. Headaches and bowels for the first two weeks or so but nothing awful just unpleasant. I think I am lucky there.

I had been on Sertraline for over 9 years at 200mg/day for most of that. I decided two years ago I was ready to come off them so I spoke with my doctor (UK NHS) and we designed a reduction programme. Initially I had hoped to be off them in ~12 months but with some life events I decided not to "rock the boat" as it were which is why it is one month shy of being two years since I first start to reduce my daily dose.

I was on 25mg/every-other-day when I stopped fully. Things were a little more complicated as I moved to France in August of this year so I am not under the care of my lovely NHS doctor however we discussed this at length and she and I agreed I should continue with the plan to come off them and I am glad I did. Worst case I would start taking them again (she gave me two months supply before I moved) and make an appointment with a French doctor.

Anyway I am happy to say so far everything is excellent. I feel much more awake. I am not tired all-the-time. Honestly I hadn't realised just how tired I have felt for the past 9 years. I am not complaining as in many ways Sertraline saved my life, it is just a realisation that in order to get better part of my brain was being kept not-quite-awake-not-quite-asleep.

However the anger has been an issue. And still is an issue. Before needing anti-depressants I was pretty chilled out and on them I was much the same. But now the smallest thing can piss me off like never before. I am aware of this though so I am trying to process the anger rather than explode. Not in a violent way just as a miserable asshole. I know I am a moody bastard at the moment and my wife has been an angel. I know I am not easy to live with at the moment. But I am trying by being acutely aware of my thought patterns and emotions. It is hard to stop myself getting in a serious mood though.

However things are getting better. I don't get in a mood for the whole day because I dropped a fork when loading the dish washer (this seriously happened back in September!). I am getting better at managing when something angers me. I think part of it is a recalibration of how my brain reacts emotional to events.

My doctor did mention the anger issue but put more emphasis on things like headaches, dizzy spells, diarrhoea, etc. and obviously relapse of depression so while I was casually aware anger might be an issue it ended up being much more of an issue than I thought it would be.

As my doctor did not go into much detail over the anger related side-effect I have read up on others personal experiences and it seems it can take up to six months to be "back to normal" (for want of a better term) which is fine. I am already half way :)

I have been keeping an (almost) daily withdrawal journal that I plan to edit and send to my doctor (in the UK). Not sure if she really wants it but maybe it will offer some insight into withdrawal. Who knows but I figure it can't hurt to help. Plus it is quite helpful for me to document it all as I can track the number of "anger events" and I can see a steady downward trend which is extremely reassuring!