Hi, I have been taking citalopram for 9 weeks now (10mg for 2 weeks and 20mg for 7 weeks) and I would just like to know if I am making progress. I have found that I am feeling less anxious and tired and am able to get up early in the morning without feeling angry/irritable, and I am also feeling slightly more hopeful for the future than I was before, however there will still be some days when I am very anxious, and have found that I still avoid contact with other people due to the anxiety that I am feeling. Overall I feel like my depression is improving but my anxiety is taking longer, and I'd just like to know if it is normal to still feel anxious and depressed some days after 9 weeks on citalopram. I will hopefully be starting cbt therapy soon also which could further improve my condition. Thank you.
Amy,
I've been on 20 mg citalopram for 8 months or so and my GP suggested I take it for a year as I had too short a time on it a couple of years ago.
I feel that I am out of the depression but still get days when I am down, but that doesn't last long and is probably what happens in ordinary life anyway.
Keep looking forward , the cbt will help, but be prepared to stay on the citalopram unitl your GP suggests winding it down slowly.
I've learned that it doesn't help to rush coming off it.
I think your anxiety will calm down if you just believe that the cbt and citalopram will do their job, as I'm sure they will.
Richard
Thank you for the response. I agree that the cbt will probably do more to help and I'll probably give the medication a few more months as sometimes it can take longer. Good luck with your treatment.