I would say I've been taking fluoxetine 20mg for about a month now.
I've been a guinea pig for the last 6 months, trying to find the right antidepressant to help with my severe social anxiety. None of which worked.
As of now on fluoxetine 20mg, I feel the social anxiety still there along with lack of motivation and interest in what I usually love and strived for.
I feel downright depressed and unmotivated. Do you think I have to give it more time to feel the effects?
For sure... 4 weeks and it has not even started to do its full job yet. It takes a long time... some say 12 weeks... I felt even longer.
Hi Lydia,
yes everyone says on here fluoxetine is more a long term recovery medication. A month is very short time, most people say give it at least 12 weeks to start seeing improvements and maybe 6 mts for recovery. I am also hoping that is the case - I am 8 weeks on it now. My anxieties are less severe or less frequent now, but I also found what you describe - no interest in things I normally love, like I can't be bothered to do anything, almost despising what I normally liked doing. I think it is starting to lift now a bit - when I push myself to do some of these activities that I used to love or I ask a close friend to do some of them with me and get me out of the house, I feel great joy again and motivation. Just not at the stage yet where I would have plenty of energy and motivation to make myself engaged in the things I love yet on my own so much. I hope there will be more improvements in this area.
To address the roots of the social anxiety and learn some coping techniques, have you also tried or considered therapy? Meds can only get us so far, feeling calmer but to overcome some fears we often need to explore what is making us feel them in the first place in order to start overcoming them...
Definitely stick with the meds for longer - they are not an instant lift up.
Luci x
Hi Lucy, thank you for your response.
Today, I feel very depressed and again unmotivated. I tried cognitive behavioral therapy before but it is very expensive so I had to discontinue it. I'm also taking clonazepam 0.5mg to stop the shaking from my nerves.
I'm really not sure what to do at this point. I am hoping this medicine works eventually. I feel horrible right now.
Isn't sad, that we have to give up the things we love in order to feel some sort of normalcy with society.
Thank you so much for your response. I will definitely keep on it until the 12 week mark! I hope you are feeling better from it.
How are you feeling now Lydia, have you had any better days or times of the day?
I am a little better now at week 9; in the last week there has been a noticable improvement, I am pleased. I hope it gives you some hope too...
With the therapy, where are you based? I am in the UK, and I have low cost therapy and there are even free therapy places that are run as charities and colleges where people study to become therapists. I am doing that and it has been immense help. xxx