Posted by JPHR on January 10, 2009, at 13:31:15
In reply to Re: Long-Term Users of SSRI's--Need Your Help, posted by desolationrower on January 9, 2009, at 1:28:27
> I think the apathy is in some sense the way in which sris treat OCD. Its a strong sense of 'oh, who cares' and loss of interest.
This is one possible explanation, but there are others. I wonder if any researchers have looked at this question?
Because I'm unaware of any research, all I can do is suggest another possible explanation based on my own experience with sertraline (Zoloft), which I took a number of years ago. A few weeks after I first began taking it, and while still on a low dose, I noticed with much surprise that I no longer felt anxious! I suffered from generalized anxiety and, therefore, feeling anxious was "normal" for me. In fact, I hadn't known how bad my anxiety was until it disappeared soon after beginning sertraline treatment.
At that point, I also noticed that I no longer cared very much how others responded to me in social situations (social anxiety had been a major problem for me since at least adolescence). This change didn't feel at all like apathy: it felt like I had been liberated from the inhibiting effects of generalized anxiety. In fact, I felt more able to concentrate on other things--things that were important to me.
In other words, I still cared very much about various aspects of my life (such as my work) and became better able to take effective action with respect to these aspects.
Thus, it's possible that, at least for some people taking SSRIs (including some of those with OCD), the "I don't care" feeling that may occur soon after starting the medications is sometimes the result of anxiety reduction--an effect that differs from the apathy that some (including myself) begin to experience years after beginning SSRI treatment.
poster:JPHR
thread:857586
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/873172.html