Zoloft (sertraline) "I have been taking 100mg Zoloft daily for almost 8 years and I find it really helps with OCD, especially the dulling of intrusive thoughts that would normally cause me a lot of distress, anxiety and were quite frankly, ruining my life.
Other medications that help in controlling intrusive thoughts are: Paroxetine (Pexeva)—prescribed only for adults. Fluoxetine (Prozac)—for children above seven years and also for adults. Sertraline (Zoloft)—for children above six years and for adults.
Usually it takes between 4 to 6 weeks to feel the full effect. You might feel worse during the first few weeks of treatment before you begin to feel better. Talk to your GP if you do not feel any better after 6 weeks.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are a type of medication people may use as a treatment for depression. People may also use SSRIs to treat mental health conditions that can cause intrusive thoughts, such as: OCD. PTSD.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one strategy that is often successful in helping people manage intrusive thoughts. The process may help you to shift some of your general thought patterns, which can enable you to better manage these thoughts when they do occur and might lessen their frequency.
It's thought that SSRIs work by blocking (“inhibiting”) reuptake, meaning more serotonin is available to pass further messages between nearby nerve cells. The job of your nerve cells is to send messages back and forth like a telephone wire.
Sertraline is a type of drug called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which are commonly known as SSRIs. SSRIs increase the activity of a chemical called serotonin in the brain. This helps to reduce the symptoms of OCD, particularly when used with therapy.
I have been on sertraline on and off the last few years for anxiety. I started on 50mg and after a month or so I noticed a huge change, I felt myself again. Positive, happy without the intrusive thoughts and overthinking. It was such a relief and I started to enjoy my life and my work again!
Starting Zoloft
Typically, 50 milligrams once a day is a standard starting dosage for adults with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Some conditions tend to start with a lower dose of 25 milligrams once a day, like panic disorder.
It can take 6–8 weeks for symptoms such as depressed mood and loss of interest in activities to improve and up to 12 weeks for OCD symptoms to improve. If you wish to stop taking Zoloft, please speak to your doctor.
“Your sertraline is working if you feel calmer. Your negative moods or anxiety will not be as intense. You should be enjoying activities more. And your sleeping and eating habits should be more stable,” says Doughty.
Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is an anxiety disorder which, like many anxiety disorders, is marked by low levels of serotonin. Serotonin, a type of neurotransmitter, has a variety of functions that make a deficiency a serious and anxiety producing issue.
When intrusive thoughts or obsessions become uncontrollable to the point that they are affecting daily function, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be the explanation. OCD-intrusive thoughts that occur repeatedly throughout the day are unhealthy and interfere with quality of life.
Researchers know that OCD is triggered by communication problems between the brain's deeper structures and the front part of the brain. These parts of the brain primarily use serotonin to communicate. This is why increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain can help to alleviate OCD symptoms.
Let your spontaneous thoughts, even the negative ones, come and go without trying to effortfully direct your attention. Accepting the intrusion, letting it fade from your mind naturally without effort on your part is the most effective way to deal with these unwelcomed mental intruders.
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms generally wax and wane over time. Because of this, many individuals diagnosed with OCD may suspect that their OCD comes and goes or even goes away—only to return. However, as mentioned above, obsessive-compulsive traits never truly go away. Instead, they require ongoing management.
If necessary, they'll refer you to a behavioral therapist, psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist for further diagnosis and treatment. If you feel like acting on your intrusive thoughts them in a way that could cause harm to yourself or someone else, get medical help right away.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by repetitive, unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions (compulsions). Although people with OCD may know that their thoughts and behavior don't make sense, they are often unable to stop them.
The answer is yes if the medication triggers doubt within you, and you choose to perform many reassuring compulsive behaviors. For example, I once had a client prescribed Fluoxetine for OCD; he was experiencing horrible contamination fears and was doing daily rituals and constant compulsive behaviors to avoid germs.
Is Lexapro or Zoloft better for OCD? Some healthcare professionals will prescribe Lexapro “off-label” to treat OCD in adult patients, but only Zoloft is FDA-approved to treat adult and pediatric patients with the condition.
Antidepressants work by balancing neurotransmitters in your brain. These medications work if you have paranoid personality disorder and also depression or another mood disorder. Examples include: sertraline (Zoloft)