More threads by Zach

Retired

Member
I am sorry to hear about your son's situation.

We'l be looking forward to your comments and insights in future Psychlinks discussions.
 

Zach

Member
Progress begins with the first step.
:cool2:

Do keep us posted, Zach.

I started on a 25 mg dose of Zoloft a few days ago. My psychologist told me that it usually doesn't have much of an effect for the first few weeks, so I'll have to see how it works out. Thanks for all the support :)
 

NicNak

Resident Canuck
Administrator
I started on a 25 mg dose of Zoloft a few days ago. My psychologist told me that it usually doesn't have much of an effect for the first few weeks, so I'll have to see how it works out. Thanks for all the support :)

That is great Zack. I am glad you started on the Zoloft. Let us know how it works out.

The meds usually take a few weeks to start taking effect. Medications can make a difference too, especially in combination with therapy.

I wish you the best Zack :) again, keep us posted to let us know how it goes.

:support:
 

David Baxter PhD

Late Founder
I started on a 25 mg dose of Zoloft a few days ago. My psychologist told me that it usually doesn't have much of an effect for the first few weeks, so I'll have to see how it works out. Thanks for all the support :)

Yes. You may see a difference even in the first week but more commonly it can take 4-6 weeks. The beneficial effects are gradual and cumulative so other people may notice a difference in you before you do.

Also, 25 mg is a pretty low dose. Your doctor will probably want to increase that after you adapt to 25 mg. It's more-or-less standard practice to prescribe a starter dose initially to let your body get used to it and to minimize side effects.
 

Zach

Member
Zach,

Glad to hear of your progress and for keeping up posted.

Is the Zoloft for OCD ?

No, Zoloft is an anti-depressant, but it is commonly used to treat social anxiety, which is why my psychologist recommended it.
 

Retired

Member
Yes, Zoloft belongs to the group of medications known as Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors or SSRI. This medication is also indicated for treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which is sometimes experienced by people with Tourette. That was the reason for my asking.

Good news, Zach, and with the help of your Psychologist and your medication(s) hopefully the social anxiety you have experienced can be addressed.
 

Zach

Member
Yes, Zoloft belongs to the group of medications known as Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors or SSRI. This medication is also indicated for treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which is sometimes experienced by people with Tourette. That was the reason for my asking.

Good news, Zach, and with the help of your Psychologist and your medication(s) hopefully the social anxiety you have experienced can be addressed.

My last post seems kind of rude, sorry about that. I didn't know it was used for OCD, learn something new every day :). Thanks again for your encouragement, I'll post again if I start to notice a difference from the medication. Nothing yet, but its the smallest dose(I think) and it's only been about 5 days... I think I started taking it on Wednesday so yeah that's 5 days.
 

Retired

Member
Zach said:
My last post seems kind of rude

I didn't read it that way, Zach. I'm enjoying our discussion, and sometimes responses are short and to the point.

Looking forward to hearing about how it goes.

:2thumbs:
 

Zach

Member
I've been on the Zoloft for 2 weeks now and I haven't noticed any difference and haven't had any side-effects, so my doctor has increased the dose to 50 mg. Are there any signs that it's helping or any way I could tell how it's affecting me? I know it probably won't have much of an effect for another week or so, but it'd be nice to know what to expect.
 

Retired

Member
Hi Zach,

It is unlikely that you will notice a dramatic difference in yourself from one day to the next while taking your medication. As your doctor probably explained, the goal of therapy is for remission of your symptoms of social anxiety. And we know from the literature describing numerous studies that sertraline (Zoloft) is an effective treatment for patients with generalized social phobia.

As to whether the symptoms are in remission will be determined in discussions with your doctor who will be using specific criteria to evaluate your progress.

In other words, it's not a hit and miss proposition; your doctor knows the criteria that need to be satisfied to determine the effectiveness of your treatment, which is where you come in..by reporting how you feel, how you are dealing with situations and by answering specific questions you doctor will ask to evaluate progress.

You are quite right in that SSRI's take four to six weeks to reset the levels of neurotransmitter activity in brain chemistry before there is a noticeable onset of action.

It's great to hear about your progress, and if you have any questions or comments, we're always eager to hear from you.
 

Zach

Member
Wow, it's been a while since I've posted here. Well I have sevveral things that I wanted to mention.

First, I think that the medication is helping. I have noticed a bit of a difference in the way I feel around other people.

Second, I just finished exams & my junior year of high school, so I have the whole summer to work on being more social. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do, I was thinking about getting a part time job over the summer and hanging out with my friends more.

Third, I just feel great right now, worked out a while ago and I feel full of energy but unfortunately it's 10 PM and kinda rainy so there's not that much to do at them moment. I just love this feeling tho :D.

Thanks for all the support you guys have given me, if I can really conquer this social problem I have I feel like my life would be complete, it seems like all other problems I have are either minor in comparison or stem from this. But I'm feeling very optimistic right now, I can't really visualize the solution or myself overcoming it yet but I know I can. I'll post any questions I have or changes in my medication. It's still at 50 mg.

-Zach
 

NicNak

Resident Canuck
Administrator
That is great news Zack. So happy to hear you finished your exams and are feeling good. Glad the meds are helping. They usually do help take the edge off.

So proud of you Zack for your plans for the summer too! :2thumbs:

Nice to see you again Zack
 

Jazzey

Account Closed
Member
That is excellent news Zach - :2thumbs: I'm so happy to hear that you're feeling better. And I think the idea of using your summer to be more social is also an excellent idea - socializing can be one of those things where, you may initially be a little nervous, but the more you do it, the more you relax and enjoy meeting new people etc...

Looking forward to you're telling us how your summer progresses. :)
 

Retired

Member
Hello again, Zach!

Thank you for letting us know about your progress.

I'm feeling very optimistic right now

These are the greatest words we could have heard and your optimism is clearly evident in your writing.

Your optimism should help overcome the occasional setbacks that might occur, as you learn new social skills, and that same optimism should sustain you to to learn from those setbacks to try something different until you find a formula that works for you.

You've made my day!

Thanks....and don't be a stranger on Psychlinks. Your experience and insights can be valuable to other forum members.
 

Zach

Member
Havent been here in a while and figured I would just mention how things are going for me. I've visited a few colleges this summer and had a nice vacation with my family. Havent really done much social like i had planned, but school is coming up and im determined to make more of an effort now since i'll be around 2000 people for 7 hours a day whether i feel like it or not :D.

i've had an enjoyable and relaxing summer anyway, felt pretty lazy and unmotivated earlier in the summer and im not sure if that had to do with the medication or lack of school which pretty much removed most pressure to follow a disciplined schedule and do much work. But Im past that and figured its better to look forward instead of worrying about what i didnt do that i should have done over the summer. i havent had any problems with tourettes for quite a while now, so its nice not to be bothered by that anymore :)

Thanks for all the encouragement and advice you guys have given me :)
 

Retired

Member
Hey Zach,

It's very nice of you to share your wonderful progress. I suppose your view of life may be more optimistic and brighter because of all the initiatives you have taken.

Once we have a clearer understanding of what makes us who we are, suddenly much of the anxiety and uncertainty is lifted.

Fortunately this breakthrough occurred for you at a fairly young age, thereby widening your choice of options for your future.

We would be pleased to have your continued participation in Psychlinks, where your own experience and insights would be of great value to our Forum members.

We wish you well in your pursuits, Zach.
 
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