SSRI Withdrawal Symptoms

After sharing in my last video about the progress I’ve made, I wanted to follow up with more detail about what healing has looked like symptom by symptom. Some symptoms are fully gone. Others are still lingering. I hope that by naming them more clearly, you’ll feel a little less alone in your own experience.

Sometimes I find myself thinking: Wait, I’m totally medication-free? And I feel normal? That’s an incredible, hard-won realization—and I’m grateful to be here, on this side of things.

A Decade on Antidepressants, and a Difficult Exit

I was on antidepressants for ten years, originally prescribed after postpartum depression and suicidal thoughts. Like many others, I was told these were probably for life. When I eventually tried to taper, I was met with severe symptoms—and told they were evidence I “needed” the pills forever.

That’s just not true. Withdrawal symptoms don’t mean you’re broken. They mean withdrawal is hard.

Unfortunately, I didn’t taper long and slow, and I experienced kindling. If that’s happened to you too, please don’t despair. You can still heal. It might take longer or feel harder, but recovery is possible.

Reviewing the Symptoms: Then and Now

I used a list of withdrawal symptoms by Dr. Glenmullen (that I found on Surviving Antidepressants) to jog my memory.

Here’s what I experienced:

• Crying spells & despair – daily crying, deep hopelessness
• Low energy & brain fog – simple tasks felt impossible
• Insomnia – trouble falling and staying asleep
• Appetite changes – food was disgusting, lost significant weight
• Suicidal thoughts – yes, and I’ll share more on that in another video
• Trembling & jitteriness – my body wouldn’t stop shaking
• Irritability, agitation, looping thoughts – thoughts felt stuck and ramping
• Depersonalization – I felt unreal, like I was in a glass jar watching others live
• Doom – an overwhelming sense of danger
• Digestive issues – nausea, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort
• Flu-like symptoms – night sweats, chills, cold sensitivity
• Tingling, ringing ears, loss of taste – strange, shifting sensations

And more... Some symptoms aren’t even on most lists—things like a constant sense of doom, or looping thought spirals that don’t let up.

What’s Still Lingering

These days, I’m mostly symptom-free, but I still occasionally struggle with:

• Brief waves of anxiety or nervous energy
• Mild mood dips or discouragement
• Some intrusive thoughts that churn quietly in the background

But they’re lighter now. They don’t define my days. And my ability to experience joy, connection, and peace is growing.

The “Living Life” Curve

One of my favorite metaphors from the healing community (thanks, Angie!) is this:

You might still have symptoms while also reentering your life. That’s okay. That’s part of healing. That’s where I am—living more, worrying less, watching symptoms drop off.

Let Your Body Do the Work

Healing takes time. You can’t rush it—just like you can’t grow a tree overnight. But your body is doing the work, even when all you’re doing is pacing your kitchen feeling like a caged tiger. I’ve been there.

Hang on to the real hope and the real help. Whether it’s friends, faith, support groups, YouTube videos, or something else—find what keeps you in the game.

And remember: you won’t always feel like this. One day, you’ll look back and see how far you’ve come.

❤️‍🩹 Joanna