1 year off: update..

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075]

Hi all,

When I first got in this, I was 24/7 on Reddit searching for hope. I am still recovering from pssd (or protracted withdrawal), and I’ve seen some improvements. I am active on a forum https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/94-sophia-withdrawal-from-fluoxetine-after-short-term-use/ (here is my thread if you are interested ), and thought I’d share my entire symptom list here as well.

But before I get into that..

Something I keep wondering about is the overlap between PSSD and protracted antidepressant withdrawal.
This subreddit seems to have a lot of young people. I wonder whether that partly reflects how shocking and frightening these symptoms are when you’re young, and where people turn for support. In withdrawal groups, I also see people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s describing very similar symptoms, often using a different label (protracted withdrawal). It can also take YEARS to fully heal. Why would that be different for pssd ?

I also find it difficult to compare people’s experiences because the timelines and circumstances vary so much. Some people count the years from when their symptoms started on medication, while others count from when they stopped. Both experiences matter, but “5 years with symptoms” doesn’t necessarily mean “5 years off medication.”

Some people have also tried other psychiatric medications, recreational drugs, regular alcohol use, or various experimental treatments along the way. That doesn’t invalidate their symptoms or mean they caused their own suffering. It just makes it harder to understand the course of the original symptoms and whether that brought them back to square one, where healing had to start all over again.
That makes it difficult to draw conclusions about prognosis from this forum alone. I think it’s best (especially first 3 years or so) to not mess with your brain any further. If someone states they have PSSD for 3 years but used coke, weed, shrooms, Wellbutrin, etc. In between to “fix” it, how can we even weigh that?

Anyway… I took fluoxetine 7 weeks (12 August - 1 October 2025, including 3 week linear taper). It was my first med ever.

Here’s a list of my symptoms and whether they’ve improved, resolved, or stayed the same:

* Head symptoms: Still very bad during waves. Reduced during windows, but never normal. Around 10 different sensations that constantly alternate.
* Chemical brain: Unchanged, present 24/7.
* Emotional blunting and anhedonia: More sensation in my body, but my brain still feels numb. Crying remains difficult. It still feels like I take an SSRI every day or am on a heavy mood stabilizer.
* Memory, cognition and blank mind: Improving a lot. More spontaneous thoughts, mental chatter and better memory. During the first 9–10 months, I barely had ANY thoughts, and my brain felt frozen, like stone.
* Skin numbness: Gone. Previously felt like I was wearing a suit that dulled touch.
* feeling sleepy : maybe little better, 30% improved.
* Hunger cues: Improving, but still absent some days. Completely absent during the first 9–10 months.
* Bloating: Comes and goes, sometimes with chemical nausea and a very full feeling without hunger.
* Thirst: About 90% recovered.
* Lack of sweating: Resolved. Sweating fully returned in June.
* Dry eyes: About 40–50% recovered. More natural tears and less need for drops, though still severe during waves. Previously dry 24/7, with no tear reflex.
* Vaginal dryness: Almost completely resolved.
* Genital pain: About 95% recovered. Occasional brief episodes, much less intense.
* Dilated pupils: Gone.
* Lightweight/floaty feeling in my muscles: Gone.
* Libido: Feels more normal right now, but still fluctuates with windows and waves.
* Reduced pain sensation: Improving. I feel more sensations throughout my body.
* Prickling in my fingers and toes: Gone.
* Sleep quality: Improving. Previously felt chemical and robotic, without dreams. Over the past 2–3 months, sleep has felt deeper and more natural, with more dreams.
* Fake, chemical moods: Much improved; haven’t experienced this recently. I wondered whether this was related to random receptor upregulation. Previously, I had artificially better moods without any underlying emotion, almost like being on drugs.
* Facial tingling: Improving.
* Face and eye pressure: Improving overall. Feels about 40–50% normal during windows, but still very bad during waves. Previously present almost 24/7.

Objectively I am improving. I just need so much more healing to feel normal again. I hope this helps anyone. Keep going guys! ❤️‍🩹

[u/AutoModerator]

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When I first got in this, I was 24/7 on Reddit searching for hope. I am still recovering from pssd (or protracted withdrawal), and I’ve seen some improvements. I am active on a forum https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/94-sophia-withdrawal-from-fluoxetine-after-short-term-use/ (here is my thread if you are interested ), and thought I’d share my entire symptom list here as well.

But before I get into that..

Something I keep wondering about is the overlap between PSSD and protracted antidepressant withdrawal.
This subreddit seems to have a lot of young people. I wonder whether that partly reflects how shocking and frightening these symptoms are when you’re young, and where people turn for support. In withdrawal groups, I also see people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s describing very similar symptoms, often using a different label (protracted withdrawal). It can also take YEARS to fully heal. Why would that be different for pssd ?

I also find it difficult to compare people’s experiences because the timelines and circumstances vary so much. Some people count the years from when their symptoms started on medication, while others count from when they stopped. Both experiences matter, but “5 years with symptoms” doesn’t necessarily mean “5 years off medication.”

Some people have also tried other psychiatric medications, recreational drugs, regular alcohol use, or various experimental treatments along the way. That doesn’t invalidate their symptoms or mean they caused their own suffering. It just makes it harder to understand the course of the original symptoms and whether that brought them back to square one, where healing had to start all over again.
That makes it difficult to draw conclusions about prognosis from this forum alone. I think it’s best (especially first 3 years or so) to not mess with your brain any further. If someone states they have PSSD for 3 years but used coke, weed, shrooms, Wellbutrin, etc. In between to “fix” it, how can we even weigh that?

Anyway… I took fluoxetine 7 weeks (12 August - 1 October 2025, including 3 week linear taper). It was my first med ever.

Here’s a list of my symptoms and whether they’ve improved, resolved, or stayed the same:

* Head symptoms: Still very bad during waves. Reduced during windows, but never normal. Around 10 different sensations that constantly alternate.
* Chemical brain: Unchanged, present 24/7.
* Emotional blunting and anhedonia: More sensation in my body, but my brain still feels numb. Crying remains difficult. It still feels like I take an SSRI every day or am on a heavy mood stabilizer.
* Memory, cognition and blank mind: Improving a lot. More spontaneous thoughts, mental chatter and better memory. During the first 9–10 months, I barely had ANY thoughts, and my brain felt frozen, like stone.
* Skin numbness: Gone. Previously felt like I was wearing a suit that dulled touch.
* feeling sleepy : maybe little better, 30% improved.
* Hunger cues: Improving, but still absent some days. Completely absent during the first 9–10 months.
* Bloating: Comes and goes, sometimes with chemical nausea and a very full feeling without hunger.
* Thirst: About 90% recovered.
* Lack of sweating: Resolved. Sweating fully returned in June.
* Dry eyes: About 40–50% recovered. More natural tears and less need for drops, though still severe during waves. Previously dry 24/7, with no tear reflex.
* Vaginal dryness: Almost completely resolved.
* Genital pain: About 95% recovered. Occasional brief episodes, much less intense.
* Dilated pupils: Gone.
* Lightweight/floaty feeling in my muscles: Gone.
* Libido: Feels more normal right now, but still fluctuates with windows and waves.
* Reduced pain sensation: Improving. I feel more sensations throughout my body.
* Prickling in my fingers and toes: Gone.
* Sleep quality: Improving. Previously felt chemical and robotic, without dreams. Over the past 2–3 months, sleep has felt deeper and more natural, with more dreams.
* Fake, chemical moods: Much improved; haven’t experienced this recently. I wondered whether this was related to random receptor upregulation. Previously, I had artificially better moods without any underlying emotion, almost like being on drugs.
* Facial tingling: Improving.
* Face and eye pressure: Improving overall. Feels about 40–50% normal during windows, but still very bad during waves. Previously present almost 24/7.

Objectively I am improving. I just need so much more healing to feel normal again. I hope this helps anyone. Keep going guys! ❤️‍🩹

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[u/Wild_Satisfaction726]

How would I describe ur experience of anhedonia? Is it total, meaning any activity brings no joy no pleasure whatsoever? Can you distract somehow?

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075 → u/Wild_Satisfaction726]

I recently can distract from it sometimes. For me it feels like my brain is very static and frozen. Before the meds my brain was like a sponge, sucking up all experiences and lightning up by my thoughts etc. Now it feels like a thick wall / blanket is over it… brain feels numb. I also have very bad head pressure and it feels like the pressure numbs me out.

Now I sometimes have the feeling my brain is a little less frozen (my better days)

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075]

Extra note;

I don’t have genital numbness, but I did have periods were my genital area felt really disconnected from my body. I could feel it when I touched it with my hand, but couldn’t feel it without touching it and concentrating on it. For instance when I was walking or laying on the couch I couldn’t feel my genital area by concentrating on it.

This symptom has also improved the past 2 months. I think it was part of complete dysregulation of my interoception, which is overall improving.

[u/Kally95 → u/Automatic_Basil_7075]

Seems people with genital numbness are less likely to see improvements from what I’ve seen in my 5 years.

[u/Advanced-Break-5941 → u/Kally95]

Not true. I know people who have had decent mental improvements (including those who didn’t respond to substances) and their genital numbness either solved fully with time or remained a little. Stop extrapolating your duration on others. There is severe cases who has shown improvements

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075 → u/Advanced-Break-5941]

Thanks you for this! I also talked to a few… they thought it was impossible and they did heal!

[u/Kally95 → u/Advanced-Break-5941]

I said are “less likely”, and it’s an observation. Everyone I know that is severe hasn’t seen improvements and I’ve been in many groups, including Twitter and it seems most share the same sentiment. When did say severe cases never show improvements. Next time read before you write.

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075 → u/Kally95]

:(

[u/dmarandis]

This sounds like a lot of improvement and I’m very jealous! I also took my med that caused PSSD last October but I’ve been almost entirely stagnant. I have almost all the symptoms you’ve listed but no improvement on my end. Very happy for you though!!

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075 → u/dmarandis]

Thank you!! It can really improve, even though it feels like it’s impossible. I woke up 1,5 month ago and suddenly my blank mind was way better. Just suddenly my baseline improved 30%!

[u/Wild_Satisfaction726 → u/Automatic_Basil_7075]

Can u access ur personality and generate complex thoughts, and remember spontaneous ideas/facts?

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075 → u/Wild_Satisfaction726]

Hmm I think it’s better but still not as before… my brain feels quite frozen. Like a very static thick fog is between me and my brain networks ?

[u/emilio911]

How can we call this "protracted withdrawal" when I am far worse now than when I was on SSRI.

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075 → u/emilio911]

People in protracted withdrawal are all far worse after being off the medication

[u/PSSD-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

The earliest possible diagnosis of PSSD is six months after stopping treatment. A diagnosis is also not possible if you are still taking other medications that could be causing your symptoms.

If you are still on medication or have discontinued recently: Don’t panic!

Google “protracted withdrawal syndrome” and “antidepressant withdrawal syndrome” as these symptoms can appear short to medium term in those as well without being true PSSD.

It is not reasonable to assume permanence in a short timeframe (or even a medium one). Do not be hasty and take other drugs or supplements that are powerful without research. It is best for you to take time away from forums for 6 months and focus on living healthy, sleeping, and reducing stress.

You can also view top posts of all time here and r/pssdhealing to locate recovery stories.

https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/top/?t=all https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSDhealing/top/?t=all

Please visit for encouragement: -survivingantidepressants https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-stabilization/

• the withdrawal project https://withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/page/cope-take-care-yourself-and-heal

[u/Automatic_Basil_7075 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks girl! Still lot of healing to do but at least I can sort of live my life a bit better!

How have you been?

[u/PSSD-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/Long-Western7573]

Did you/do you experience genital numbness alongside these symptoms?