Well, Confused. the Lexarpo he prescribed can help. The rumination, oh, how wonderful if it’d be gone, wouldn’t it?

Lerxarpo became a thing after my time, an improved prescription.

What’s important is how you feel, that you place your own interest high above. Be on your side, Make yourself the most important person- not in her life- but in your own.

🍷🌙🤍✨️ Anita

Hey 👋 Confused:

Things are not black and white/ all or nothing (binary thinking) when it comes to mental health. You can be depressed and obsessive without fitting neatly into either diagnosis.

“It’s not gonna cover my symptoms”- I don’t understand

🤔 Anita

Thomas 🙂:

Thank you for taking the time to explain what the finger and the moon mean to you. I can see how much thought you put into how to handle whatever life brings, and how acceptance helps you stay steady when things feel uncertain.

I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with so many health worries — that’s a lot for anyone. I hope you can be gentle with yourself as you go through all this. Your way of looking at life has a quiet strength to it, and I appreciate you sharing it here.

And that last line you wrote… it touched me. I’m glad you’re here with us 🙏🙏🙏

🤍 Anita

How are you, Going Through Life day 13 of the war(?

🤔🤪 Anita

How are you, Sonia, 17 days since you posted last?

🤍 Anita

Good morning (7 am here, West coast, U.S.A- by the time I submit this message), Good afternoon (4 pm in Greece):

You asked about withdrawal from Klonipin (generic name: Clonazepam) in your previous message. It was very difficult. I kept lowering amounts and stopping altogether only to take it again for the longest time because of the feeling of panic and insomnia when withdrawing.

I did a little study this morning on SSRIs and their effect on MDD & OCD. Here it is:

SSRIs increase serotonin availability in the brain, which can reduce symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). They are considered first‑line treatments for both conditions.

Escitalopram (Lexapro, in the U.S.) is widely studied and is considered one of the more effective and better‑tolerated SSRIs for major depression. A 2023 systematic review found escitalopram superior to several other antidepressants in acute‑phase treatment of MDD.

Many people begin noticing improvement within 2–4 weeks, with full effects often taking 6–8 weeks.

OCD generally requires higher SSRI doses and longer treatment duration than depression.

SSRIs are effective for 40–60% of people with OCD. Improvement often takes 8–12 weeks, sometimes longer.

Many clinicians gradually increase SSRIs to the maximum tolerated dose for OCD because lower doses may not be sufficient. This is consistent with expert guidance that OCD often responds better to higher SSRI exposure.

Escitalopram at 10 mg is the standard starting and therapeutic dose for major depressive disorder. Many people respond well at this dose. For OCD, 10 mg may help, but OCD typically requires higher doses (e.g., 20 mg or more) for optimal effect.

Whether 10 mg is appropriate depends on the individual, their symptoms, side‑effect tolerance, and a clinician’s judgment.

Any dose changes should always be guided by a healthcare professional.

Most SSRIs share a similar side‑effect profile. Many effects are mild and improve over time, especially in the first 1–2 weeks.

* I was on Sertraline (Zoloft, in the U.S.), one of the most studied SSRIs for OCD, “Flexible dosing up to 200 mg, which is important because OCD often needs higher doses”, I read today (I was on 400 mg for years!)

For a much shorter time, I was on another SSRI: Fluoxetine (Prozac).

🧪 💊 🧫 Anita

Wow, Confused: you are Greek? If you were born in Greece and live there, then you are a short distance from where I was born and grew up in (Israel).

It’s only yesterday that I talked in real-life to a man born in Greek He’s very much a proud of his heritage, knows a whole lot of history of Greece and talks about it.

Some of my favorite time was visiting Greece back in my 20s.

As to Zoloft, why I was on it for so long- good question. The psychiatrist told me that the prognosis was that I will always be depressed, lifetime. He was wrong, just to show you that psychiatrists can be wrong.

It was not difficult to get off Zoloft. It was very difficult to get off the Clonazepam (Klonipin) I took together with Zoloft.

I’ll write more later.