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purplesocialist

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  • in reply to: Spirituality and Student Loans #63836
    purplesocialist
    Participant

    I hear ya, Hyo.

    I knew going into my chosen field (Social Work) that the money would be low and demands on me would be great.

    Luckily there is the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program. Whether or not there will be money available in the fund when it comes time for my loans to be forgiven is another story but I try to remain hopeful and not think about it.

    Some employers, if you’re lucky, will pay off a percentage of your student loans in exchange for a commitment to work for them for x amount of years. I know this applies to licensed mental health professionals (LCSWS, Psy Ds, LCPCs, etc.). I am not sure how it may or may not work for an Occupational Therapist.

    I want to travel but find that my current salary and a looming hospital bill are preventing me. I know in time I will travel to my heart’s content….or at least that’s what I tell myself. =)

    in reply to: Experience with Zoloft and other SSRI's #63831
    purplesocialist
    Participant

    Hi, LittleCoconut,

    I was prescribed Zoloft around December or so. I was in a really bad relationship and instead of ending the relationship I blamed myself and thought it was I who needed fixing. I will say Zoloft was helpful in stabilizing my moods-I didn’t have as much anger as I do now. I also couldn’t get really happy or really sad. It would have been nice to just stop the sadness but not the happiness too.

    I went to a psychiatrist and she prescribed 75MG. I was told to take 25 the firs week, 50 the 2nd, and 75 the 3rd. I only made it to 50 and that was kind of rocky. The first two days I took 50MG I felt nauseous and numb. I could barely eat but I was weak because my body needed food. I went down to 25 for a few days and then went up to 50mg, taking 25 in the day and 25 after I got home from work.

    A few weeks ago I stopped Zoloft cold turkey. I had read all the horror stories but decided to do it anyway. I knew if I went to my (now former) psychiatrist she’d probably try to talk me out of it and all that jazz. The first week I had twitching legs at night, so bad I couldn’t even sleep and NOTHING helped. It was awful. I also notice since being on it I can go from happy to really angry really quickly. I’m working on this by trying to engage in mindfulness and trying to let things roll off of me.

    Zoloft and other SSRIs can be great for some people. I don’t regret taking them but I also know a lot of my circumstances during the time I started them lead me to seek it out.

    I live in a city where the winters are brutal and I’m already trying to formulate my self-care plan: massage, aromatherapy, reiki, meditation, yoga, etc. I am not saying these things will help everyone but I do think massage, acupuncture, reiki, etc. can be helpful additions to SSRIs or a great way to decrease the dosage. Of course I’m not a doctor and this isn’t medical advice. I’m only speaking about things that have worked FOR ME.

    Best of luck, LittleCoconut. I love your name by the way. =)

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