Hey, friends! It’s been a long time—too long—since I have written a blog post. Have you missed me? (Don’t answer that!) 🙂 My excuse, as lame as it is, is that I have been quite busy. I mean, this is factual, but we’re all busy, right? In fact, we are all probably too busy in this culture—but that’s another blog post. Anyway, I just thought I’d give a brief update on my own mental health and what I am up to these days.

Things have actually been really good for me lately. I feel healthy, overall. (Yes, I could still stand to lose that extra 15 pounds that’s been plaguing me, but I have a love affair with donuts.) But mentally, I have been doing well. I still check in with my EMDR therapist from time to time to get tune-ups, I still have regular coaching sessions, I still stay active and connected to my church, and I still take my medication.

About that medication…

For any of you that have read my story from the start, you know that I went through a really dark time with depression and anxiety. And as part of my successful treatment, my doctor and I decided that an antidepressant medication would be helpful. After the first one failed, I tried another and found some relief. (I take the generic Zoloft; Sertraline.) I truly think it was/is a valuable component of my treatment. However, I have always hoped that I could eventually discontinue its use.

Well, that time is upon me. I have taken this med now for about 19 months. And about three weeks ago, I talked to my doctor about weaning off of this med. We both agreed that it is a good time to try it, but it is a decision that I am not taking lightly—and, quite honestly, I am a little nervous about.

These are the things my doctor and I took into account: the weather is (or should be) better this time of year, I have much better coping mechanisms because of therapy, my current circumstances are much different than they were, and I continue to have a great support system. With all of these in mind, we decided to half my dose for a few weeks.

So, it’s been about three weeks of a half dose of my antidepressant and I am still doing well. I have noticed that I occasionally get easily irritated, though. (But if you worked with the firefighters I work with, you’d be irritated too! Kidding, dudes! Kidding!) Other than that, I still feel good. I hope that I will be able to completely discontinue the med soon, but I am taking it a step at a time.

I say all of this to make a couple points…

1. Antidepressant medication can be a good option for those struggling with depression and anxiety. Don’t wait to talk to your doctor if you’re struggling.
2. Medication is only one piece of a sometimes complicated puzzle of mental health. And it also seems to be more of an art than a science. Make sure you don’t put all of your “mental health eggs” in one “medication basket.”
3. If it turns out that I am unable to wean off my medication and stay mentally well, I do not consider that a fail! Actually, I consider it a win that I have found something that has helped me recover and stay healthy.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and continuing to be a part of my online community—even though I’ve been too busy to write recently. As always, please feel free to comment below and share your own experiences!

Be well…

P.S. If you have a story to tell and would like to join Jim Ladiski Writes as a guest blogger, please contact me!