Hi everyone

I am the wife of a police officer (of 22 years), who has been diagnosed with work related anxiety and depression, and placed on 100 mg of Zoloft and sleeping medication. This happened ten days ago (the diagnosis).

I am not sure what to expect, and how best to help him. I have noticed in the last week that he is becoming more withdrawn, and is avoiding any kind of social activity or contact. Is that withdrawal common????

He is sleeping and eating very poorly, can't get motivated to do anything, suffering from night sweats and palpitations, and feels nauseous whenever he thinks about work. I have also found that the things he used to enjoy do not hold any appeal for him, and he is easy to anger.

This feels bizarre to me, because up until the last year, he has loved his job.

I would really appreciate any experience you might be able to share with me, his introversion scares me.

Thanks

Lyn

Everything you described sounds pretty common for anxiety and depression. Do you know what sleeping medication he's taking? Some of them can cause some of these symptoms too.

It can often take 2-4 weeks for the Zoloft to begin to work so don't expect any changes right away.

When you say "his introversion scares you" are you referring to a concern that he may do something to harm himself in some way?

Is he going to talk therapy too? Or is he just taking the medication at this point?

I don't mean to frighten you in any way, but you should be warned that SOME people have become even more depressed taking Zoloft, so please be sure to keep an eye on him (his behaviors) and stay in contact with his doctor.

Hi Lynn,

Take a look at adrenal fatigue. I just read this book and some of what you describe sounds very familar particularly the anger. I had mine tested and sure enough it was way off and treatment is helping, especially the electrolyte balancing with the sodium. I could not tolerate the antidepressants.

http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/

Hi
when my son was on Luvox (an SSRI in the same cat as Zoloft) he also became withdrawn and quite morose. He reacted badly to all thse kinds of meds
It would be wise to look into side effects and also interactions of the meds he is on just in case those are to blame

I do hope things stabilize for him. I cant begin to imagine how traumatic his job must be, and do hope that, in addition to meds, he is being offered counselling too. That is SO very important in providing a complete therapy for anxiety and depression.

all the best to you

Hi Lynn....I think you have good cause for concern. If he were my husband, I would point blank ask him if he's thinking about killing himself. I'm not trying to scare you but talking about his feelings, what ever they may be, would be a good thing.

I was put on Prozac for one year and became more suicidal and then spent a year on zoloft and became even more suicidal to the point I had to go sign myself into a place to try and get some help.

I have tried a lot of meds and the side effects were so bad with me that I couldn't take any. I now have a VNS in me for depression which is still not doing the job.

My husband was on Celexa up until he passed in Nov and he loved it. You might want to ask for a newer brand.

Also it sounds like your husband is having panic attacks.

Do try and get him as much help as possible before it gets so bad that he can't come back up.

Is he in councelling? I have been in Councelling for over 8 years it has helped me and kept me from doing something drastic.

I hope he does start feeling better and I am glad that he has you to help him through this. Everyone needs support from loved ones.

Take care,
Ada

You've been given a lot of good advice here, but I think it's important to remember that each person reacts to anxiety and depression, and the meds used to treat them, in his or her own way. The best thing to do is to keep an eye on your husband, and see how he adapts in the long run. If there is no improvement in the next three or four weeks, be sure to bring that up with his doctor. And of course if he starts seeming dark and moody, you should intervene right away. That's not a good place for him to be. I can tell you from my experience that the most helpful thing is the support of those who he counts on. But you can't be pushy about it, or he's likely to become defensive. I hope all the best for your husband, and for you as well. Good luck and the very best of wishes.

Idealist