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Hi All. I have been looking at this site for a while now before joining. I am glad to meet you all, and thank the moderators and members for the support and comfort they give to others. My main reason for joining SA at this time is to connect with others who are going through withdrawal and tapering. Although I have some friends who have been wonderful and supportive, they do no really understand what withdrawal is like and how scared I feel about starting to taper and everything about WD, once I have stablized on reinstating Citalopram. I need to accept my situation, but some days I feel so frustrated and afraid. I am so keen to feel and be positive, as I feel having the right mind set can really help. This has been made harder the last few weeks by having a very sick parent, and has caused a lot of ongoing stress after getting to a much better place.

AblazingTulip – Introduction Until 2016 (Refer to my “About Me”.) Antidepressants: Many different meds and treatments, including fluoxetine, and "everything else", for approximately 23 years. 2016 to 2023-May-30 (7 years). Antidepressants: Venlafaxine (Venlor) 150mg for 7 years (no breaks). Lithium carbonate (Camcolit) 1,000mg the last 4 years. 400mg the initial 3 years. Bupropion (Wellbutrin) 2023-Jun-01 For 6 weeks Antidepressants: (Tapered at 50% dosage for 6 weeks. The research I fleetingly did stated "4 four weeks" should suffice. Since this is my health after all, I thought I would play it safe, and "taper" an extra 2 weeks. Let my ignorance stand in testament alongside the "experts".) Venlafaxine (Venlor) 75mg. Lithium carbonate (Camcolit) 500mg. Bupropion (Wellbutrin) 2023-Jul-13 to 2023-Nov-19 (±4 months) Antidepressants: None. (Acute ADS (AWS)) 2024-Nov-20 to 2024-Feb-09 (±2.5 months) Antidepressants: Benzodiazepine (Purata), 30mg, prescribed as sleeping tablet! It’s an AD (antidepressant) ☹. The Dr. didn’t tell me this. And I did not check. (Yes, I am still ignorant.) Approximately 10 tablets taken in total, sporadically (as needed) over a 10-week period, since 20 Nov 2023. It explains my minor relapse of ADS (AWS). A number of times the tablet had zero effect for sleeping. Last taken 9 Feb 2024. On a personal note to all visitors, members, admins, and moderators: ❤️ Thank you to everyone that had been here before, left their mark in our hearts, and moved on. ❤️ Thank you for everyone here and now, for all these years. It seems at least 2 decades, despite the site only going back to 2011. ❤️ Thank you for all the valuable information you have shared and continue to share. ❤️ Thank you most of all to Altostrata and the other founding members. I hug (it's how I roll) you in humble gratitude, for all you have done, and continue to do. ❤️ Thank you also for all the new members joining with me, and those waiting their turn to join. Taking care of ourselves has become a priority, finally. Well done to us! There are at least two other "Tulips" that I have seen on this site. So I guess I will have to be AblazingTulip. My journey is not one of tapering. That I have done. But in a terrible way. My story is already one of success. But I have much healing ahead of me still, and a mountain of learning. I look forward to it, and to share it with you, and help, where and when I can. I firmly believe success is ours for the taking. So let's make our futures. Successful. It won't be easy. Anything worthwhile, rarely is. My next post will be my first journal entry on this site. “Be a hand that washes another, not just one formed as a cup. (AblazingTulip)” (Photo, 2014. Words, 2019. AblazingTulip, 2024)