It's been simply ages since I posted and that's in part due to Sertraline. I've been taking 50mg daily since May last year and find them very good. They do take a while to properly kick in, and you can feel a bit worse to start with, but I am now a different person (according to OH). The doc also sent me for CBT which I had from about Sept to January and that was good as well. So, how am I different? Well, I can stand in shops now and chat instead of feeling that awful 'got to move, got to get on' anxiety. I've only had two or three seriously stressed moments in about a year. I am eating more (some of my anxiety is food related). It's not a miracle cure - I still hate eating out and get stressed about it and there are days when I don't feel so good but the good days far outnumber the bad now. I stopped the HRT in October as well and haven't missed it - I do take Starflower for hot flushes but I don't always remember to take one and I haven't really noticed much flushing recently. Other things that have worked for me include mindfulness (Ruby Wax's book is an excellent read) and taking the time out to have a short period of quiet time every day when I sit and meditate (now I shall be honest and say I sometimes fall asleep which you are not supposed to) but having that time has become important to me and it's sacrosanct now. I also recently read a book by a journalist called David Adam who has OCD. Ruby talks about obsessive thoughts in her book, which I also have. The psychologist I saw didn't think I had OCD but having read David's book, his story is a lot like mine. And OH agrees. So I have taken the step to 'come out', so to speak, and talk to folk about my obsessive thoughts, why I find doing certain things hard etc. It's not easy but it does eliminate the need to think of excuses for stuff, you can just say 'no' and be honest about it. That in itself has lowered my stress and anxiety levels no end.
I have to say that I have no plans to come off the Sertraline as it's helped me and I shall resist any attempts by the doc's to take me off (not that anyone has suggested it). I am convinced that my OCD obsessions (which I think could come under the term 'pure O') are just something that I was born with and there is no cure, you just have to manage them. Perhaps the meno has made them worse? Who knows? Hope that helps.
