Acrostics22 posted this update in 2010 when he was 25. The original post was on Depression Forums, and can be found here.
Acrostics22 claims:
“Hello all!
I am a 25 year old male. I had taken some form of anti-depressant medication since I was 20. Afterward, for about a year I suffered from what I thought was “PSSD”, or Post-SSRI-Sexual-Dysfunction. I took Prozac for almost 5 years, along with bouts of Wellbutrin, Adderall, Vyvanse, Anti-anxiety meds, etc… and I never noticed a change in my sexual functioning while on the meds, so I never saw a need to alter, or go off of them. Then suddenly, after a year of taking all of these together, I became completely impotent overnight. I had a complete mental breakdown, and ended up in a behavioral medical center. Twice.
I went off all my meds, and for almost a year I had little to no sexual function. I didn’t realize it before, but apparently sex is/was EXTREMELY important to me. I was never warned of the sexual side effects of these kind of medications (if I HAD been, I never would have touched them). I hated my doctors for putting me on them and not warning me. I hated myself for ever going on them, because I felt like I’d ruined my life. I thought about suicide every day, and cried every day.
The only thing that seemed to solve the problem was going back on Wellbutrin (which I’d read repeatedly on different websites, as something that could help). While this seemed to temporarily help the problem, it also made me manic, and I decided I just really didn’t want to be on meds anymore, since that’s what got me in this situation to begin with. I don’t want to rely on taking meds my whole life. I had also read that PSSD can go away with exercise.
WHAT FINALLY WORKED is a combination of the following things:
I joined a gym. Every Tuesday I go to a step aerobics class. You may be skeptical about it, but it is a TON of fun, in addition to being the best cardio workout i’ve ever done. I push myself as hard as I can go, and sweat my *** off. I go to the gym at LEAST once a week. I do Yoga when I can also.
I started seeing an Acupuncturist. I am new acupuncture CONVERT, it is AMAZING. The very first session I could ABSOLUTELY feel working. He put needles in the back of my neck and top of my head that made my mind swim like I was stoned, and then suddenly it was like a fog lifted and my brain was flooded with endorphins (something I felt like I could only get from meds anymore). He also uses pins in my stomach, for my previously absent libido. Leaving his office, the air outside smelled better than it had in YEARS, and I could feel the pull of my libido waking back up. It’s like it rebooted my brain. I’m still going every week, and getting better and better. I would recommend Acupuncture to ANYBODY. I know you’re probably skeptical about this too
I’m taking vitamins. Omega 3’s (anywhere from 3-9 a day), and a Chinese Herbal medicine called “Emporer’s Tea Extract”. Both of these are EXCELLENT for rebuilding brain power. I also began taking a Men’s Sexual Health supplement called Zenerx. I would HIGHLY reccomend Zenerx, at least temporarily. I asked my acupuncturist if the ingredients in it were alright, and he said it’s just more chinese herbs, and perfectly safe. I’ve since stopped taking it every day, but I have it just in case I want a little extra boost.
Last weekend, after months of barely even being able to get an erection, and when I did having it not last for longer than a couple minutes, or sometimes even seconds, I spent the night with a girl last weekend and I am BACK. Seriously, I wanted to **** myself just a few months ago because I felt like I’d destroyed my brain (my thoughts were cloudy all the time, and it had been months since I’d even had morning wood), and now my thinking is getting clearer, and my LIBIDO is back and as strong as it was when I was 18. I feel like a kid again.
—
I used to spend HOURS obsessing, pouring over people’s accounts of PSSD, and diminished brain power from Meds; and I almost never read ANYTHING positive. People suggested to me that maybe those people who recovered simply do not bother logging back on to tell their success stories. They just post the problem, and when the problem goes away they stop posting. So I decided I had to post my story here, to let people know that there IS an answer. You may have to work for it, but there IS a cure for the damage these terrible drugs do to a person.
Also, If you smoke cigarettes, STOP. Cigarettes at least. This makes it WAY easier to get back into shape. I’ve quit self medicating also, but that’s for personal reasons. Moderate your alcohol intake also, if you drink.
So that’s my story, and I hope it brings hope to even one other person out there. I’m happier than I ever thought I was going to be again, and you can be too.
Peace.”
