Re: Do SSRI's reduce focus?

[Saffron]

Based on my own experience, I’m going to say yes, but with important qualifiers. I’m sure Dr. J will be along shortly to provide the bigger picture. *waving at Dr J*

First, there’s a point at which, without the SSRI, the depression definitely destroys your focus. Therefore, just having an SSRI kick in and experiencing relief from all of the negative mental noise and accompanying fatigue actually improves your mental performance. I know that I also sleep better, partly because I no longer have that “lying awake tormenting myself with self-recrimination for reasons that escape me” problem. So the increase in high-quality rest makes me perform better mentally too.

Second, I—and apparently many others—do experience a kind of decline in initiative (inertia, lack of get-up-and-go) after a while taking SSRIs. However, I have found that both exercise and my stimulant med counteract this problem nicely. And I do think that treating depression should be job number one.

By the way, that first uplifting phase when an SSRI kicks in, but before it encourages sluggishness, is the golden window for starting an exercise routine of some kind. Doing so could help prevent this side effect altogether. I hope you find yourself feeling better every day and that your assessment leads to more hope and positive changes.

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