How do effective antidepressants affect your emotions?

I am experiencing a very difficult time -- had a nervous breakdown last June and am still recovering/stabilizing. I just decided to try out 10 mg Prozac to help me further stabilize.

My root issue that I'm dealing with in therapy is emotional suppression, and it's been helpful working through the issues. However, my BIGGEST fear is that my antidepressant is going to blunt my emotions, and numb me out.

I know this isn't true of all medications, and it takes a few tries to find the right one. But when you DO find the right one that works for you, how does it affect your emotions? Does it take away from them at all, or make you not feel them as FULLY? Or do you feel "normal"?

On lithium and one low dose antidepressant, I feel normal. In fact, I feel more myself than med free. Not on meds, I feel depressed, irritable, and out of control. I hate mood swings and dark rages. I want to be stable and able to live my life. It took a long time to get the right meds, but I am good on them. Without the darkness, I am able to love more and enjoy life more.

I'm on lithium and a high dose of Zoloft (antidepressant). My emotions are not blunted at all. I still get upset and cry, get angry, feel happy, etc. Emotionally I feel like myself, which is so nice after 2 years of crippling depression.

That reassures me a lot. This is my biggest worry, that the antidepressant will make me feel more "happy", thus hide all the negative feelings, which are important to express. I hear from a lot of people that they are "leveled out" and somewhat muted, that when they feel happy it's not "total happiness" as you'd feel off medication?

But I know everyone is different also..

Thank you. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to experience both the positive AND the negative (yes, that too). I'm in therapy now and it's important for me to talk about the uncomfortable emotions, so I was worried that an antidepressant would just "make me feel happy" and not truly myself.

Thanks again.

No problem.
In the last 3 years, I have covered very painful topics in therapy. I have cried and mourned some losses in my life for the first time on these meds. For me, I am less distracted by the smothering blanket of depression and able to focus on those underlying tragedies. Unmedicated I am constantly upset, depressed, and angry. Medicated I still experience those things, just not constantly. Therapy has helped me a lot too.

Thanks again. This reassures me. I hope it works out for me the way it’s worked out for you.
All the best

You (and your therapist) will be able to tell if meds are making you feel "flat" or "numb," as your outward affect will likely show the blunting.

I have had all kinds of experiences with meds. At best, they allow me to feel a full range of emotions, with no specific emotion feeling exaggerated.

I hope you find the "sweet spot"-- the perfect spot-- with your medication.
Don't be afraid to tell your prescribing doc if you are feeling "off."


WC

Thank you so much. Yeah, I am making such good progress with therapy, but because of the stress I'm feeling on the outside I'm not so well. This is encouraging. The most important thing for me is to heal the underlying issues. It's only been a few days I've been on Prozac, so I'm not sure how the long-term effect will be.

Thanks again.