Medicines used to treat body dysmorphic disorder - Part 3
Are SSRI antidepressants addictive?
SSRIs are not tranquillisers, and are not thought to be addictive. (This is disputed by some people, and so this is a controversial issue. If addiction does occur, it is only in a minority of cases.) Most people can stop an SSRI without any problem. At the end of a course of treatment you should reduce the dose gradually over about four weeks before finally stopping. This is because some people develop 'withdrawal' symptoms if the medication is stopped abruptly.
Withdrawal symptoms that may occur include: dizziness, anxiety and agitation, sleep disturbance, 'flu-like symptoms, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, pins and needles, mood swings, feeling sick, and low mood. These symptoms are unlikely to occur if you reduce the dose gradually. If withdrawal symptoms do occur, they will usually last less than two weeks. An option if they do occur is to restart the medicine, and then reduce the dose even more slowly before stopping.
By Michelle Hall
Average rating:
Where to next?
-
CBT plus antidepressants
-
What are the somatoform disorders? Part 2
-
Somatization and Somatoform Disorders
-
Somatization
-
What are the somatoform disorders?
-
Who gets somatoform disorders and what causes them?
-
What is the treatment for somatoform disorders?
-
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
-
What is body dysmorphic disorder?
-
What causes body dysmorphic disorder?
-
Who gets body dysmorphic disorder?
