Setraline is too stimulating at 18,5 mg but i cant reduce it :(
Additional context about my sertraline history and current state:
I’ve been on sertraline since summer 2023. My maximum dose was 87.5 mg.
In March 2024, I started tapering because I began to feel completely dissociated on it. At first, I reduced by 6.5 mg, but that clearly destabilized me, so I switched to very slow hyperbolic tapering.
My last two reductions were:
August 2025
Beginning of January 2026
Currently on 18,5 mg.
After the last reduction, something very noticeable happened for the first time:
I suddenly felt emotional security. I could think clearly, feel my emotions, and process many things that had been buried. Emotionally, I felt more regulated than I had in a long time.
But at the same time, I became extremely sensitive to stimulation.
I could barely look at my phone
Even 1 minute on my phone could put me into activation
Screens and mental input felt intolerable
So emotionally I felt more present and regulated, but neurologically/sensorily I felt extremely overstimulated.
About a month later, I tried to reduce by 0.1 mg, but it felt like too much. I returned to the previous dose the next day, but that change destabilized me for a long time.
Looking back, I’m starting to question whether sertraline ever really helped me. It feels more like it always kept me in an activated state, but I didn’t understand it at the time.
At the same time, I do feel that I am healing in many ways through nervous system practices:
less emotional eating
more awareness of feelings
coming out of a long “freeze” state
feeling emotions again
But the overstimulation is not improving, which makes me suspect that my current sertraline dose might be contributing to it.
I feel stuck:
I’m scared to reduce, even by 0.1 mg, because my system feels very raw
But I also feel like I can’t continue living in this constant overstimulation
My intuition says “don’t reduce right now,” but my quality of life is very low.
Thankful for any advice 🙏