This is PSSD? How to life with
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some insights or similar experiences. I originally went to a psychiatrist for purely somatic symptoms of stress and anxiety. I had no depression, no sadness, and no anhedonia. I was prescribed Trittico (Trazodone) and took it for a month, including 3 weeks at a full antidepressant dose.
During treatment, something went completely wrong. I lost all internal signals of hunger and thirst. My brain sends 0% of these signals now. It has been 6 months since I completely stopped the drug, and nothing has improved.
On top of that, my sleep architecture is completely ruined. Before the med, I only had minor trouble falling asleep due to stress. Now, I sleep a maximum of 5 hours a night (often less). It feels like my brain completely forgot how to enter deep sleep stages. I haven’t had a good night's sleep in about a year and a half.
Unfortunately, I experienced massive medical gaslighting. When I told my top local psychiatrist that I don't feel hunger or thirst, he didn't believe me. He diagnosed me with "acute psychotic disorder" and schizophrenia, then put me on heavy antipsychotics. I was in complete shock. I changed doctors, and currently, I am taking the morning and Quetiapine at night just to get some miserable sleep, but it barely works.
The strange part is: my sexuality and emotions are completely intact. I feel emotions normally and have no sexual dysfunction. I live in constant fear because of all this.
Is this still considered a form of PSSD or Post-Antidepressant Syndrome (PAS)? Has anyone else lost their interoception (hunger/thirst) and sleep profile without losing their libido? Are these receptor changes or is there a chance my brain will remember how to sleep and feel hunger again?
Thank you for any replies. I live in constant fear because all od this. How life with this, how to live without sleep.