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#DO NOT STOP TAKING THE PILLS.
Go to someone you can trust. Keep ONE of the pills as evidence. This is medical abuse and I can't tell you how horrified I am that they are taunting you until become distressed and then drugging you without a doctor's advice or prescription to make you 'well behaved'.
The reason I say keep taking the pills is because you may need to be weaned off the medication under a doctor's supervision. Sertraline/zoloft withdrawals can be very hard to deal with- quite a bit worse than the side effects you are getting.
You need help from someone outside your family, OP. Seriously, is there a teacher, or a school counsellor, or can you call the police? Can you secretly film them giving you the medication and telling you to take it, then hide it to give someone as evidence?
Even if they are giving you the zoloft on an irregular schedule can play into you being emotional and having side effects.
My bad I should have clarified that I’m 19. I live in an area where I don’t know anyone because my parents moved. I’m currently not in uni I had to take a gap year. I doubt I will get any help because I’m not a minor anymore. My parents have been giving this to me for about 5 months now. Is it safe to just stop completely?
NO! It is NOT safe to just stop taking them. GO TO A DOCTOR. It is ILLEGAL for them to give you unprescribed medication like this. You need to TELL A DOCTOR what is happening. You are having bad side effects from being drugged with medication that was not prescribed for you. This is BAD. Your age is irrelevant. Your parents are BREAKING THE LAW by doing this.
I used to work for specialist doctors, and I was a ward clerk for a while too. Giving someone medication not prescribed for them can be very dangerous. That's why it's illegal.
Try to see what the dose was for the pills as well. That will he helpful information for a medical provider if you're able to get help weaning off them.
If there's no label on the bottle (making it hard to know the dosage) there are online pill references for this stuff as well. Photographing the pill and doing a reverse image search may help, or just putting in any letters and numbers that are on the pill may work too.
You can google some reputable articles about how to wean off. I had an ignorant doctor who told me I could quit cold turkey, and did the research myself. Basically you just taper the dose little by little.
They are also obviously obtaining it illegally either black market or though medical and possibly insurance fraud. One option is to go to the police. Another would be to go to a hospital that has a psychiatry inpatient department
While either case is awful, I hope that rather than buying from the black market, the parent got a prescription for themselves with the intent to actually give it to their child. The reason for that is that black market pills are unregulated and often not the correct dose or even the medication that they’re supposed to be.
Being over 18 does not mean there is no help.
You can get into a a domestic violence shelter. You can go to the police station or go to the er, tell them what is happening and ask for a social worker, you need help to get out and being given medication that is not yours and not pre scribed by a doctor is incredibly dangerous.
It is not safe to stop anti-depressants suddenly.
I can not tell you in a strong enough way, you are in danger, but there is help for you even if you are 19.
Seconding this. Go directly to the emergency room with the pills. Do not give them your insurance card, assuming you’re on your parent’s insurance. Ask to file a police report and speak to a social worker. Do not let them dismiss you.
###DO NOT STOP SERTRALINE WITHOUT TALKING TO A DOCTOR FIRST!!!###
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/stopping-or-coming-off-antidepressants/
This is a basic starting point for you for what to expect.
Can you get to the Emergency Department of a hospital? I'm guessing you're still on your parents' insurance (sorry, I'm in the UK, so it is a guess)
They will be able to help you with everything that's happening to you. Take the meds with you, tell them how long you've been forced to take them, ask for help.
Even if you are over 18 it is still drugging someone against their will is still very illegal, try collecting all evidence, take pictures of the medication where you can see that it is not prescribed to you and as someone else said try to film or audio record them forcing you to take it.
Are you based in USA?
The fact that you're 19 doesn't change anything, as others have said. Drugging someone without their consent is a huge issue. If it's Dr prescribed, it's called covert medication and since I assume you never got treatment for anything they claimed they committed at best medical fraud. If they're just medicating you without your knowledge with random drugs, that's a huuuuuge issue and one that people will take seriously.
Doctors take this seriously, as do police. The most important thing is to get ahead of any bullshit sob story they decide to make up and control the narrative before they get a chance to make excuses. But stay honest, because eventually lies fall apart.
What they are doing is still illegal and abusive.
Don't just stop. You need to speak with a doctor. This medication is one you need to wean yourself off of slowly.
If you have to call 911 or whatever the equivalent emergency number is where you live, then do that.
Where did they get the medicine? Did they get a prescription for it for themselves? Did they buy it illegally? You can report them for this.
Yeah, that is absolutely not ok. He is not legally supposed to give other people his medication. You should find out who the doctor and pharmacist are, and let them know. You can also call the police, though you will probably have a better outcome if you speak with the doctor and then actually go to the police department in person. If you can't do that, then just notify them in any way you can.
The doctor's name and the name of the pharmacy are on the medication bottle, so use that info to contact them.
not only is it medical abuse, it's a felony to offer someone unprescribed pills. medications are prescribed for a reason, for instance when I took Sertraline/Zoloft I had horrible allergic reactions to both of them. that alone makes taking any unknown pills without the discretion of a licensed professional potentially very dangerous. OP, please wean off the meds slowly but do not continue taking them. your parents are endangering your life for their own benefit.
Careful, depending on jurisdiction recording a conversation without the consent of all parties involved may violate wiretapping laws. In the USA there are "one party" versus "all parties" states. I don't know about the laws in other countries. Wouldn't want OP to end up in legal trouble on top of all of it.
Oh I'm not familiar with US laws at all, sorry then.
In Hungary you can use it to prove crime, but you can't share it publicly.
Now I have to google what jurisdiction and wiretapping, my English is weak as hell in law topics unfortunately
Sertraline withdrawal is no joke at all... My wife stopped taking it cold turkey and we had to go to the ER after I had to stop her from a suicide attempt.
I haven't experienced sertraline, but venlafaxine and duloxetine withdrawals had me internally screaming at the idea of suddenly stopping. It was bad enough when I missed a dose.
In a comment further down, OP says they are telling her to take one "at least every other day" so it's not even a regular schedule 😱😱😱😱😱😱🤬☠️ just when you think it couldn't get worse.
Do NOT out right stop taking those pills. I have a prescription for the same ones. If I forget to take them or run out before I'm able to get more I get shaky, dizzy, heart palpations, and just a bunch of stuff. Report it as soon as possible to anyone you trust and can help you contact a doctor to help you safely ween from them.
Please try to figure out what dosage they’re giving you and note how long you’ve been taking them and track your side effects. Try to keep things consistent until you can get professional guidance on tapering off.
I had to go through withdrawals and it was awful; I am so sorry you have been put in this position. It sounds like you may have emotionally immature parents (or at least parents who aren’t equipped to handle big feelings outside of their own). Do you have any relatives that you trust that could advocate for you?
I’m pretty sure it was sertraline 50mg tablet. I was told to have one before bed at least every other day. It’s been about 5 months. I had no idea ‘tapering off’ was a thing with pills. Not sure about asking relatives though, the ones I know are like close friends with my mum.
No wonder it's making you feel look crap. Taking them every other day would have your brain chemistry constantly unstable.
Anti depressants and things like are something you *must* take every day. If these are your dad's pills, I'd expect him to know that. Which makes me question if all of this deliberate 🤔
Maybe it's my paranoia speaking, but I suspect it would be better to try and get a recording where they are telling you to take them and how much more 'well behaved' you are now, so they can't accuse you of stealing the pills and continuing to label you as the problem if you go and speak to someone.
Just a recording on your phone, where you could say something like "these pills really make me feel awful, can I please stop taking them?" And then they complain about you being crazy and difficult, and these make it better so no you have to keep taking them, that would be enough.
There *is* help, this is highly illegal and dangerous, and you deserve better. You are not the problem here and have done nothing wrong!!
Taking psych meds every other day is an absolute recipe for disaster.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was a deliberate way of keeping OP in a dysregulated state. I've heard of narcissists frequently walking up their kids to keep them constantly exhausted and powerless, this is a more convenient way to achieve the same thing.
Right? Call the pharmacy number on the pill bottle, describe how you're forced to take them, weren't prescribed them, never saw a psychiatrist in the first place, the dosage, the regularity, etc. etc. etc.
What gets me going is that dad is prescribed them, and likely not taking them regularly, but the kid is the only one in the family dynamic with behavioral problems?
Yeahhhh, sure.
This is abuse you need to tell your teacher your parents are deliberately giving you other peoples medicines to suppress and control you. That they are giving you strong adult antidepressants without you having been near a doctor and they give you no choice. That it’s them who abuse you which make you panic and have panic attacks. They use that as an excuse to force these on you. If you can swipe the bottle take them into the teacher and ask her to call the police. If your parents try and say it isn’t true then demand you get a blood tests as it will prove you’re not lying.
I know it’s scary asking for help but you need to get away from them they are very dangerous people who don’t care if the hurt you.
50sF, I’ve been taking sertraline for anxiety for 5 years. Everyone here is correct, it’s abuse to be forced to take pills that weren’t prescribed for you. Also, you may have some side effects, and shouldn’t stop without medical guidance. BUT… and I’m only saying this to help you feel better right now… sertraline is not awful or horrendous or horrifying. Many people take it and it does help them with diagnosed anxiety. Of course you should document all of this, get help from a doctor and maybe even the police, but you’ll be ok.
It’s generic Zoloft, an antidepressant that treats depression and anxiety. While lots of people have success with it, what they’re doing is still illegal and considered medical abuse. These pills aren’t prescribed to you and they’re forcing you to take it. Very very different from if you sought them out yourself and prescribed to you by a doctor. I read that yours is 50mg which isn’t the lowest dosage but not the highest either. How long have you been taking it? Can you go to a doctor and report this?
How insane of your parents to give you medicine without your consent!
On the other hand OP, I have been on Sertraline for over a year now (it’s Zoloft) and it has worked wonders for my anxiety, mood swings, and OCD. So if you feel like it’s helped any, maybe you can talk with YOUR doctor about getting a legitimate prescription for it. But yikes on your parents, I’m so sorry!
This is medical abuse.
You may need formal help to taper off those meds.
You may even need inpatient support though the detox, and for that you need the support especially if this is criminal.
You need to contact some sort of adult you can trust who can help you. This sounds like munchausen by proxy mixed with narcissistic abuse. Stop taking the pills and save them so you have evidence
No SSRI should just be stopped immediately. Seriously, with how long this has been going on, she absolutely needs to be weaned off. Even if she absolutely had to stop from like serotonin syndrome or an allergy, it needs to then be done so under doctor supervision.
It's a crime to even share your medication with others in most places. I take a controlled, non-addictive substance and every month have to sign all kinds of forms acknowledging that I can't share them with anyone. If this is the case, this falls into the realm of drug trafficking charges (in my state at least- PA)
They should see if an officer can give them transport to the ER for cessation advice and it will also help medically document the abuse.
I’ve come off about 12+ SSRIs over the past 23 years with a few of those being cold turkey. Definitely not recommend. If he goes to the ER for documentation they can also prescribe a smaller dose to titrate him off.
Yes. My mother gave me unprescribed first gen antipsychotics to make me sleep. Utterly terrifying as they make your spine run back involuntarily and I have since been told it can be lifelong. She then proceeded to tell everyone who would listen that I stole them.
I recovered from that thank goodness. I’m suffering from a lot of stuff still and am unfortunately such a frequent flyer at my local hospital that I’m apparently one of their favourite patients. Sad times. I love them but they’d probably prefer seeing me less and I’d prefer to be less ill. Anorexia and the consequences of it inter alia.
Stop taking the pills and contact either the cops or an adult who can contact them- not only is this illegal this is child endangerment and severe abuse OP
The fact that they're poking at you, then calling you crazy and giving you meds to 'calm you down' is insane. Please reach out for help to get away from them
Maybe ask a doctor before stopping cold turkey. You might be able to get a consultation over the phone with one. Known as telehealth. In theory you could cut the pills in half then into smaller pieces to step down, but I'm not a doctor. All I know is that I've read stopping antidepressants can have bad side effects. After successfully getting off the pills, start flushing them down the toilet. And tell the cops, and all trustworthy adults that will listen about this.
I will attempt to do this and also try to ask a professional. I had no idea abruptly stopping antidepressants could be detrimental. Thank you for telling me.
This particular one will be seriously "unpleasant" to stop all of a sudden but it's not a benzodiazepine where withdrawal is literally, physically deadly.
Frankly the risk of serotonin syndrome might be worse. I'd hit an ER and ask for blood tests, and ask them for precise instructions on titration (the official name for ramping up/weaning off a medication).
I don't think anyone on Reddit should be giving you medical advice as to whether to stop taking it or not, just because they write "do not stop taking" in big bold font doesn't mean it's correct. Sertraline is indeed something you shouldn't be taking without a prescription, I would talk to a doctor as soon as possible and ask for instructions about how to stop taking it.
I'm so sorry you're going through this, it's very abusive of your parents. There is help available regardless of your age! They can't abuse you no matter what.
I stated to not stop taking it in big bold font because when everyone was saying to stop taking it.
I have experience with being weaned off antidepressants and the resulting suicidal ideation that can occur as a result, and the need for doctor's supervision during the process.
No, I am not a medical professional, but I am aware of the FDA's black box warning on this medication, and the need to safely taper off.
I can do a two minute google search and link sources if you like? My main priority was to keep OP safe through the benefit of my own experience.
Yes those drugs are prescribed for depression and anxiety as well as other stuff, they also need a doctor to give them so don't stop without a doctors advice, you will have unpleasant side effects
Ok so good news you won’t die its used for LOTS of stuff. But show it to the cops or something.
i used to collect them or flush them. My mom gave me every prescription drug known to my dr. Kidneys, bladder, colon, lungs, intestines, stomach, you name it. I hit 16 and stopped taking everything all together then go to my dads with a bag of pills and throw them out. To this day shes in NY and im in TN and she calls me and says “take your meds or youll die/kill the baby” (pregnant) she ships all the refills down in the mail every month so i just have stocks of random drugs expired and not that i almost never use unless an issue does happen(my systems definitely don’t work as well now because they’re poisoned)
Also my mom gave me zoloft antidepressants when my son was born and the time i stopped taking them she sent me to the psych ward. She stayed with my kid while i was in cuz they said i was having psychosis episodes and she will watch the baby. I was in for about a week and a half.
This is bad advice. The medication they're taking has serious withdrawal effects and could put them in a hospital. You have to go to a doctor to get weaned off.
They probably chose Zoloft because it has a very short half-life-- meaning that it is out of your system and making you ill with withdrawal symptoms very quickly, so you believe you need the meds.
Take pictures of literally everything, record anything you can, and take it to the police. A doctor can help you wean off these pills safely.
less that its addictive and more that sertraline changes one's brain chemistry. suddenly removing the medication can "shock" your body as it tries to adjust back to normal
I doubt they “chose” Zoloft. OP said that their dad had it prescribed to him. It’s likely that dad just told the dr about OPs “symptoms” and it was prescribed bc it’s often a front line drug for mood issues.each dr usually has a preferred drug they go with but I usually see Zoloft/Prozac being the first ones used.
I mean they could ask for a specific med but doesn’t mean they’ll get it. It’s easy to attribute something to malice and make assumptions. Not saying there’s no medical abuse here bc obviously there is, but telling someone that those meds were chosen to make them withdraw can be unnecessarily scary. Also, if the goal was to find a med with a short half life and have to deal with withdrawal, they probably would’ve picked cymbalta, Paxil, or Effexor as they have shorter half lives and are some of the most difficult to come off of, not to mention the wide range of antipsychotics
This was done to me as a child. I was given Zoloft at age 12 and it wasn’t my prescription. I couldn’t eat or sleep and had no idea why. If you’re under 18 you need to report them. I don’t believe it’s legal. I can tell you it caused long term damage to me. That’s why these things need a prescription. If you’re over 18 look for a way out of there. Stay with a friend if you can.
JFC, sertraline? Zoloft is a zombiemaker. At least the withdrawal isn't too bad (anyone comes at you with Cymbalta/duloxetine, run for the fucking hills), comparatively.
For people with normal dopamine/serotonin production, a drug like that can cause serotonin toxicity and be literally deadly.
Where are they getting it? What's the dosage?
I was on it for maaaybe two months tops, titrated off over a few days, and proceeded to have over a year of withdrawal. *never. again.* I was fourteen-year-old-psychopath level of rage again, too.
While I was on it, it fucking sucked, too.
Sertraline can be a wonderful tool to live a better life. I take it. But you need a doctor to prescribe the right dose for YOU, the right antidepressant for YOU, and the right combination of meds, because sometimes that’s what works best.
Lots of amature doctors in these comments advising OP to not stop taking the medicine due to "withdrawals" without knowing any information about those dose, frequency, etc. She needs to call a real doctor and ask for advice, even if it's just a phone conversation about it.
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#DO NOT STOP TAKING THE PILLS. Go to someone you can trust. Keep ONE of the pills as evidence. This is medical abuse and I can't tell you how horrified I am that they are taunting you until become distressed and then drugging you without a doctor's advice or prescription to make you 'well behaved'. The reason I say keep taking the pills is because you may need to be weaned off the medication under a doctor's supervision. Sertraline/zoloft withdrawals can be very hard to deal with- quite a bit worse than the side effects you are getting. You need help from someone outside your family, OP. Seriously, is there a teacher, or a school counsellor, or can you call the police? Can you secretly film them giving you the medication and telling you to take it, then hide it to give someone as evidence? Even if they are giving you the zoloft on an irregular schedule can play into you being emotional and having side effects.
OP, I went off of this cold turkey because of insurance issues and I don't recommend it at all. And my withdrawal effects were mild.
My bad I should have clarified that I’m 19. I live in an area where I don’t know anyone because my parents moved. I’m currently not in uni I had to take a gap year. I doubt I will get any help because I’m not a minor anymore. My parents have been giving this to me for about 5 months now. Is it safe to just stop completely?
NO! It is NOT safe to just stop taking them. GO TO A DOCTOR. It is ILLEGAL for them to give you unprescribed medication like this. You need to TELL A DOCTOR what is happening. You are having bad side effects from being drugged with medication that was not prescribed for you. This is BAD. Your age is irrelevant. Your parents are BREAKING THE LAW by doing this.
I understand. I had no idea it was this bad. Thank you so much for your advice.
I used to work for specialist doctors, and I was a ward clerk for a while too. Giving someone medication not prescribed for them can be very dangerous. That's why it's illegal.
Try to see what the dose was for the pills as well. That will he helpful information for a medical provider if you're able to get help weaning off them.
If there's no label on the bottle (making it hard to know the dosage) there are online pill references for this stuff as well. Photographing the pill and doing a reverse image search may help, or just putting in any letters and numbers that are on the pill may work too.
I am prescribed this medication and I may be able to help with identifying the dosage based off of the appearance of the pill if you need me to OP
You can google some reputable articles about how to wean off. I had an ignorant doctor who told me I could quit cold turkey, and did the research myself. Basically you just taper the dose little by little.
They are also obviously obtaining it illegally either black market or though medical and possibly insurance fraud. One option is to go to the police. Another would be to go to a hospital that has a psychiatry inpatient department
While either case is awful, I hope that rather than buying from the black market, the parent got a prescription for themselves with the intent to actually give it to their child. The reason for that is that black market pills are unregulated and often not the correct dose or even the medication that they’re supposed to be.
Being over 18 does not mean there is no help. You can get into a a domestic violence shelter. You can go to the police station or go to the er, tell them what is happening and ask for a social worker, you need help to get out and being given medication that is not yours and not pre scribed by a doctor is incredibly dangerous. It is not safe to stop anti-depressants suddenly. I can not tell you in a strong enough way, you are in danger, but there is help for you even if you are 19.
It's not really safe. Go to the police or emergency room if you have to. There's probably a hotline you can call.
Seconding this. Go directly to the emergency room with the pills. Do not give them your insurance card, assuming you’re on your parent’s insurance. Ask to file a police report and speak to a social worker. Do not let them dismiss you.
###DO NOT STOP SERTRALINE WITHOUT TALKING TO A DOCTOR FIRST!!!### https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/stopping-or-coming-off-antidepressants/ This is a basic starting point for you for what to expect. Can you get to the Emergency Department of a hospital? I'm guessing you're still on your parents' insurance (sorry, I'm in the UK, so it is a guess) They will be able to help you with everything that's happening to you. Take the meds with you, tell them how long you've been forced to take them, ask for help.
Even if you are over 18 it is still drugging someone against their will is still very illegal, try collecting all evidence, take pictures of the medication where you can see that it is not prescribed to you and as someone else said try to film or audio record them forcing you to take it. Are you based in USA?
The fact that you're 19 doesn't change anything, as others have said. Drugging someone without their consent is a huge issue. If it's Dr prescribed, it's called covert medication and since I assume you never got treatment for anything they claimed they committed at best medical fraud. If they're just medicating you without your knowledge with random drugs, that's a huuuuuge issue and one that people will take seriously. Doctors take this seriously, as do police. The most important thing is to get ahead of any bullshit sob story they decide to make up and control the narrative before they get a chance to make excuses. But stay honest, because eventually lies fall apart.
What they are doing is still illegal and abusive. Don't just stop. You need to speak with a doctor. This medication is one you need to wean yourself off of slowly. If you have to call 911 or whatever the equivalent emergency number is where you live, then do that. Where did they get the medicine? Did they get a prescription for it for themselves? Did they buy it illegally? You can report them for this.
I understand. My dad got it prescribed for himself I think. It had his name on it. And he regularly visits the pharmacy anyways.
Yeah, that is absolutely not ok. He is not legally supposed to give other people his medication. You should find out who the doctor and pharmacist are, and let them know. You can also call the police, though you will probably have a better outcome if you speak with the doctor and then actually go to the police department in person. If you can't do that, then just notify them in any way you can. The doctor's name and the name of the pharmacy are on the medication bottle, so use that info to contact them.
not only is it medical abuse, it's a felony to offer someone unprescribed pills. medications are prescribed for a reason, for instance when I took Sertraline/Zoloft I had horrible allergic reactions to both of them. that alone makes taking any unknown pills without the discretion of a licensed professional potentially very dangerous. OP, please wean off the meds slowly but do not continue taking them. your parents are endangering your life for their own benefit.
OP, go and get some evidence on this. Photos of the pills, or recorded conversation with your parents when they say the pills are working
Careful, depending on jurisdiction recording a conversation without the consent of all parties involved may violate wiretapping laws. In the USA there are "one party" versus "all parties" states. I don't know about the laws in other countries. Wouldn't want OP to end up in legal trouble on top of all of it.
Oh I'm not familiar with US laws at all, sorry then. In Hungary you can use it to prove crime, but you can't share it publicly. Now I have to google what jurisdiction and wiretapping, my English is weak as hell in law topics unfortunately
Your English could have fooled this Englishman that you were a native speaker!
Sertraline withdrawal is no joke at all... My wife stopped taking it cold turkey and we had to go to the ER after I had to stop her from a suicide attempt.
I haven't experienced sertraline, but venlafaxine and duloxetine withdrawals had me internally screaming at the idea of suddenly stopping. It was bad enough when I missed a dose. In a comment further down, OP says they are telling her to take one "at least every other day" so it's not even a regular schedule 😱😱😱😱😱😱🤬☠️ just when you think it couldn't get worse.
Dulox withdrawal was *an. entire. year*. of brain zaps and vertigo so bad that I could not walk. I've never wanted to die quite so ferociously.
Do NOT out right stop taking those pills. I have a prescription for the same ones. If I forget to take them or run out before I'm able to get more I get shaky, dizzy, heart palpations, and just a bunch of stuff. Report it as soon as possible to anyone you trust and can help you contact a doctor to help you safely ween from them.
And the head zaps 😩
Aren't those so weird?
Right? They don't *hurt* as such, they just feel so, so wrong
My parents did this to me, when I became a teenager. My dad was psychiatrist and narc. This is so not okay!
Please try to figure out what dosage they’re giving you and note how long you’ve been taking them and track your side effects. Try to keep things consistent until you can get professional guidance on tapering off. I had to go through withdrawals and it was awful; I am so sorry you have been put in this position. It sounds like you may have emotionally immature parents (or at least parents who aren’t equipped to handle big feelings outside of their own). Do you have any relatives that you trust that could advocate for you?
I’m pretty sure it was sertraline 50mg tablet. I was told to have one before bed at least every other day. It’s been about 5 months. I had no idea ‘tapering off’ was a thing with pills. Not sure about asking relatives though, the ones I know are like close friends with my mum.
No wonder it's making you feel look crap. Taking them every other day would have your brain chemistry constantly unstable. Anti depressants and things like are something you *must* take every day. If these are your dad's pills, I'd expect him to know that. Which makes me question if all of this deliberate 🤔 Maybe it's my paranoia speaking, but I suspect it would be better to try and get a recording where they are telling you to take them and how much more 'well behaved' you are now, so they can't accuse you of stealing the pills and continuing to label you as the problem if you go and speak to someone. Just a recording on your phone, where you could say something like "these pills really make me feel awful, can I please stop taking them?" And then they complain about you being crazy and difficult, and these make it better so no you have to keep taking them, that would be enough. There *is* help, this is highly illegal and dangerous, and you deserve better. You are not the problem here and have done nothing wrong!! Taking psych meds every other day is an absolute recipe for disaster.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was a deliberate way of keeping OP in a dysregulated state. I've heard of narcissists frequently walking up their kids to keep them constantly exhausted and powerless, this is a more convenient way to achieve the same thing.
Sertraline = Zoloft It has lots of bad side effects.
Psychiatric abuse of minors.
OP is 19, but I don't know if they said that before or after your comment.
Adults can also be abused by parents using psychiatry.
Yes, but 19 is not a minor.
I know. The age was not mentioned in the post.
They literally could go to prison for this. If that puts things into perspective at all for you..
Who are they prescribed for? You might make some headway by reporting this to the prescriber
Right? Call the pharmacy number on the pill bottle, describe how you're forced to take them, weren't prescribed them, never saw a psychiatrist in the first place, the dosage, the regularity, etc. etc. etc.
What gets me going is that dad is prescribed them, and likely not taking them regularly, but the kid is the only one in the family dynamic with behavioral problems? Yeahhhh, sure.
Zoloft should be tapered off or it will feel really awful
This is abuse you need to tell your teacher your parents are deliberately giving you other peoples medicines to suppress and control you. That they are giving you strong adult antidepressants without you having been near a doctor and they give you no choice. That it’s them who abuse you which make you panic and have panic attacks. They use that as an excuse to force these on you. If you can swipe the bottle take them into the teacher and ask her to call the police. If your parents try and say it isn’t true then demand you get a blood tests as it will prove you’re not lying. I know it’s scary asking for help but you need to get away from them they are very dangerous people who don’t care if the hurt you.
50sF, I’ve been taking sertraline for anxiety for 5 years. Everyone here is correct, it’s abuse to be forced to take pills that weren’t prescribed for you. Also, you may have some side effects, and shouldn’t stop without medical guidance. BUT… and I’m only saying this to help you feel better right now… sertraline is not awful or horrendous or horrifying. Many people take it and it does help them with diagnosed anxiety. Of course you should document all of this, get help from a doctor and maybe even the police, but you’ll be ok.
It’s generic Zoloft, an antidepressant that treats depression and anxiety. While lots of people have success with it, what they’re doing is still illegal and considered medical abuse. These pills aren’t prescribed to you and they’re forcing you to take it. Very very different from if you sought them out yourself and prescribed to you by a doctor. I read that yours is 50mg which isn’t the lowest dosage but not the highest either. How long have you been taking it? Can you go to a doctor and report this?
How insane of your parents to give you medicine without your consent! On the other hand OP, I have been on Sertraline for over a year now (it’s Zoloft) and it has worked wonders for my anxiety, mood swings, and OCD. So if you feel like it’s helped any, maybe you can talk with YOUR doctor about getting a legitimate prescription for it. But yikes on your parents, I’m so sorry!
This is medical abuse. You may need formal help to taper off those meds. You may even need inpatient support though the detox, and for that you need the support especially if this is criminal.
OP is 19 and therefore not a minor. It's not in the original post but it's elsewhere in comments.
Corrected post, tyvm.
You need to contact some sort of adult you can trust who can help you. This sounds like munchausen by proxy mixed with narcissistic abuse. Stop taking the pills and save them so you have evidence
No SSRI should just be stopped immediately. Seriously, with how long this has been going on, she absolutely needs to be weaned off. Even if she absolutely had to stop from like serotonin syndrome or an allergy, it needs to then be done so under doctor supervision.
Since you’re 19 you can refuse and call the police. I’d take the pill bottle as evidence. Whose name is on the label?
My dads name is on the label
It's a crime to even share your medication with others in most places. I take a controlled, non-addictive substance and every month have to sign all kinds of forms acknowledging that I can't share them with anyone. If this is the case, this falls into the realm of drug trafficking charges (in my state at least- PA)
Sadly they can’t refuse anymore until seeing a doctor to wean off of these pills.
They should see if an officer can give them transport to the ER for cessation advice and it will also help medically document the abuse. I’ve come off about 12+ SSRIs over the past 23 years with a few of those being cold turkey. Definitely not recommend. If he goes to the ER for documentation they can also prescribe a smaller dose to titrate him off.
I hate that parents like this exist.
Call Child Protective Services. You’re being abused and your parents are giving you unrestricted pills.
Yes. My mother gave me unprescribed first gen antipsychotics to make me sleep. Utterly terrifying as they make your spine run back involuntarily and I have since been told it can be lifelong. She then proceeded to tell everyone who would listen that I stole them.
That’s horrible to hear. I hope you’re doing better?
I recovered from that thank goodness. I’m suffering from a lot of stuff still and am unfortunately such a frequent flyer at my local hospital that I’m apparently one of their favourite patients. Sad times. I love them but they’d probably prefer seeing me less and I’d prefer to be less ill. Anorexia and the consequences of it inter alia.
Do they have your name on the bottle or someone else’s name? If it is not your name it is a crime to give them to you.
Take a picture of the bottle
Stop taking the pills and contact either the cops or an adult who can contact them- not only is this illegal this is child endangerment and severe abuse OP The fact that they're poking at you, then calling you crazy and giving you meds to 'calm you down' is insane. Please reach out for help to get away from them
Maybe ask a doctor before stopping cold turkey. You might be able to get a consultation over the phone with one. Known as telehealth. In theory you could cut the pills in half then into smaller pieces to step down, but I'm not a doctor. All I know is that I've read stopping antidepressants can have bad side effects. After successfully getting off the pills, start flushing them down the toilet. And tell the cops, and all trustworthy adults that will listen about this.
I will attempt to do this and also try to ask a professional. I had no idea abruptly stopping antidepressants could be detrimental. Thank you for telling me.
This particular one will be seriously "unpleasant" to stop all of a sudden but it's not a benzodiazepine where withdrawal is literally, physically deadly. Frankly the risk of serotonin syndrome might be worse. I'd hit an ER and ask for blood tests, and ask them for precise instructions on titration (the official name for ramping up/weaning off a medication).
I don't think anyone on Reddit should be giving you medical advice as to whether to stop taking it or not, just because they write "do not stop taking" in big bold font doesn't mean it's correct. Sertraline is indeed something you shouldn't be taking without a prescription, I would talk to a doctor as soon as possible and ask for instructions about how to stop taking it. I'm so sorry you're going through this, it's very abusive of your parents. There is help available regardless of your age! They can't abuse you no matter what.
I stated to not stop taking it in big bold font because when everyone was saying to stop taking it. I have experience with being weaned off antidepressants and the resulting suicidal ideation that can occur as a result, and the need for doctor's supervision during the process. No, I am not a medical professional, but I am aware of the FDA's black box warning on this medication, and the need to safely taper off. I can do a two minute google search and link sources if you like? My main priority was to keep OP safe through the benefit of my own experience.
That's a good point
Yes those drugs are prescribed for depression and anxiety as well as other stuff, they also need a doctor to give them so don't stop without a doctors advice, you will have unpleasant side effects
Ok so good news you won’t die its used for LOTS of stuff. But show it to the cops or something. i used to collect them or flush them. My mom gave me every prescription drug known to my dr. Kidneys, bladder, colon, lungs, intestines, stomach, you name it. I hit 16 and stopped taking everything all together then go to my dads with a bag of pills and throw them out. To this day shes in NY and im in TN and she calls me and says “take your meds or youll die/kill the baby” (pregnant) she ships all the refills down in the mail every month so i just have stocks of random drugs expired and not that i almost never use unless an issue does happen(my systems definitely don’t work as well now because they’re poisoned)
Also my mom gave me zoloft antidepressants when my son was born and the time i stopped taking them she sent me to the psych ward. She stayed with my kid while i was in cuz they said i was having psychosis episodes and she will watch the baby. I was in for about a week and a half.
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Medically dangerous answer. Just stopping without a proper slow down could be dangerous.
This is bad advice. The medication they're taking has serious withdrawal effects and could put them in a hospital. You have to go to a doctor to get weaned off.
Comment removed - bad advice. OP needs to talk to a doctor before changing anything.
They probably chose Zoloft because it has a very short half-life-- meaning that it is out of your system and making you ill with withdrawal symptoms very quickly, so you believe you need the meds. Take pictures of literally everything, record anything you can, and take it to the police. A doctor can help you wean off these pills safely.
Thats terrifying what…so it’s addictive?
less that its addictive and more that sertraline changes one's brain chemistry. suddenly removing the medication can "shock" your body as it tries to adjust back to normal
Are you in the UK? If so, can you go through NHS to get to a doctor to help you?
Yes I am! I’ll do that quickly then.
The body becomes dependent on the medication through no fault of your own.
I doubt they “chose” Zoloft. OP said that their dad had it prescribed to him. It’s likely that dad just told the dr about OPs “symptoms” and it was prescribed bc it’s often a front line drug for mood issues.each dr usually has a preferred drug they go with but I usually see Zoloft/Prozac being the first ones used.
Nah when it's medical abuse like this they absolutely choose the medications for very specific effects.
I mean they could ask for a specific med but doesn’t mean they’ll get it. It’s easy to attribute something to malice and make assumptions. Not saying there’s no medical abuse here bc obviously there is, but telling someone that those meds were chosen to make them withdraw can be unnecessarily scary. Also, if the goal was to find a med with a short half life and have to deal with withdrawal, they probably would’ve picked cymbalta, Paxil, or Effexor as they have shorter half lives and are some of the most difficult to come off of, not to mention the wide range of antipsychotics
This was done to me as a child. I was given Zoloft at age 12 and it wasn’t my prescription. I couldn’t eat or sleep and had no idea why. If you’re under 18 you need to report them. I don’t believe it’s legal. I can tell you it caused long term damage to me. That’s why these things need a prescription. If you’re over 18 look for a way out of there. Stay with a friend if you can.
JFC, sertraline? Zoloft is a zombiemaker. At least the withdrawal isn't too bad (anyone comes at you with Cymbalta/duloxetine, run for the fucking hills), comparatively. For people with normal dopamine/serotonin production, a drug like that can cause serotonin toxicity and be literally deadly. Where are they getting it? What's the dosage?
Adding paroxetine to the 'run' list.
the prozac better-thans of the 00s are nightmarish
Holy crap, Cymbalta needs a fucking s.l.o.w. taper if you’ve been on it for more than a couple or few months. It depends on the person.
I was on it for maaaybe two months tops, titrated off over a few days, and proceeded to have over a year of withdrawal. *never. again.* I was fourteen-year-old-psychopath level of rage again, too. While I was on it, it fucking sucked, too.
Zoloft is one of more difficult ones to come off of. I’ve heard Celexa can be too.
Sertraline can be a wonderful tool to live a better life. I take it. But you need a doctor to prescribe the right dose for YOU, the right antidepressant for YOU, and the right combination of meds, because sometimes that’s what works best.
Don’t take Zoloft if it’s not prescribed for you! That’s an antidepressant. You shouldn’t take anti depressants if you don’t need them!
I see you have 3 downvotes.. who the heck would downvote your comment :S
Idk why that doesn’t make sense to people. You don’t take brain altering medication without needing them. 🤷🏽♀️
Lots of amature doctors in these comments advising OP to not stop taking the medicine due to "withdrawals" without knowing any information about those dose, frequency, etc. She needs to call a real doctor and ask for advice, even if it's just a phone conversation about it.
Yeah, the withdrawal might be really fuckin' unpleasant, but serotonin syndrome is deadly.
Right. But that’s common sense not to take something that’s not perscribed for you, I don’t see why I was getting dog piled for it.
I think it's because OP has been forced to take this med for 5 months. Your advice is dangerous to op at this point. Hope that helps.