Jan Marie

Age: 31 | Puerto Rico

“On November 4, 2025, I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital during a crisis. I had never taken medication before, but they began administering drugs there —including Zoloft (50 mg), Trazodone (50 mg), and Zyprexa (2.5 mg)—without explaining the potential side effects. The medication caused my hands to shake uncontrollably; my skin felt numb, and my physical sensations were altered. Upon leaving the hospital, I stopped taking the drugs abruptly because I wanted to feel normal again, not realizing that this would be the worst mistake of my life.

Later, I saw the psychiatrist again and explained what the medication had done to me, but he didn't believe me at all; instead, he prescribed Wellbutrin (150 mg) and quetiapine (200 mg), and now the damage is far worse. I haven't taken medication for months, yet I suffer from such severe cognitive decline that it feels as though I have some form of dementia. I cannot feel my intimate areas or experience any kind of attraction; I have developed aphantasia and am unable to visualize anything in my mind; furthermore, I feel absolutely no emotion toward my family, friends, or anyone else, even though my brother means the world to me. I cannot feel comfortable in my own bed, nor can I sense signals of hunger, sleepiness, or thirst.

Worst of all, my family doesn't know, and I know they wouldn't believe me. The reality is that I don't know how this will end because doctors still don't believe me, and I am terrified.”