Jason

Age: 34 | US

“My name is Jason and I suffer from severe psychiatric medication induced anhedonia and emotional blunting, as well as post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD).

After about a year of taking SSRIs, they began to turn on me. I felt electric shock-like sensations shoot into my genitals, had long lasting and painful erections, and my skin began to go numb. Without proper knowledge of the condition, I stopped my SSRI cold turkey. Within a month off the medication, I was almost completely chemically castrated and became asexual with no attraction to women and had lost all of my emotions.

I couldn’t feel joy, anger, sadness, couldn’t cry, laugh, or smile. I couldn’t feel love for or from family and friends, couldn’t dream, feel tired or alert, just flat and lifeless. No oxytocin from a hug or endorphins released from exercise, and caffeine / nicotine had 0 effect on me. I had lost my personality and connection to people. I felt lobotomized and su•c•dal every single day for a full year. I have only just began to have glimpses of my old self and life the past few months, and although I’m hopeful I will begin to heal in some ways I still struggle gravely most days.

We do not know why this occurs as there is very limited research and there is no current safe and effective treatment. People are taking their lives at an alarming rate and doctors and pharmaceutical companies have not and can not be successfully sued or held accountable. We are gaslit by the system and told what is happening ‘isn’t real’ or is strictly psychosomatic. But it is very real and it is destroying and claiming lives as we speak. Please share my story.”