Does zoloft make you happy? (The truth about zoloft) 

This blog will answer the question, “Does zoloft make you happy?”. Zoloft, an antidepressant, is widely used throughout the world. In this blog, we are going to discuss what role does zoloft play in making you feel happy and cheerful. 

Does zoloft make you happy? 

When zoloft starts working in your system, it causes happy and relaxed feelings by increasing the amount of active serotonin in your body, which is responsible for modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and various other psychological processes. 

Researchers have explained the mechanism through which zoloft produces its effects. It basically inhibits the reuptake of serotonin from synaptic cleft back into the presynaptic neuron. 

This excessive serotonin, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter, performs a hell lot of functions in our body. Excitatory neurotransmitters are those ‘happy’ chemicals in our brains which regulate the reward pathway. 

When you eat your favourite chocolate, you feel happy and satisfied, ever wondered why? It is because of these excitatory neurotransmitters which give us a rewarding sensation and we feel happy, fulfilled and satisfied. 

Similarly when you engage in sexual activities, you again feel this sensation of being relaxed and satisfied? The same chemicals are responsible for making us feel that way. 

Zoloft enhances the actions of such a chemical and it gives you a surge of energy and satisfaction. This med is used for the following conditions, other than depression:

• Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD) 
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 
• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Social phobia 
• Panic Attacks 
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) 

How does depression take its toll? 

Depression is a mental health disorder. It usually occurs when your body becomes deficient in the above mentioned excitatory chemicals. 

Depression wasn’t that common a decade or two ago but now-a-days, it is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting millions of people. 

One of the major causes of depression is our messed up lifestyle and even messed up societal norms. Everyone has a certain standard to maintain and when we can’t, because of a number of reasons, we fall into depression. 

Even teenagers are not an exception when it comes to this illness. High school kids suffer from study load, bullying, family issues, messed up friendships, all of which result in them being depressed. 

When depression takes its toll, you don’t want to do anything. You don’t want to work, study, enjoy social gathering or even your favourite activities. Life starts to seem so dull, colourless and purposeless. 

This is one of the most common reasons of committing suicide, as the victim of depression can’t seem to find a reason to carry on with his or her life. 

Clinical symptoms associated with this heart-sinking mental illness

Clinical signs and symptoms include:

• Tiredness associated with lack of energy 
• Cloudiness of mind
• Insomnia or hypersomnia, depending on individuals. 
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea 
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Bradycardia or slow heart rate
• Loss of appetite or overeating, usually high carb foods. 
• Suicidal attempts
• Negative perception 
• Irritability 
• Inability to concentrate on literally anything 
• Isolation

How long does zoloft take to produce its effects? 

It is not recommended to start taking antidepressants for depression if your condition is mild and could be managed with other non-pharmacological methods.

Once your doctor determines there’s no other way around for you, then antidepressants are prescribed. Zoloft and all other antidepressants usually take time to work. They don’t work overnight like several other medications.

They can take upto 5 to 6 weeks to start producing noticeable therapeutic effects. One thing to mention here is the importance of consistency. Many people stop using zoloft after a week or two thinking this drug does nothing but produce side effects, but that’s not true. 

Zoloft does induce side effects when the treatment is started but these side effects begin to subside after 3 to 4 weeks of treatment. Once zoloft starts producing its beneficial effects, you will definitely see why it was worth waiting for.  

Is zoloft a good choice for everyone? 

No, zoloft is not a good choice for everyone. Some people can not tolerate zoloft well. As soon as they take the first dose, the signs of allergic reactions start appearing on their body which usually results in discontinuation of the treatment. 

But zoloft is not the only antidepressant out there, is it? There are plenty of other antidepressants, belonging to different classes with different depression reducing mechanisms. 

The end result is the same, which is to increase the availability of excitatory neurotransmitters in your body, including serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine etc. 

So, if zoloft doesn’t work for you, your doctor will suggest another antidepressant which will work better on you and you will be able to tolerate it well. Just make sure, do not stop the treatment halfway.  

Other non-pharmacological activities that can help you out with your depression and make you feel happy

Other methods to fight against your depression include:

Psychotherapy and support groups

Psychotherapy is widely used to help relieve the symptoms of depression in a non-pharmacological way. People also join support groups where they listen to other people’s stories and try to help them come out of this heart sinking illness. 

It really helps you to come out of your isolation bubble and allows you to open up in front of people who suffer from your kind of pain, so your depressed brain doesn’t feel the fear of getting judged. 

Exercise

Exercise is well known for releasing happy chemicals in your system. Try working out at least 3-4 times a week. Staying active really helps you out in releasing that negative energy. Try doing a 10-minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) session, if you’re physically strong enough to do that. 

If not, there are plenty of low intensity exercises that you can do to release that tension from your system. You can go for a refreshing walk or try engaging in relaxing yoga sessions.

Treat yourself

Experts suggest that eating your favourite foods can help release happy chemicals from your brain. So, go treat yourself and enjoy your favourite foods.

Self love

Self love is the biggest weapon to fight against depression induced feelings of worthlessness. Tell yourself that you’re amazing and you’re worth every single piece of happiness this world has to offer. 

Don’t ever let your brain tell you things that are not real. You love and respect yourself first and then you expect other people to do that.

Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of water. It removes toxins from your system and increases your energy levels. Avoid high sugar carbonated drinks. It is best to limit your caffeine intake as well because too much caffeine can really make you anxious and agitated.

Conclusion

In this blog, we discussed how zoloft can make you happy. Depression is indeed a nerve-racking illness which sucks out every single drop of energy and positivity from your body. 

Zoloft reduces depressive symptoms by increasing the amount of active serotonin in your body, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter. Make sure you give your body enough time to adapt to zoloft. It is not recommended to stop the treatment halfway.

FAQs: Does zoloft makes you happy

How should Zoloft make you feel?

Zoloft is an antidepressant. It belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which increases the amount of serotonin available to bind to its receptors. 

It should make you feel calm and satisfied. Antidepressants help relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

How does Zoloft make you feel at first?

Zoloft, an antidepressant, takes time to work. You can not expect your antidepressant to cure your depression overnight. These meds start altering the level of serotonin in your body within 4 to 6 weeks. 

At first, you may experience some unwanted side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of libido, loss of appetite, weight gain, erectile dysfunction, insomnia etc. These side effects usually begin to subside within a few weeks of treatment. 

Can Zoloft change your personality?

Zoloft can fix your personality if your depression has ruined it in one way or another. Some people become agitated when they suffer from depression. They isolate themselves and stop hanging out with their friends and family. 

They stop engaging in their favourite activities and don’t even feel like leaving their house. This long-term isolation, anxiety and overthinking can mess up a person’s brain. 

Some studies suggest that depressed people start having anger issues when they’re forced to do something they don’t want to, like attending certain social or family events. 

Zoloft, an antidepressant, fixes these depression symptoms. Over time, people start feeling better and start engaging in normal activities which seemed nerve-racking during the episodes of depression. This is how zoloft affects your personality. 

What is the best time to take Zoloft morning or night?

The best time to take zoloft should be recommended by your healthcare provider, according to your side effects and the kind of lifestyle you have.

You can set the best time for zoloft, in accordance with your side effects:

• If it causes insomnia, morning is preferred.
• If it causes drowsiness, night time is preferred.
• If it causes nausea, night time is preferred.
• If it causes urinary problems, morning is preferred.
• If it causes loss of libido, morning is preferred.

How will I know if Zoloft is working?

When your symptoms start to subside. Depression is commonly associated with feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness, irritability or frustration, even over small matters. 

You don’t feel like socialising. Even your favourite activities don’t sound so good when you’re going through an episode of depression. So how do you know your med works? 

You simply feel relieved from above mentioned symptoms. When you feel happy and satisfied, when you feel like engaging in your favourite activities and when you start feeling like being a part of your social gatherings again, you know your medicine is working. 

References 

• G MacQueen et al. CNS Drug Rev. Spring 2001 – The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline: its profile and use in psychiatric disorders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11420570/
• D Murdoch et al. Drugs. 1992 – Sertraline. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic potential in depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1281075/
• A L McRae et al. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2001 – Review of sertraline and its clinical applications in psychiatric disorders https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11336629/
• Welmoed E E Meijer et al. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2002 – Adverse events in users of sertraline: results from an observational study in psychiatric practice in The Netherlands. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12512241/
• Singh HK, Saadabadi A. – Sertraline https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547689/
• Catherine E Prado et al. Neuropsychol Rev. (2018) – A meta-analysis of the effects of antidepressants on cognitive functioning in depressed and non-depressed samples https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29446012/