Zoloft OCD success stories (experiences so far) 

By OptimistMinds
Page last updated: 12/12/2022 | Next review date: 12/12/2024

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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter.  The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.


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In this blog post, we are going to talk about the beneficial effects of zoloft in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is a condition which affects millions of people, including children. 

Zoloft is an approved medicine to treat OCD and today we will shed some light on its OCD success stories. 

What is the success rate of zoloft in the treatment of Obsessive compulsive disorder?

According to a survey, zoloft has around 60-70% success rate in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is an antidepressant, which is used to treat several other psychological conditions.

It is considered safe and effective for the treatment of OCD in children and adolescents. Zoloft belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). 

These antidepressants increase the amount of serotonin in your body, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for performing a number of psychological functions. 

People with OCD usually lack this neurotransmitter, which results in erratic and obsessive behaviour. The use of zoloft can really help tone down the symptoms and intrusive thoughts associated with OCD. 

Proper diagnosis is crucial in case of mental illnesses. They are often mistaken for unnecessary overthinking and exaggeration. It is extremely important to medically diagnose these conditions as such people need proper help. 

If you see someone going through some unusual mental changes or you’re the one feeling that way, make sure you talk to your healthcare provider. 

What actual people have experienced?

There are a lot of people who have come forward throughout the years and explained how zoloft has helped them overcome their OCD symptoms. One zoloft user states:

“I suffered from OCD for a long time. First i thought it’s just all in my head and maybe I’m just overthinking but damn, I wasn’t! It took me by surprise when i started doing things over and over again, like taking a shower or fixing my bedroom” 

As we have discussed earlier, mental illness slowly starts clawing their way in your life and stays there for a very long time. This user further stated how seeking medical help was the best thing she did:

“At first, I was reluctant but then I finally gathered some courage to seek medical help. My doctor diagnosed OCD and told me I’m a pure-O. I was prescribed 25 mg zoloft and I kid you not, it worked!”

She further states:

“It took a few weeks but it started clearing up my head and once again I started to differentiate between what’s real and what’s just in my head.”

Now, this tells us how important it is to seek medical attention. If you keep sitting at home, blaming yourself for overthinking, you’ll do nothing but worsen your condition. You know yourself better than anyone else and you know your limits. 

Normal stress is a part of life, but when you feel like you’re crossing the limit and now your mind is cloudy enough to taint reality, it means you have got to get medical attention now. 

Another OCD survivor states:

“You know how there’s always one guy who’s against taking the meds, yeah that was me! When my doctor prescribed zoloft for my OCD, I did not want to take it but I had to and that’s the best thing I did. I did suffer from mild side effects, but it did wonders for me. Now I’m almost free from my OCD.”

Zoloft, once again proved to be a life saviour. Meds do have side effects, indeed, and it is not advised to take them unnecessarily, but don’t run away when your body needs them the most. 

Some health conditions, especially psychological, need medical treatment to walk away from you, for good. 

What data do we have from research studies?

A 1992 research project studied the effects of zoloft in people with OCD. The study involved several individuals with OCD and they were given sertraline for the course of 12 weeks. 

The project concluded that sertraline is indeed a safe and effective choice for the treatment of OCD at 50-200 mg dosage, depending on severity and disease progression of every research subject. 

Another 2002 study indicated that sertraline can be used for the long term treatment of OCD. The study confirmed its safety and efficacy by dividing the population of 649 patients into two groups. One received placebo and the other was treated with zoloft for 52 weeks. 

After 52 weeks, the researchers came up with a conclusion that zoloft or sertraline can indeed be used for the long term treatment of OCD. 

Another 2006 study revealed that for people who did not respond to lower doses, the therapeutic efficacy was achieved at higher doses of zoloft. It proved to be effective in the treatment of severely progressed OCD and significantly helped relieve the symptoms. 

A lot more recent studies have also proved its safety and efficacy in the long term treatment of OCD. 

How bad can OCD get?

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a condition characterised by troublesome thoughts that won’t go away, no matter what you do, and a weird urge to do things over and over again. Many people suffering from OCD experience obsessive self hygiene patterns. 

They would go over and over again to wash their hands and even take repeated showers. Such people follow a certain pattern and obsessively stick to it. 

The most disturbing thing that people with OCD go through is the voices in their heads. Such people are subjected to intrusive thoughts, which can get extremely bizarre. These include:

  • Thoughts related to self harm: People suffering from OCD might think of ending their lives in gruesome ways.
  • Thoughts of harming your loved ones: Some people suffer from disturbing thoughts of killing their own children, parents, friends or spouses. 
  • Intrusive thoughts related to sexual desire: People might feel like engaging in sexual activites with inappropriate relations like siblings, children, relatives etc. 

Now this is an alarming state. At first, these disturbing thoughts begin to cross the patient’s mind. 

He or she might be able to differentiate these thoughts from reality and might convince themselves that this is all just in their heads, but as the disease progresses, the fine line between reality and illusion starts to fade away. 

This can result in a terrible condition in which neither the patient nor his or her loved ones are safe. 

Researchers have revealed that some people ended up actually killing their loved ones. One woman strangled her own 11-month old baby boy, as the voices in her head kept telling her that he’s a threat. 

The reason behind telling you is not to scare you off, but to spread awareness that you should never let your mental health deteriorate to this level and start seeking medical help. Step out of denial and talk to your mental healthcare professional. 

Recommended doses of zoloft for OCD 

Zoloft is recommended for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the following doses:

For adults and teenagers:

50 mg once a day. Take it as advised by your doctor, either in the morning or at night. Some cases might need dose adjustment. Do not exceed 200 mg.

For children 6-12 years old:

25 mg once a day, taken as advised by the doctor.

For children younger than 6 years of age: 

The dose is determined by the doctor according to the severity of condition and body weight. 

Conclusion 

In this blog, we talked about zoloft success stories for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. People have come forward over the years and have revealed how zoloft helped them to overcome OCD symptoms. 

Some people reveal how they were reluctant at first, but seeking medical help was the best decision they made. OCD is indeed a disturbing illness and people suffering from it are terribly affected. They get weird urges to do things over and over again. 

They clean themselves and their rooms repeatedly, sometimes after very small intervals. As the disease progresses, they suffer from intrusive thoughts, which can get pretty disturbing. The voices in their head start to tell them to hurt their own family members. 

Some people in the past have acted upon it as well and they totally gave in to those terrible urges. It is extremely important to seek immediate medical help as soon as you start noticing obsessive behaviour. 

It is not healthy and gets deeper and deeper in your roots to destroy you from within. Don’t let that happen. Seek medical help, start taking your meds and I’m sure you’ll be able to fight against this nerve-racking mental illness. 

FAQs:  zoloft OCD success stories

How long until Zoloft works for OCD?

Zoloft usually takes 4 to 5 weeks to start relieving the symptoms associated with OCD. This time duration varies from person to person. Some people start seeing noticeable differences within the first 4 weeks, while others might take longer. 

It usually depends on the time taken by your body to adjust to the presence of zoloft. Some people can not tolerate zoloft that well. Severe side effects result in discontinuation of the treatment. 

Does Zoloft get rid of OCD?

Zoloft is considered as a safe and effective treatment for OCD. Several studies have indicated the positive therapeutic response on long term treatment of OCD with zoloft. 

How long does it take for zoloft to work for intrusive thoughts?

It depends. Some people begin to notice differences within the first 3 weeks. Zoloft can help clear your clouded mind and rebuild the boundary between reality and imaginary thoughts. Make sure you take zoloft regularly and as directed by your doctor. It is not advised to stop the treatment halfway. 

Why does sertraline help OCD?

Sertraline belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These antidepressants increase the amount of serotonin in your body, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for performing a number of psychological functions. 

People with OCD usually lack this neurotransmitter, which results in erratic and obsessive behaviour. The use of zoloft can really help tone down the symptoms and intrusive thoughts associated with OCD. 

What is the success rate of OCD treatment with zoloft? 

According to a survey, zoloft has around 60-70% success rate in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is an antidepressant, which is used to treat several other psychological conditions. It is considered safe and effective for the treatment of OCD in children and adolescents. 

How do you know Zoloft is working?

Your doctor recommends you to take zoloft only if you’re suffering from health conditions which can be treated by this med. When you start to see that the symptoms of your disease are starting to fade away or when you start feeling better overall, you know that your zoloft is working. 

References 

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