Hi, and welcome to Taper Community!
"I have a background of me / cfs."
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
Sorry to hear this. That's a challenging condition to have even without being in withdrawal.
"Originally I was on 10mg Citalopram for two weeks on and two weeks off per GP advice every month. I started getting inter-month ssri withdrawal when I stopped taking it after two weeks every month"
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
I don't understand why doctors think this is a good idea. It's no wonder only taking it two weeks each month threw you into withdrawal!
"Whilst in India I ct-ed Citalopram whilst taking 2.5mg to 0mg. Approximately 7th March I went to 0mg."
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
Yeah, these drugs have powerful effects on the brain's serotonin receptors even at "low" doses.
"First weeks back in London at the start of April 2026, I started getting bad anxiety etc Which has started to turn into insomnia in the last week plus anxiety. Constantly feeling under threat and anxious even though I'm physically safe."
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
It's not uncommon for withdrawal symptoms to appear weeks and even a few months after a drug has been stopped. I'm sorry you're dealing with that. I can relate since I've dealt with those symptoms too. We have some information about anxiety and insomnia that I will link below.
"I am willing to reinstate the drug but I worry about "kindling" and ending up in a worse situation."
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
Sometimes people find that reinstating a very tiny dose can relieve symptoms, but it doesn't always work. The choice would be yours to make. I'll link some info below about it to help you decide.
"Kicking myself for getting myself into this situation. I hope I can get out of it."
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
Don't beat yourself up too much. You didn't know and didn't have proper direction. It's not your fault. You will be able to get through this and recover, so keep that in mind. Our brains are amazing with what they can overcome.
"When I see my parents and waves of fear and lack of safety automatically kick in to my body irrationally - at times the waves go on and on - they mean me no harm but as a child they did cause harm from certain practices and attachment related issues."
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
I'm sorry! Your body has been programmed to see them as a threat. Have you ever received trauma therapy for this? It might help to seek out a good therapist that can help you work through some of these fears.
"My mum tries to be supportive when waves hit or when I'm struggling at night"
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
It's nice she's trying to be supportive. At least she's making an effort.
"I've contacted my GP I would like to speak to the usual one and they said they'll get back to me with an appointment that might take some weeks."
— @citalopram_ColdTurkey_Withdrawal
It's good to have our provider on board with our healthcare, but don't expect them to understand the situation you're in. Most aren't properly trained in safe tapering, withdrawal, or reinstatement. I hope they are supportive, just don't be too surprised if they aren't.
Here some links you might find helpful:
Fatigue: https://taper.community/thread/16345bac-e9dc-417d-9bd3-a6e2a4cece42
Crying Spells: https://taper.community/thread/6b89abda-daba-44c8-a68f-f09790637183
Anxiety: https://taper.community/thread/3613d8b1-99e9-4991-8c0d-ec96ba7534ad
Insomnia: https://taper.community/thread/fad854f7-f9a4-421d-b60f-bf11aa13a251
Reinstatement: https://taper.community/thread/affd8e83-2361-4973-8f07-76d16744448a
EFT Tapping can help with emotional symptoms: https://taper.community/thread/3c6f1a16-3d21-4077-9ed5-8267209ffca3
Trauma Release Exercises (TRE): https://taper.community/thread/edb83f43-a1eb-443d-9810-9c64f62b84e4
I'm really glad you're here, and we'll try to help and support you the best we can!
Catina ❤️