Hi, I'm Katie

Hi everyone, I’m Kate from the UK, and I’m really pleased to have found this community. I’ve lived with complex mental health difficulties for many years, including Complex PTSD with dissociation, ADHD, anxiety and emotional dysregulation. After recently being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, I started the assessment process for medication with Clinical Partners. However, because of my cardiac history—including cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure and familial hypercholesterolaemia—my clinicians are being very cautious about prescribing stimulant medication. I’ve recently had my cardiac and mental health assessment, and we’re now waiting to see what treatment options will be considered. One alternative that has been mentioned is lamotrigine, which I took for about two years around 14 years ago. Another reason I’ve joined is that I’ve been taking sertraline for around 10 years and have gained approximately 27 kg during that time. With my heart conditions, losing this weight has become an important priority for my long-term health. I’m interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced significant weight gain on sertraline and whether they found it could be reversed after tapering or changing medication under medical supervision. I’ve spent many years in different types of psychotherapy and have learned a great deal about trauma and recovery, but I’m now looking for a better understanding of psychiatric medications, safe prescribing, tapering principles, and how to make informed decisions together with my healthcare team. I’m here to learn from people with lived experience and the wealth of knowledge in this community. I look forward to reading your stories and, hopefully, contributing my own experiences as well. Thank you for welcoming me.