Posted by vic80 on March 25, 2010, at 12:46:35
Rx: Escitalopram 20mg 10th week (upped last week from 15mg), Lunesta 1mg ocasionally.
Dx: Depression/AnxietyFirst noticed this a month ago that I was unable to have richness and vividness in visual/mental imagery while closing my eyes and lying down one day. It was quite a distressing feeling, and I dismissed it as a temporary aberration. But it turns out that even after a month now, I find myself not able to visualize things (lets say recollect an event from the past, build a fantasy in my mind) with the amount of detail and color I am used to.
I have been suspected to have Depersonalization though the therapist is yet to establish it formally. The DP generally manifests in my awareness of my own thoughts and feeling as though I fill in my blank mind with thoughts.
I suspect that Lexapro has caused this current DP, which I guess is not even little as bad as what people have described in testimonials and forums. Infact at times I am fully functional without this heightened-awareness.My current pressing concern is this lack of 'visual imagery', which has begun to cause severe distress in me.
I wonder if this has to do anything with SSRI, I have not been able to find online any report or mention of such a happening.Serotonin does cause alteration in Dopamine levels which I suspect could in turn affect imagination.
A lack/lessening of "visual imagery" constitutes cognitive impairment which has been indicated as a side effect of SSRIs.I must mention my dreams are as detailed and rich as before. I wonder what do I make out of all this... is it just anxiety - my watchfulness over myself while I try to visualize in my mind blanks me out..
poster:vic80
thread:940790
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100318/msgs/940790.html