Job vs Antidepressants: Advice Needed

Hi all,

This is my first post here. I’m looking for some advice on what approach I should take. I’m sorry for the long post, but I think it’s necessary for the correct advice.

I’ve had tinnitus for 1.5yrs. I’ve grown slightly accustomed to the noise of the tinnitus, although it still annoys me allot. My main problem is that I have never been able to get over the repetitive thinking/checking phase of tinnitus, and this is what really gets me down. I can’t seem to ‘settle’ into watching tv, relaxing or working etc without loosing my concentration. It’s extremely exhausting and depressing. It’s 100% become an obsession. I struggle to control it on a daily basis. I do have previous OCD traits that have also got worse due to developing tinnitus. These come in the form of not being able to sit still, resulting in hair pulling, twirling, touching face etc. But by far the worse issue I have is phonophobia (the fear of noise). This was extremely bad for the first year. It has got somewhat better the past half a year but I’m still extremely anxious/frightened of everyday noises that I know I shouldn’t be.

This leads me onto where I need advice. I’ve just started a new job fresh out of university (building surveyor). It’s a demanding and stressful job normally, but combined with the above issues it’s very challenging. I’m already struggling with the stress and my phonophobia from the everyday noises of living a normal life. I’m therefore having doubts I can continue this job without some help.

I’m thinking of staring a course of SSRI’s which I’m being pushed to take by my shrink/therapist and family to help me overcome the above issues. I know I do need them and I really don’t have a choice other than to take some and try salvage my social life and work life back. I’ve tried pretty much everything else to try combat depression/anxiety such as exercise, eating extremely healthy, supplements, meditation, CBT, CBD etc (I still do all these things on a daily basis).

So my question is will I be able to manage my new job while starting SSRI’s or will I need to take some time off work until the medication kicks in? (This scenario is very unlikely as I’ve only just started the job and I will probably get fired or he will think I’m a nut job haha). My other option is to try push through the next couple of months and my probation period and then start medication in the hope that my boss will give me the time off I need.

My boss already knows I have tinnitus so it’s not like I would be dropping this on him out of the blue. I can tell the job is what I need as it keeps me busy and gives me my independence back. I also don’t want to let him down. I’ve spent 5 years at university and a shit ton of money to get to this point and I refuse to let tinnitus take my job away from me. It’s taken everything else including all of my social life...

**I've read A LOT on SSRI’s and I know the risks so please don’t respond with negative comments on such medications. This is the path I have chosen and I don’t want anyone trying to change my mind. Not to be rude**

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi,

I think your anxiety is very understandable and your questions are very reasonable and normal. I personally use Klonopin, and do not believe I would be as high functioning in my current job as I would be without it; this is generally considered a more dangerous drug than SSRIs, so, no judgement from me.

Now, to get to the crux of your issues -- the problem is that no one knows. These drugs are extremely unpredictable, and even when people are successful in finding a drug regimen that works for them, it often involves a lot of trial and error over a long period of time.

All of these drugs can cause unpleasant or paradoxical effects, especially when you first start taking them, but again there's really no way of knowing what's going to happen until you're in it. My wife, who is dealing with a long term physical problem, recently went on Cymbalta for 3 months, decided it was "extremely, extremely too weird", and a month after tapering off she's still having some weird brain fog / mood disturbance, etc.

One thing that I would probe your feelings on

In the same breath you're saying you "know" you need them, but also that you're being "pushed" to take them. Which is it? I've had extremely negative experiences with medical providers, especially psychiatrists, who "push" drugs on people. My current drug regimen is something that I basically came up with on my own, with significant input from a small team of medical providers.

Again, no one knows, but I think reactions to SSRIs that are so extreme which they require taking time off work are pretty rare. Mostly your mood and sleep might be up and down for a while, and then (if you're a guy) your penis probably won't work as well as you're used to it working, which is sort of the most common significant bummer about these drugs, because unlike many of the other effects that one doesn't tend to go away.

 

Thanks for the advice!

Sorry I haven’t replied earlier.

 

@Josh1994,

Antidepressants can make anxiety worse for the first two weeks and then it settles down so don't give up as they can ease anxiety and depression over a few weeks.
Try not to fear sound as not all sounds are harmful to our ears.
Just a guide to help you.

If you need to shout to be heard then use ear protection and apart from that you need to relax, take a relaxed approach to life and try put in extra effort to enjoy life as it's so easy to give in on life but by pushing harder on bad days you will get you through it instead of curling up in a ball and letting your ears win the day and making you low.

Love Glynis

 

@Josh1994
You have done well for yourself, finishing school and obtaining employment. Working will likely provide you with a sense of accomplishment that will boost your confidence even more.
As already mentioned, SSRIs will primarily affect your mood and sleep initially. You should start to see some improvements within the first two weeks.
Good luck!

 

How are you doing with the SSRI? What med are you taking? I’m starting Lexapro because my psychiatrist believes my anxiety is what’s making my tinnitus worse.