Been pondering this with my friend with the same situation. I suffer from depression, anxiety, and CPTSD. Im on sertraline 100mg and its doing its job but it feels ive lost a part of me. i mean its good that I dont get all the suicidal thoughts and self degradation but i just miss my depression. I dont know if i miss having emotions (on lisdexamfetamine too) or i stupidly miss my sadness. I feel empty without the gut wrenching feeling and mood drop. i feel mostly empty, i just miss the feeling. idk if anyone else other than my friend also experiences this, can i have some advice?
Hey @vyvanse, I just want to say how incredibly honest this post is. What youâre describing actually makes a lot of sense. When something like depression has been part of us for so long, it can become intertwined with our identity. So when the meds start working and the intensity of those emotions fade, it can feel like youâve lost somethingâŠeven if that something was painful. Itâs not âstupidâ at all to feel that wayâŠthereâs actually science behind it too! Our mind adjusts to emotional extremes over time, and when that pattern is interrupted, the absence can feel like a void.
But maybe, just maybe, what feels like missing your sadness is really about missing a part of yourself that used to feel familiar. That doesnât mean that part of you is gone thoâŠit means you now have space to rebuild. A version of you that isnât shaped by suffering, but maybe by softness, curiosity, or even peace. This emptiness youâre feeling now might not be a loss but the starting point of something new.
Youâre not empty, youâre just human for noticing the eerie silence that comes after a storm.
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Hey @vyvanse. I hear you. Youâre definitely not the only one whoâs felt that way. Itâs almost like depression, as heavy as it is, became a âcompanionâ you grew used to. Losing it can feel like losing a part of yourself, even if it wasnât good for you. So no, youâre not âstupidâ for missing sadness. Emotions, even painful ones, help us feel more connected and alive. The thing with meds like the ones you mentioned is that they sometimes take away the lows but also flatten the emotional highs, which can leave you with that âemptyâ feeling.
What youâre describing sounds like part of the adjustment process. The good thing is that it shows you still have emotional depth, even if it feels muted right now. It doesnât mean you truly want depression back, though. It means youâre craving something deeper, more alive, more meaning. Sometimes itâs about learning new ways to feel that depth again, through creativity, new experiences, movement, or even therapy to rediscover emotions in a safer healthier way.
Take gentle care of yourself in this transition, okay? I truly hope you find new outlets that bring you that depth and richness youâre missing, in ways that nourish you rather than hurt you. Rooting for you! ![]()
Dear @vyvanse
Thank you for reaching out here seeking to find out ways to address what you are experiencing.
Firstly, I have observed that what you shared is common for many among us who are in the similar situation. On the one hand it feels good not to experience the intense sadness, but you also miss feeling emotions.
Do speak to your doctor and explore if there are ways such as adjusting the dosage of the medicine you are taking so that you can reclaim some emotional depth and range.
I encourage you to participate in activities that could help feel intensity safely. Explore activities that bring strong but healthy feelings such as exercise, dancing or volunteering. These could be a healthy replacement that is beneficial and enjoyable.
Also consider creative outlets. Many people who miss their sadness switch to writing, poetry, or art to achieve depth of feelings without having to spiral back into pain.
Do choose to practise self love and compassion towards yourself. Itâs only human to seek a life filled with aliveness and we canât help at times to wonder and compare whether what we have now is better.
Let the thoughts be, and focus on the present, living your life in the best way possible.
Please continue reaching out here whenever needed for support. With slow steady steps, you can feel better. ![]()
Hi @vyvanse,
Thank you for sharing something so raw and complex. It takes real courage to speak this truth aloud, especially when itâs tangled in feelings that are hard to explain. The fact that youâve stayed committed to your medication shows a deep strength and self-awareness. Youâve chosen stability over chaos, even though that stability comes with its own kind of ache. Missing your sadness doesnât mean you want to suffer. It means youâre grieving a part of yourself that once felt intensely alive, even if painfully so. That gut-wrenching feeling, as awful as it was, gave shape to your inner world. Now that itâs quieted, it makes sense that youâd feel disoriented, maybe even hollow.
Youâre not alone in this paradox. Many people whoâve lived with deep emotional pain find themselves mourning its absence when healing begins. Itâs not stupid, and itâs not wrong. Itâs a sign that youâre attuned to your emotional landscape, even when itâs shifting in unfamiliar ways. The emptiness you describe isnât a failure, but a transition. And transitions are often the hardest part, because they ask us to redefine what it means to feel, to create, to be.
Youâve already taken brave steps by talking to your friend and reaching out here. That tells me youâre still searching for meaning, still reaching for connection.
Continue to reach out for support whenever you need it. You got this! ![]()
Yeah, i felt like that. I miss enjoying depressing songs. Sadness felt like home. My identity was that n i felt that i lost it.
Then i started enjoying not being sad and my brain working properly. I think faster. I then hated the 15 years of depression i had because it stripped me off my youth as it made me hide in my room. There was nothing to look back to during my youth days because of depression. I hate it to its core n i try my best to prevent any relaspe
being able to talk about this is very admiring as even situations like these can be a part of your identity and it is totally normal to be feeling like this but this is totally part of life and growth as a person. Jiayous!