GIL

Age: 36 | UK

"For all of my adult life, I had a strong sex drive. I was constantly dating and always had girlfriends. My friends even joked about my dating antics.

In 2021 at the age 34, I started taking Sertraline for grief and work stress. My libido vanished within hours of the first pill, but I didn’t worry too much. I had heard this was normal.

However, it’s 9 months now since I quit the pills. My libido hasn’t returned. I no longer date; I no longer seek the company of women; I no longer feel attracted to women. It’s like the switch has been flipped, the light switch has been turned off.

Taking an SSRI is one of the worst decisions of my life. I don’t blame the GP who prescribed it, but I no longer trust the medical establishment and have lost faith in our mental healthcare model.

Without the support of the PSSD community online, I don’t know how I would cope. They give me the courage to keep going when the medical world simply doesn’t see us."