I have never tried one.  After my first visit with my therapist, she referred me to the college psychiatrist.  I told her I had no interest in drugs and that I wanted to try other options first.  She insisted I keep my options open so I went to see her.

The Psychiatrist listened as I described my OCD.  She said:
“I am shocked you have not been diagnosed until now with such severe OCD.  I don’t like to do this on the first visit, but I would like to prescribe you zoloft”.

I brought up all of my concerns.  My fear of commercial drugs, fear of side effects, fear of becoming a zombie and getting addicted for life.  I told my therapist I didn’t want to lose whatever edge OCD gave me.  I have always been like this so if drugs could take away my OCD what else would it take away?  Great, so now I don’t want to be cured?…

I purchased the bottle, but never opened it.  The rate of improvement in symptoms from these drugs are not really impressive.  CBT has a much better track record without the side effects.  CBT is not on my to do list either.  I am doing this on my own.  I did learn some coping skills from CBT and it has really helped me since.  And back to the SSRIs, I am scared of of them, though I recently watched the season 6 premiere of House M.D. and House brings up the same concerns about taking anti-depressants.  He agrees to take them when his therapist assures him that he won’t lose himself, that Van Gouh would have still been just as creative, but with both his ears in tact.

I guess I am more open to the idea at this point, but I feel like I’ve got things under control by other means and SSRIs still seem too extreme.