Zoloft Magic
Posted by Dr. Vollmer on October 28, 2011
Carol, seven years old, was easily aggravated. She worried about middle school even though it was four years away. She worried her parents would die, even though they were both healthy. She worried about being upstairs in her house alone, even though she had lived in the same house for her entire life. She worried when she was separated from her mom, be it at school or at a friend’s birthday party. Carol tried play therapy and behavioral therapy. She enjoyed both experiences, but she still had her worries. As a last resort, Carol and her parents came to me. After much deliberation, we decided to give Zoloft a try. Both parents had histories of anxiety and both parents had positive responses to SSRIs in the past. Carol started on Zoloft and within a week, she was more “fun to be around,” according to Carol’s mom. Separation was no longer a problem. Carol reported that her worries “went away”. Carol had no side effects, only the positive benefit of not worrying all the time. Success-at least, for now.
See also…..https://shirahvollmermd.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/zoloft/
Shirah Vollmer MD 
Shelly said
This sounds like a success story, except that after a week, “she was more “fun to be around,” according to Carol’s mom. Medication isn’t always for the parents, it’s for the child too. How did Carol feel? What did she articulate to you? That she felt less anxious? Being the mother of a highly-medicated child, I know the relief I feel when the medications take effect. But I know that he feels more in control of himself when they do. Did Carol feel better when “she was more fun to be around?”
Shirah said
A success story is never done, until it is done. I would say that this was a good week for Carol, and the Zoloft probably had something to do with that. Yes, Carol feels more at ease, both by her own report, and by the fact that she transitions better between activities.