“It’s taken away the most fundamental things about being human”: the lived experience and impact of post-SSRI sexual dysfunction

This qualitative interview study explores how people living with PSSD experience the condition's effects on identity, relationships, and mental health. Participants describe sexual side effects that long outlasted their antidepressant treatment and a struggle to be believed by clinicians. The analysis highlights grief for a lost sense of self, strain on intimate relationships, and the psychological burden of an iatrogenic, poorly recognized condition. The authors argue that understanding lived experience is essential for humane clinical care and for research priorities that reflect patients' concerns.