my therapist said I need to "build a life worth showing up for." so I got a dog and 20mg and now we go to brunch every saturday and we're both smiling for no reason and I think we figured it out.
a year ago I didn't leave the house for things like this. I didn't sit at cafes. I didn't laugh at nothing. I didn't bring a dog to a patio and order two iced coffees like we're both people. we are both people. he is my emotional support and I am his ride. trampoline.
a woman at the next table read my sweatshirt and said "how long." I said "eight months." she said "it shows." not because I look different. because I'm sitting at a cafe on a saturday laughing with a dog who is sitting in a chair like he pays rent and neither of us has anywhere else to be.
the first sign it's working isn't happiness. it's wanting to be somewhere instead of nowhere.
he doesn't know what fluoxetine is. he just knows I take him places now. that's enough for both of us.
if you've ever had a dog look at you like you're their whole world and thought "I almost wasn't here for this." you know why this sweatshirt matters.
what was the first thing you did when you realized the medication was working. mine was brunch with a dog who thinks he's a person
When I started my journey with fluoxetine and got my dog, it felt like I was slowly regaining a part of my life I thought was lost. Taking medication isn’t always about suddenly feeling happy; it’s about rediscovering the desire to engage with the world around you. For me, that first real sign was wanting to leave the house, even if just to sit quietly at a café with my dog by my side. Having an emotional support animal can make a huge difference. My dog doesn’t understand the medicine or the struggles, but his presence reminds me I’m not alone and gives me a reason to get up and show up. Those Saturdays at brunch, sipping iced coffee and seeing him comfortably sitting in a chair like he belongs, symbolize how far I’ve come. It’s the small, everyday moments that mean so much. Fluoxetine, combined with this companionship, helped me break out of a cycle of isolation. Medication doesn't cure everything, but it gives you the chance to rebuild your life in meaningful ways. If you’re on this path too, try to notice and celebrate those quiet victories—the moments when you want to be somewhere instead of nowhere. For me, it was a dog who thinks he’s a person and a weekend ritual that brings genuine smiles for no reason.
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