Welcome to Women On Antidepressants, a new series exploring the issues young women face around getting prescribed, experiencing side effects, dealing with relationships while on medication, and life after antidepressants.

After feeling frustrated in lockdown, Joanna, 24, was ready for a summer of love. But now that the sun has arrived and restrictions are easing, she actually has no drive for it. “I’ve been on and off Citalopram [a type of antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)] for just under four years now, and I most recently started taking them again in February – that’s why I’ve made the link,” she tells Stylist. “It’s numbed parts of myself that I thought would always be there. I’ve had moments at parties and bars where, on paper, I should be wanting to kiss somebody and take them home – like I used to before I started taking medication. But the reality is that I’m just not fussed despite being attracted to them.”

Joanna is currently dating somebody she likes, because she wants companionship with a romantic partner, but she’s just “not up for” having sex with them: “It’s early days but this issue has been on my mind. This sounds awful but part of me just wants to have a few drinks and try doing it to see what happens. I don’t want to come off the meds because they are doing my mental health a lot of good in other ways. But my GP hasn’t talked to me about this side effect and it’s a weird one to bring up with my friends.”

Sex drive and antidepressants: women tell us how medication affects their sex lives