Forever on an SSRI/medication? Can I ever get off or is it a life long commitment?

Everyone is different, but I think you can go off of it even though you've had it so long. The initial withdraw is rough. After 7 years of being on 2 anti-depressants my insurance wouldn't cover them, so I let them run out, thinking I could handle life without them. I had the withdraw effects, but soon they went away. I was back to my old self, but the problem was I no longer could maintain a stable mood. The bad days no longer went away, and built up into depression. It sucks, but I pretty much have to stay on meds. While the meds are over-pushed, some people, like myself, truly do need them to maintain daily functionality. Give it a try, but always be aware if you are slipping into depression.

Why are you thinking about suicide, if I may ask? Be aware that if you go off the med, you might initially feel super depressed and want to commit suicide.

I've been on 40mg of Lexapro and I'm slowly tapering off, I cold turkey ran out of them for a week and came out fine... Listen to your body and adjust the taper accordingly.

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Originally Posted by Degenerate

Everyone is different, but I think you can go off of it even though you've had it so long. The initial withdraw is rough. After 7 years of being on 2 anti-depressants my insurance wouldn't cover them, so I let them run out, thinking I could handle life without them. I had the withdraw effects, but soon they went away. I was back to my old self, but the problem was I no longer could maintain a stable mood. The bad days no longer went away, and built up into depression. It sucks, but I pretty much have to stay on meds. While the meds are over-pushed, some people, like myself, truly do need them to maintain daily functionality. Give it a try, but always be aware if you are slipping into depression.

Why are you thinking about suicide, if I may ask? Be aware that if you go off the med, you might initially feel super depressed and want to commit suicide.

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Well, you know how it is, Degen. It's not that I'm thinking of suicide as an option, but that I'm thinking of it in the hypothetical sense. As you said above, slipping into depression alters how you think and the negative is pulled from every situation and somehow becomes the only option. I agree that the meds are sometimes a necessarily evil, though. I appreciate what you said here.