20 Years of Taking Antidepressants

[Iceberg]

I've been on antidepressant meds for 20 years now, is there anyone who has got off them after using for so long. I was told I would need to take them for the rest of my life.

[white knight]

Hi Iceberg,

I'd check with your GP. But I am on Ad's and other meds and I assume I'll be on them for the rest of my life too.

Hope all goes well

Tony WK

[geoff]

hello Iceberg, I have also been taking them for over 20 years, but if I run of pills or need to get another script and don't take them for 2 days then I fall back down to where I don't want to be, so I will be taking them for the rest of my life.
If they keep me feeling the way I want to feel then I don't have any problem with this, however it's something to talk to your doctor about, and if they want you to cut down on the dosage and then give up taking them, you will know how you will feel, so this could make you decide whether or not you need to take them. Geoff.

[blondguy]

Hello Iceberg

20 years this year for me too. Also told the same by my doc about life long depression (chemical imbalance) To me its the same as a physical problem....just need the meds to enable a relatively happy life

If I may ask you, how do you feel as in day to day?

Good question Iceberg. Paul

[Dr_Kim]

Hi Iceberg,

I guess my question for you is why now?

Has something changed in your life, your health , your outlook, your mental health that has led you to feel that a medication that you presumably have been stable on for 20 years is now no longer the right thing for you? If there is a good reason to have a trial off the medication, I wouldn’t say it is impossible to do.. but i would do it VERY slowly , as a 1/4 tablet reduction fortnight. I would also suggest that you do it under medical supervision to asses for both physical withdrawal issues, but also a relapse or instability on your mental health .

You should be monitored for about a year after ceasing the medication to see how it goes. You may still need them again in the future as the risk of relapse is still present. Some people use these medications intermittently inter lives and others as a stable part of their daily regime to keep themselves well. there is no golden rule, but just what works for each individual.

But, the caution here is to really question why now, and what are the hoped for gains and what are the risks for you if you relapse.

[Iceberg]

Some days I feel ok but there's a lot of days where I wake up feeling really down and I just don't know if the meds are working anymore.

[Iceberg]

I'm just not sure the meds are working anymore as I have a lot of down days and I'm on a really high dose SSNRI. An SSRI stopped working for me about 8 years ago. I'm going to see a Psychiatrist re all this but am concerned nothing is going to work for me anyway and maybe this is just how life is going to be for me, with my moods up and down.

[blondguy]

Hey Iceberg

You and I have been on these meds for the same time frame.....20 years..I also have some lows too when I wake up feeling low.

I know that the meds arent a fix all. They provide us with a platform on which we can re-build ouerselves more effectively with some counseling and using the coping techniques

If I may ask you, is there anything that has been making you feel like crap in the last few months?

I had a relationship last year that went backwards and my meds also felt useless..Sometimes it may be work or family issues that are making us feel lousy too

you are definitely not alone here Iceberg 🙂

kind thoughts for you

Paul

[Tony5]

Hello Iceberg,

I wasn't on antidepressants for 20 years, 'only' for about 6 and I've been off them successfully for almost 18 months. It was my decision to go off them because I believe they do more harm than good and I believe I have found a way to not only overcome my depression, but to eradicate it forever. I believe that antidepressants are nothing more than a mask for the underlying problem of depression, which is low self-esteem. I'm now having psychotherapy to overcome my low self-esteem, which will eventually allow me to become the person I've always wanted to be (even though I'm now in my mid 50s).

It's my belief that a person with depression doesn't need to take medicine for the rest of their lives in order to merely cope with it, the illness can be overcome and eliminated by targeting the root cause: low self-esteem.

Good luck with your journey and I hope you can live without them as I do.

[Jgv]

I just joined this forum now, so I know this thread is a year old.

Very good ideas posted above to think about - especially the idea about low self-esteem underpinning depression. I think the two do go hand in hand, and the psychiatrist didn't talk much about low self-esteem that I can remember. It was more focussed on the symptom - major depression. After 20 years of SSRI, I got bit tired of pill-popping so I tried third time successfully to come off, wasn't too slow a wean off, but not quick. I don't I could have done it without the support of my wife quite frankly.