Do you have to stay on antidepressants for life?

Take your time. You may be tempted to stop taking antidepressants as soon as your symptoms ease, but depression can return if you quit too soon. Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off antidepressants.

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Do I have to take antidepressants forever?

Do I have to take antidepressants forever is a question that some ask as they struggle with depression. This is one of the more common myths associated with the condition. You do not need to take antidepressants forever nor do you need to get a prescription from a counselor or therapist.

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How long do people have to stay on antidepressants?

It's usually recommended that a course of antidepressants continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition recurring when you stop.

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Can you come off antidepressants after 10 years?

If you've only been taking the med for a few weeks, you may be able to reduce it in about a month. Someone coming off antidepressants after 10 years, or a higher dose, might have to gradually reduce their dose for several months.

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What is the hardest antidepressant to come off of?

People taking Paxil and Effexor often have more intense withdrawal symptoms. These drugs have short half-lives and leave the body faster than drugs with long half-lives. The faster an antidepressant leaves the body, the worse the withdrawal symptoms. This is because of the sudden imbalance of chemicals in the brain.

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Will I Take Antidepressants Forever?

25 related questions found

What is the mildest and safest antidepressant?

Which SSRI antidepressants have the least side effects?
  1. Celexa. Overall, Celexa seems to be one of the best-tolerated SSRIs for many people. ...
  2. Lexapro. Lexapro is closely related to Celexa. ...
  3. Prozac. Prozac causes less weight gain than other SSRIs. ...
  4. Zoloft.

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What is the least harmful antidepressant?

SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant.

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Do people go back to normal after antidepressants?

Ultimately, these withdrawal symptoms will improve with time, but they can be unpleasant for days and possibly even weeks. In time, the brain readjusts and people should experience a return to their normal state.

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Do antidepressants stop working after 20 years?

It's common for a medication that once worked wonders to become ineffective, especially if you've been taking it for a long time. Symptoms return for up to 33% of people using antidepressants — it's called breakthrough depression.

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Does emotional blunting go away after stopping antidepressant?

If the antidepressant you use works for you, your doctor may reduce your dosage first to see if that helps. Emotional blunting is one of the main reasons people stop taking their antidepressants. For most people, when they stop their antidepressants, they are able to feel emotions again.

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Is depression curable or just treatable?

There is no cure for depression, but many different treatments are available to manage the symptoms. The symptoms of depression vary among individuals. A treatment plan that includes medical interventions, support, and lifestyle changes can enable a person to live a normal and full life with the condition.

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Why are so many people on antidepressants?

Perhaps the fundamental reason why antidepressants are so widely prescribed and used is that they fit with the 'medical model' of mental illness, which has become the standard view in western culture. This model sees depression as a medical condition which can be “fixed” in the same way as a physical injury or illness.

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How can I get off antidepressants naturally?

Benefits of natural remedies

When experiencing withdrawal symptoms or antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, increasing physical exercise or changing the diet to include more fresh food may help ease symptoms by making a person feel reinvigorated and less lethargic.

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What are the long-term cons of antidepressants?

During long-term SSRI therapy, the most troubling adverse effects are sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and sleep disturbance.

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What the doctors don t tell you about antidepressants?

“Even though they say your meds are 'non-habit forming,' you can still have serious, debilitating withdrawals when you try to get off of them, and there's no telling how long they will last.” — Matthew A. 3. “I didn't know antidepressants could affect your libido.

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What happens if you take antidepressants but don't need them?

In the case of SSRIs, SNRIs, and related medications, the effects of taking antidepressants when not depressed can include developing a condition known as serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of this condition include the following: Confusion. Agitation.

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What happens if you stop taking antidepressants after years?

Discontinuation symptoms can include anxiety and depression. Since these may be the reason you were prescribed antidepressants in the first place, their reappearance may suggest that you're having a relapse and need ongoing treatment.

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What antidepressant is best for anxiety?

SSRIs and SNRIs are often the first-line treatment for anxiety. Common SSRI brands are Celexa, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil, and Zoloft. Common SNRI brands are Pristiq, Cymbalta, and Effexor XR. Pros: They are effective for a lot of people and they have a solid safety profile.

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Do antidepressants work for long-term depression?

Antidepressants can also relieve long-term symptoms of chronic depressive disorder (dysthymia) and chronic depression, and help make them go away completely. An antidepressant can already have an effect within one or two weeks. But it may take longer for the symptoms to improve.

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Why is it so hard to get off antidepressants?

Pharmacologists have generally believed that any withdrawal effects from antidepressants were tied to their elimination half-life, a measure of how long it takes for half of the drug to be metabolized and eliminated from the body, Fava says.

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Is it hard to come off antidepressants?

Withdrawal symptoms usually come on within 5 days of stopping the medicine and generally last 1 to 2 weeks. Some people have severe withdrawal symptoms that last for several months or more. See your doctor if you get severe withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking antidepressants.

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Can you live a long life on antidepressants?

They found that those taking antidepressants were 33% more likely to die during the study time frame and 14% more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event. People who already had cardiovascular disease, however, were at no higher risk if they took an antidepressant. What is this?

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What is the number 1 prescribed antidepressant?

What are the most common antidepressant medications? Sertraline, also known by the brand name Zoloft, used for multiple mental health and mood disorders, is the most prescribed antidepressant dispensed to U.S.

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What is the most serious antidepressant?

— Bupropion and venlafaxine were ranked #1 and #2 respectively in highest mortality rates among the second-generation ADs; bupropion had the highest morbidity rate. — Among the SSRIs, citalopram was the most dangerous, and in one comparison, it was four times more likely to be fatal than sertraline and escitalopram.

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What is the best antidepressant ever?

6 most effective antidepressants sold in the United States
  • Amitriptyline.
  • Effexor (venlafaxine)
  • Lexapro (escitalopram)
  • Paxil (paroxetine)
  • Remeron (mirtazapine)
  • Trintellix (vortioxetine)

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