I am 46 years old and have taken antidepressants (Lexapro, Paxil, now Zoloft) for 10 years. But the reason I began taking them wasn’t due to my own need for relief from depression or anxiety. It was actually an effort to improve my relationship with my husband at the time. He suffered from depression and took medication, but said that I was overly critical, driven, intense, etc. and I think he was right. But I was also young and immature, and am an engineer by profession. I do have a critical thought process, no doubt. We were mismatched from the start and separated not long after I started the medication, but have a 11 year old son together. The divorce process, and going back to work full time as a single mom was difficult and stressful. But after taking the Lexapro for over 4 years, I actaully began feeling lethargic and depressed and decided to stop taking it cold turkey. Big mistake, I learned the hard way, and ended up on Paxil after a few months. Now I am having the same problem with the Paxil, and I really just want to get off the medication all together because I feel that it is causing the depression. I was never depressed to begin with, but now I am! After a couple of bad experiences with withdrawal symptoms from coming off the meds, I am really apprehensive about trying to taper off of them, but I want myself back, not this medicated, lethargic, irritable, unproductive person. I was far from perfect, as my ex-husband made painfully clear, but I always had hope for a better future and energy to work for it. I can’t help but feel that the meds have done more harm than good in my particular situation. I just wonder if others have had similar experiences? Thank you and best wishes in whatever you are searching for…
A Reader