Lexapro (Escitalopram) saved my life. I don't care what any meta-analysis says: years of diet, exercise, and meditation did 5% of what 1 month of Lexapro did for me. I will take it until I die.
Myself likewise. I don't wish to revisit the pit and wallow through the cognitive fog. An interesting aside: why do users of antidepressants feel the need to reduce their dose? It's a benign addiction, like moderate caffeine dependency. One reason is that there _is_ a trade-off; these drugs make us a little dull and less interesting to ourselves.
side effects.
Fair enough, I've been lucky. The only side-effect I've noticed over long-term use is a slight dullness. Some people suffer all kinds of weirdness.
The worst luck is experiencing side effects/personality change from the meds, but not being able to notice them _because_ of the medication.
May try reducing the dose without going off? Sure things will be a little bit wilder, but there's non-drug therapy (exercise, CBT, etc)
Just the nagging feeling that this is not really you but a 'drug' induced state. In any case, I'm generally paranoid of medications given the frequency of hidden side effects that aren't revealed/discovered years later and the general evilness of the pharma industry. Down from 100mg to 25mg now, I've constantly been trying to find a way to replace it with more 'natural' things like meditation, reformulation of stressful situations. That being said, the effect of the SSRI's was like day/night for me, and I would recommend anyone who's been suffering for depression to atleast give it a go with the caveats in mind.
I've had a similar experience with venlafaxine (Effexor). I feel no need to go off the drug. I don't care if it's addictive -- I'm able to function and feel happy. That far outweighs $60 every couple of months. I wouldn't want to risk losing my stability and capacity to enjoy life.