Coming off antidepressants.

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Hi , I'm wanting to come off my antidepressants, as my life seems to have taken a turn for the better. I've ditched my old job, which was making me depressed, and I have a new job with less hours and stress. The reason I want to go off them is because of the side effects. They make me tired, unmotivated, fat, and I believe they've reduced my creativity and intelligence.

However, my GP and p doc don't agree. I think they are just screwing me about. I didn't want to go on the drugs in the first place - the P doc said it would "Only be for a while" Well that while is now 2 years. She keeps going at me to go back to uni and have overseas holidays. I don't think I can afford either, and I don't have the brain or motivation to go to uni even if I wanted to. I can't spend the rest of my life feeling this way. It's frankly - depressing.

The drug I'm on is mirtazapine. Thoughts welcome.

I was told once you should be on anti depressants for twice as long as your depressive episode. Since I was 2 ( they figure) and didn't get diagnosed until middle age, I need to stay on. I did go off once and felt great until I was in a very stressful situation and I crashed very very badly and became close to suicidal.

Hey there. If you don't want to stay on the drugs, or go to Uni or on holidays, that's up to you. I came off my anti depressants pretty quickly as they were making me more suicidal than being off them. Perhaps your doc could prescribe a different drug that might have fewer or different side effects for you. As ever, I prescribe a cocktail of meditation and exercise as the best anti depressant and anti anxiety combo. I'm drug free now, and I can't see myself ever wanting to go back on them, so, it's possible.

For me, coming off my meds at 14 was worth it . Though I suggest weaning yourself off slowly b/c going from full dosage-nothing in one shot probably will not work (didn't in my case at least).

I came off antidepressants when I realised they were what was making me depressed (ironic isn't it?). I'm off them now and I definitely feel better, but not that much better. It might get better in time.

And you cannot come off antidepressants immediately. It could have dangerous side-effects; a while ago I suddenly stopped taking my medication because I wanted it out of my system, and it magnified the anxiety and made me attempt suicide, which I had never even thought about up until then. So believe me when I say you need to lower the dosage slowly.