How Long Should You take an SSRI?

Take them forever if they work , why stop and get sick an maybe never find another med that works. I see chemical imbalance in a simple way, like 2 rivers running through your brain at the same speed , when something goes wrong like depression 1 river runs slower than the other throwing of the balance, SO you take AD,s and that speeds it up till they both run the same again, With BIPOLAR 1 river runs fast (mania,) the other( slow) for depression, in bad cases both rivers keep changing speed from mania to depression, so mood stabiliser,s are bought in has a back up the get the rivers flowing the same speed. This is the way I make it simple to understand in none medical jargon, weird I no but works for me. depression has 1 river to sort out , bipolar has 2. PS don't swim the rapid,s

Well for me I shouldn't be on them at all because they either don't work, or don't work and increase my anxiety and they seem to increase the slight bit of paranoia I normally have to ridiculous levels so then I think everyone is against me no matter what they say or do...people don't really appreciate that.

As for meds in general yeah I might need something for life, not that I feel its going to totally prevent relapses into suicidal depression but at least to help manage the anxiety and maybe keep my mood more even instead of going from ok to horrible every other day, or feeling horrible for days at a time.

I personally think cannabis is a great medication, but I am trying to give the pharmacuticals a try so I can get the help I need...cannabis probably doesn't help with trying to get on SSI since then they could say thats what causes my problems. So basically I am trying to give that a break with the help of meds...since I need something to help. Hopefully the new meds I am on help so I can give up smoking cannabis for a while, seems like something I have to do...but to be honest I doubt I'd want to give it up forever.

I've heard that diabetic analogy before... i'm just not sure if i totally agree it. I don't know if its that simple with psych. problems.. The brain isnt totally understood

True infinitesadness........people that have diabetes dont always stay at they same level. Sometimes their diabetes can get better and therefore they dont need insulin anymore or sometimes it gets worse and meds needs to be changed accordingly.

Same for mental illness it can be all over they place and meds also need decreased or increased as needs determine. That's why its always important to listen to your body/emotions in determining needs in accordance with a professional.

All illnesses can get complicated or go the other way. I guess the medical community has more understanding of the body than the mind.

I guess there's no real answer...

There actually is an answer. Unfortunately that answer is: it’s different for everyone. We are all unique flowers under the sun. Some people only have occasional depression and can go off them for a few years until they have another depressive episode some people need them all the time. Also different Meds works for different People.

If one med worked exactly the same for everyone we’d all be as happy as clams

Please remember the meds are supposed to be replacing what your deficient in already. Different meds do that in different ways. So as your brain chemistry changes, which it does when were happy, sad, under stress, changes in environment, even what we eat, how much we drink.....so med requirements change.

They're used to keep us on going. That's a broad term for alive with some quality of life.

Your concern re brain dumbing down, honest, it happens, no doubt about it. I've lost so much memory and motor skills due to meds. But I'd be dead without them. Its a trade off. Those of us are on meds because we didn't cope without them. The side effects, unfortunately not a lot you can do about it other than taking the least possible amount you can function on. Talk to your Pdoc about that and with regular reviews you can find hopefully the optimum dose for you .

On year 14 on the same SSRI. It agreed with me and did not turn on me. All is well. I was on another prior to that for 3 years but at the end it numbed me too much, this one is a better choice for my personal brain chemistry, it lets me have my emotions but helps with the really nasty stuff. Not cured though, but helped a great deal.

All of my meds I’ve been on for 4-11 years.

Which ones to the last 2 posters?

You take SSRIs long-term.

Typically for years.