Can I stop my antidepressants on my own?

A question from a reader states “ Can I stop my antidepressants? There are many people who have stopped taking drugs for depression on their own but it is not recommended to discontinue the use of the pills without consulting your physician. There are many who simply are not looking to spend the rest of their lives on depression medications and in fact there are many who will be able to discontinue the drugs. Can I stop antidepressants depends on the person, each person will handle coming of the drugs in a different way.

Each depression medication has a different withdrawal symptom, despite what some people say there are some people who have stopped their medications with no troubles at all but this is not recommended. The nature of the depression is very important, when deciding if you should stop. There are people who may be experiencing a situational depression, this may be related to a divorce or a death for example, many of these people may be able to treat their depressive condition in other ways. Clinical depression may be different, this can be a life long debilitating condition where a person cannot work or function for months at a time. Often these people may need not be able to hold a job, they may not be able to leave the bed for weeks at at a time. In turning to our reader's direction question “Can I stop antidepressants? The answer is yes but it also depends on the person and the nature of the depressive condition.

There are over 18 million people in the United States on various anti depression drugs, the pills are a necessity for millions worldwide but coming off the pills is also the desire of many who have been taking them for years. It is important that regardless of the nature of the depression that a person seeks to go beyond drugs for the condition. Drugs may be a necessity but it should in no way be the last step in your healing process. Those who decide to stay drugged should also take there healing further even while remaining on their medications. “Can I stop antidepressants” is a great question because it shows a desire to go beyond drugs. There is an inside/out technique that has been helping people fill back up emotionally and reverse depression drug free, it is used by those on antidepressant, many have stopped all medications. 

See here Go beyond antidepressants