You'd probably have more responses on the psychiatric medications board than on the therapy board; just FYI.

I've taken many different antidepressants over the years, some for as short as a few months, some for several years. I've always been able to discontinue their use when it was time with pretty minimal withdrawal effects and no long-term residual effects. That's my story. Any change to my personality/emotions has been due to work I've done in therapy and has been an improvement, not a decline.

I suspect you'll hear stories from both sides. The difficulty with any psychotropic meds is that no two people seem to experience exactly the same thing with them. Just the nature of the meds I guess.