I tried a T first. I'd try to talk to a T before trying Lexapro. I hope you can find a counselor to talk to. I have read that it is the counseling that has the long-term effects more than the drug.
Otherwise, Lexapro is not too bad. The withdrawal symptoms are annoying though. I was good and dizzy because my psychiatrist was out sick. So I went without for two days. Also the initial side effects are pretty annoying. I felt like I wanted to throw up. According to my original psychiatrist, this is normal with this drug.
There is a black box warning for suicidal thoughts especially in children. I have not had an increase in suicidal thoughts since I started Lexapro. As for serotonin syndrome, that is probably unlikely with Lexapro. The patient leaflet on the Lexapro website states that a person can overdose and live.
I hope you find a solution that works for you. Good job on doing your homework. I did the same thing after getting the samples from my psychiatrist the first time.