I don't think most are addicting. It isn't unusual for some AD's to stop working like they did at first, but I don't know why that is. I suspect that we continue to build the same neuropathyways that created the depression unless we do something more/different than medicate to relieve the symptoms.

I found AD's to be emotionally numbing and I was really disturbed that I couldn't cry. I still had times I felt very depressed while on Prozac and I felt at one point that if I could just have a *good* cry, I would feel better... get it out of my system. But I couldn't cry. For that reson I went off Prozac I'd taken for many years (10 years on AD's most of those years on Prozac).I wanted to feel. I wanted to see what I was like without the med. Who was I now? Had time and age/maturity made any difference? I did have physical withdrawal symptoms because I stopped them abuptly rather than having a doctor help me wean off, which is the way to do it.

After the withdrawal I began feeling emotions that I hadn't been feeling fully while on the medication. It was intense. Sometimes it still is. It took a lot to get used to and I have a ways to go yet. I did a lot of talking and I continue in therapy. Psychology is so interesting and I like digging deep and learning and I like the therapeutic relationship.

So that is my experience.

My opinion is that meds relieve the symptoms and then therapy uncovers the reason(s) the symptoms appeared..