Hello tpg3000: Welcome to PsychCentral! PC is a great place to gain support as well as to obtain information related to mental health concerns. There are many knowledgeable & caring members here.

With regard to your questions, these are questions best discussed with your prescribing physician. You don't say how many SSRI's you've tried, or for how long you've been on the one you're on. It takes a while for an SSRI to take effect. Also, an SSRI that works for one person may not do as good a job for another person. There are in addition, of course, various therapies that one can try including individual talk therapy, group therapy, CBT, DBT, etc. Some people find one or more of these helpful. Others do not.

There really are just no hard-&-fast rules. You, along with your treating physician, & therapist if you have one, need to work together to figure out what the best plan of treatment is for you. Anything that any of us, here on PC, might suggest is going to be just speculation based on almost no information. Thus, from my perspective, I would like to encourage you to talk with the mental health professionals in your life regarding your ongoing symptoms. I wish you all the best...