Hello APPPhd: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

With regard to your post, I will simply mention that, when I've been on antidepressants in the past, they never stopped me from having some days that were okay & other days where I was still very tired & sad. About all they did for me was to keep me from sinking so low that I would begin thinking about ending it all. Beyond that, I still had to do the work of keeping myself on an even keel from one day to the next.

So, from my perspective, to imagine that a medication is going to eliminate one's sadness / depression is not realistic, regardless of how long one has been on the med. All the medication does is to keep you from sinking down too far into the abyss. And, for the little bit of benefit this provides, you get... side-effects. This is, in part, why I no longer take them. But this is just my personal experience...

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. There are many knowledgeable & caring members here. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!