Safely by tapering, of course

I'm in month 3 of Lexapro and the side effects are awful. I have to take Ativan to counter the side effects and that can become addictive. I've been waiting for the side effects to fade and the Lexapro to kick in, but here I am at this crossroads where I wonder whether Lexapro is even right for me, or I need a higher dose? I'd hate to up my dosage only to increase the side effects and make my eventual taper-off more lengthy.

TIA