[ManOfConstantSorrow]

My T is having a long break over the holidays so I have had a chance to reflect and I have questions that I would be most grateful if more experienced clients of therapists could give guidance on.

My citalopram has pulled me back from the brink in the six months I have been taking it, so no problems there (may it last as long as it needs too).

I have been seeing my T for four months and am satisfied with her help.

I do feel really good, better than I have felt for many years. Obviously I want it to stay that way. On the other hand I don't want to be under T and on ADs for ever if at all possible.

Clearly I will speak on this to my T and my quack. But have those who have been in this situation any advice?

Give it more time, and maybe try going off the AD while still in therapy so that you have someone else to check in with and see how you're doing. Quit therapy when it feels right. You can always go back. The hard thing is the meds, but ADs shouldn't have to be a forever thing for most people, but that's why I'd try cutting back on that first and therapy second. But not for several more months, just to make sure you're steady.

I would say to be patient- everything will come in its own good time. You'll know when you don't need therapy anymore. Ads are a bit harder to work out when you can taper off.

[unaluna]

I used to take 3 meds. I stopped taking the third because it felt like it was trying to lift a burden that was no longer there. This coincided with my decision to stop seeing my family of origin for a while. So i tapered off it and have not gone back.

Its been my understanding that you dont want to go on and off meds because they may not work as well for you the next time as they did the first time. I would let the meds "tell you" when they are no longer needed, rather than you try to tell them?

[owlpride]

I was initially quite sceptical that my anti-depressant did anything for me. Yes, I felt better, but starting anti-depressants coincided with a few life changes that made my life much less stressful, and I attributed my feeling better to the life changes.

Half a year later tapered off the AD under the supervision of my psychiatrist. Weeks went by and I was still feeling fine. However, after a while, I noticed that my mood was less stable. My "set point" was still the same, but it took less to get me acutely upset. After some reflection I decided to go back on the AD and my mood is stable once again.

I have since come to accept that I may be taking ADs for life. I have stopped thinking of them as a crutch and decided that they are something that's good for me, like vegetables or exercise.

Coincidentally, my entire genome was sequences for a research study and it turns out that I have a few mutations that are known to mess with serotonin production.