Why do people choose to go off their prescribed antidepressant

September 16, 2026··

I am curious as to why others have chosen to go off their drugs. Was it because they weren't working as the doctors say they do, was it because of side-effects from the drug. My husband is tapering because they did nothing for his ability to function in life or have any happiness. But now he feels worse during his tapering.

Cymbalta — 27mg — 1 year — actively tapering | Zyprexa — 2.5mg — 1year,6months — holding

6 Replies

Horizon2d ago

NavigatorSeroquel · holding

I started to decrease because the meds were too strong for me, I was too heavily sedated to cope, and the side effects were scary and making me seriously physically ill. I was also mentally ill on the meds so I'd rather deal with mental illness without a horrible tablet than deal with mental illness and a horrible tablet. There's lots of other ways of improving mood and things change. At least with withdrawals they will stop in the end as I get used to living without meds, eventually there will be no side effects and no withdrawals. There's light at the end of the tunnel. With continuing the medicine, the side effects would just get worse and worse until I end up seriously ill and potentially have a shortened life remaining heavily sedated, uncomfortable and living daily with scary side effects Best of luck to your husband and god bless your good work in supporting his journey walking off these meds 💕

Seroquel — 400— 22 years —down to 100 in 6 months, 100 is taking a lot of time to get used to so resting on 100 for as long as it takes. holding | without clinician

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Catina2d ago

Community AnchorEffexor

This is a great question! I missed a dose of Venlafaxine (Effexor) back in 2019 and it harmed me for a long time. It really opened my eyes to the dangers of psychiatric drugs. I didn't want to be on a drug where I had to live in fear of missing a dose. In addition, I know now that there is no such thing as a "chemical imbalance" and these drugs don't heal or cure anything. They only work about 15% better than a placebo, can cause a wide variety of side effects, and can be very difficult to come off of. I don't want to be on them anymore. I think there are better and more holistic ways to handle mental health struggles.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

MamaLa2d ago

WelcomerProzac · holding

For myself, they only minimally reduced the anxiety they were given for, and after a number of years I ended up with all sorts of addition symptoms such as depression, insomnia and tons of “ unexplainable” GI symptoms. I feel that I have learned to deal with my anxiety and as I’m getting a bit older, do not want to deal with all the extra effects that these meds have given me. I was told I was “ broken” which I also no longer believe. I truly believe that we can heal in much better ways than what the meds give and I am beyond ready to connect with my true self.

Prozac — 2.4mg — 4 — holding

Stuart2d ago

WelcomerEffexor · supporting

This is a great question for the community. I can see how someone from the "outside" might wonder if someone is already taking something, why bother stopping it? My reasons for stopping: 1.) Chemical Imbalance Myth: There is no evidence supporting the theory that depression is a "chemical imbalance". In fact, there is no evidence that any "mental illness" is caused by a chemical imbalance as there is there is no method available to test for the presence or absence of these chemical imbalances (https://cepuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Myth-of-the-chemical-imbalance-010314.pdf). Therefore, I was given medications when I was younger under false pretense and a lack of informed consent. 2.) Sexual Dysfunction: this was not as bad as other cases I have heard, but I experienced a "dulling" during intimacy and difficulty achieving orgasm. This resolved after stopping the medications I was prescribed. 3.) Emotional Numbing: part of what I needed to heal from had to do with my emotions, but I found the medications "numbed" them to the point that I was rarely able to cry. 4.) No Long-term Research: There is growing research on the consequences of long-term use: (https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2026/june/continuing-antidepressants-or-not) 5.) I also have a father who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I have personally witnessed the consequences of long-term psych med use both on the body and brain. Knowing now that there are options in other parts of the world that take a non-medication recovery approach to psychosis, it both saddens and frustrates me.

Historic experience tapering off: Citalopram 20mg | Effexor 75mg | Valium 20mg || "Insanity is the only sane reaction to an insane society" Thomas Szasz

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Catina2d ago

Community AnchorEffexor