I am on an SSRI (Celexa) and I am glad. I feel as if I am the SAME person; I don't feel like a zombie. I still cry and feel depressed a lot. BUT what the medication has helped me to do is to get out of bed; and not to spend entire days crying in bed and toying with suicidal thoughts.

I KNOW that when the time comes to withdraw it will be difficult and that I am now "chemically" addicted. I had a friend who had a rough time withdrawing from Prozac, but in the end she believed that the experience of being on Prozac helped her out of a slump that she felt she could not get out of on her own.

I am working hard in therapy and trying my best to understand the basics of my depressive personality. I think of my Celexa as a measure that helps me until I can learn to help myself better without drugs.

On the other hand, I certainly agree that the drug companies "push" these drugs mercilessly and that a lot of doctors just want to blindly put everyone on them. I have read (cannot recall where) that many of the "elderly" are over-prescribed.

This is very much a case of Your Mileage May Vary, however. When a depression becomes disabling, sometimes the drugs can help a person. I did resist anti-depressants for a long time; I did not want to be "hooked" on drugs and I feared that they would change my personality. In my case, I am glad that I decided to give them a try.

But I support every individuals decision on how to go!

Natalie