Can you get addicted to antidepressants?
Antidepressant drugs and lithium are not habit-forming or addicting. Craving does not develop, nor does tolerance (requiring higher and higher doses for the same effect).
Abrupt cessation (or even skipping doses of some drugs) can cause withdrawal symptoms such as jitteriness and insomnia, but this can be prevented by avoiding missed doses and gradually tapering the doses when the drug is no longer needed. Perhaps the concern about addiction has to do with the popular misconception that antidepressants act as stimulants or "pepper-uppers"; this is not the case. People with recurrent depressions have been successfully maintained on antidepressants for 30 years or more without harmful effects.
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Comments
Having taken most of the psych meds and medical marijuana. I can tell you that anti-depressants and anti-psychotics are addicting. Having gone off of meds many times for side effects and poop out / tolerance, then having cravings for the drug after I have gone off. Right now as I type this I feel an urge to take Zoloft or Effexor, they give me a numb feeling and a high that I crave when my depression or anxiety is acting up. Also when I am agitated or anxious I have cravings for anti-psychotics because I know they will tranquilize me and put me to sleep. They can and are abused by many people. The industry has an interest in saying they are not addictive but then again cigarettes and oxycodone were claimed not to be addictive too. They don't usually produce pleasurable feelings and hence people are not attracted to them for that reason. But they definitely produce tolerance, people constantly have to up their dose to stay effective and you realize they are addictive when you get the withdrawal / discontinuation when you stop. Listen to the user population and reviews, not the pharms or most doctor's on this subject, unless they have taken them. It is a myth that they are not addictive/ it is a slow addiction. You will find yourself running for the doctor or the meds once your hooked on them. Don't take the drugs if you don't have to, but if it works for you then that is great. But use the drug that works for you - AMP / Benzo / opiate / AD / AP. They are all addictive but to different degrees.
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