I took antidepressants and other psychiatric meds for 6 years beginning at the age of 16. In December, it'll be one year since I was able to successfully quit after reading a book that convinced me the drugs simply weren't necessary for me anymore.

I've been through some of the most horrible "discontinuation" symptoms imaginable, including seizure, pseudoparkonsonian reactions, suicidal thoughts, violent outbursts, nightmares, crying, and feeling as though I was going insane. It's very easy to get caught up in the withdrawal symptoms and feel like it will never go away, like that's your REAL personality. You start thinking, "is this why I started these meds in the first place? Was I REALLY this crazy?"

The answer is no.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that the way you're feeling is a symptom of drug withdrawal, not a regression into your "pre-drug" state of being. You will never feel as bad as you do during discontinuation syndrome. Since most doctors and psychiatrists don't inform people of the seriousness of these effects (or in my case, didn't even MENTION the possibility of such horrors), it's very easy to feel like the drugs are more benign than they are, that you NEED them to be normal, etc. Do some research on discontinuation syndrome and you'll find all the symptoms that make you feel crazy and see that they're merely side effects of quitting the drugs. Some of them go away relatively quickly, others can last for up to 2 years after quitting, especially in someone who's been on the drugs as long as you have. I experienced a sharp increase in my appetite after quitting Prozac and an immediate weight gain that's just now starting to even out. There's no limit to what you can potentially experience upon quitting psychiatric meds, but it does help to educate yourself extensively beforehand. If not for the book I read, I would have NEVER had the wherewithall to successfully stop drugging myself. You need to know what to expect and how to best deal with it before setting out on this journey...and it IS a journey. Best of luck to you!