Hello. I'm so grateful that this group is here. When I first looked for a support community for getting off of anti-depressants (in 2004) I found one group, in San Francisco, and very little on-line. It is comforting to know that others are going through, or have gone through, similar experiences to my own.
I took my last dose of Lexapro in June of 2008 and have been almost entirely drug-free since then (an occasional crumb of Atavan still gets me through particularly challenging days). I am grateful to be free and clear of ADs, but also disappointed that my emotional stability and happiness are far less than they were before I started taking Lexapro. That said, I do have times of great happiness and I did not have that while on the drugs, so there is much to be grateful for.
I find the most challenging part of this is the isolation. I have only recently "come out" as someone who struggles with depression (not something I would have thought about myself before becoming dependent on ADs), and that is difficult enough socially. I don't usually even broach the subject of withdrawal syndrome; it's just too grim for normal conversation. When I miss events because I'm having a "bad day," I usually say I've got a migraine headache. My lying about it makes the isolation even worse.
I look forward to meeting other people who are going through, or have been through, similar experiences.
Thank you all for being here.