Stay on meds or wean off?

How long after being on medication do you or should you go off?

I started setraline, the generic form of Zoloft, for anxiety about 4 years ago. And then I was hospitalized about 2 and a half years ago, diagnosed with major depressive disorder and put on lamotrigine, the generic form of Lamictal.

So I have been on these two medications, Zoloft and lamictal for about 2 and a half years and now I am just wondering how long I will need to be on these for. a couple more years? my whole life? I know I should talk to my doctor and all that but I wanted to find out if anybody has had similar experiences as me. Similar as in, had depression so bad you had to be hospitalized but then weaned off your medication?

Is that even possible? Or if you have had a depressive episode is it out of the question to get off of medication completely? I guess it is more curiosity than anything. Well and one other thing...

I will probably end up having my post for this next bit but maybe not. I don't know....

The other reason I want to get off other than just to be off of meds and be stable without them is that I don't think I have ever had an orgasm because of my antianxiety/antidepressants. I know that it is common and I am wondering if this can be fixed after being off of antidepressants for some time? I don't know if I have even had an orgasm ever and I think that by saying "I don't think I have" that means I haven't...

Any comments/input is much appreciated! thanks!

Oh, and I am a 19 year old female. I don't know if that information is relevant or not.

Hi Karen,

I agree. I guess I am just anxious and nervous about switching or going off. And I don't really feel comfortable asking my doctor about the orgasm aspect of it.

How long have you been on medication?

lovers

I see.

I feel that I probably have some sort of chemical imbalance as well. I'm sure I have rambled on about myself many times on here but both my bio parents had mental illness. my Bio mother has severe bipolar and bio father claimed he had bipolar as well but he never took medication.

my bio parents met in alcoholics anonymous also.

My depressive episode happened when I just had enough of my adoptive sister nagging me, putting me down, controlling me and treating me like a baby.

So, in that respect, I feel that my major depressive episode was situational but obviously mental illness runs in my bio family SO i probably have a chemical imbalance too.

Hmm. Can it be tested? Can a doctor actually check to see if you have an imbalance or is it just assumed?

lovers

Thank you Karen

I too had to work on my self esteem a lot in my high school days. It was very hard for me. Looking back now I realize just how severe my anxiety was my freshman year of high school. I think I had so many underlying things going on that I just had no idea where to begin with all the problems and thoughts about those problems. I remember being so afraid so simply walk down the hallways and I never knew why.

Then having anxiety so bad and having other situational events that traumatized me, brought on my depression.

I guess sometimes I just think and wonder if I will ever be able to be "happy" without medication. I don't believe that the happiness we feel on medication is in any way artificial but people who don't take medication and are not educated on it, sure do make it seem that way.

Sometimes I get random flashbacks of happiness from childhood. I remember and recall happiness that I had when I was a child and I just feel so good inside. When it goes away, I forget completely what it was like and I feel bad that I don't feel that anymore. Obviously, I think adults and children are different and what I am feeling is probably just a flashback of the free floating happiness and worry free temperament that we had as children.

I guess I just wish I could be happy on my own is what I am getting at. But if it is not possible then that is fine too.

lovers spit