This post is about coming off anti-depressant meds. Please don’t take it as being anti-medication or as a suggestion that anybody would be better off unmedicated. My meds helped me when I needed them most so I would be that last person to advise against taking them. It’s a decision that every person needs to make for themselves.

I stopped taking anti-depressant medication a month ago because the circumstances causing my depression had changed for the better, and because the side-effects had started to impact on my functioning. As I stated in an earlier post I had started on 10 mg Citalopram, soon upping the dosage to 20 mg. This had helped alleviate my symptoms of depression and I had been feeling more like my usual self.

But after a couple of months my circumstances had changed — I had transitioned to living full-time as female and my relationship with Anne had improved immeasurably. That was when I began to notice the negative aspects of SSRI medication. My mood was too stable: I didn’t get appreciable highs or lows. This caused problems: I discovered that not experiencing the highs prevented me from getting motivated. I didn’t even enjoy my work, my major special interest.

I spoke to my doctor about coming off the meds and began the process of reducing my dosage. But it wasn’t as effective as I’d hoped and after speaking to a doctor at the stage of alternating 20 mg and 10 mg daily I decided to try to stop altogether. It took a couple of weeks for my mind to adjust properly but after that I was feeling better than I had for months.

Well, that was over a month ago now and for the past four weeks I have been feeling like my old self. I’m enjoying life again, I’m enjoying my work (I’ve been more productive in the last month than I was for the entire time I was medicated). And that’s why I decided to link this video. It sums up how I’m feeling so well.