As a pharmacist with an interest in depression, I have to strongly suggest you give it a try. Conspiracy theorists will now jump out and say "That's because you

As a pharmacist with an interest in depression, I have to strongly suggest you give it a try. Conspiracy theorists will now jump out and say "That's because you make money when he takes drugs!" No, I don't make much money when someone picks up a $4 prescription for a month's worth of citalopram, sertraline, trazodone, or paroxetine. But I know how depression can affect (and cripple) a person's life, and because of that I have to suggest that you at least go see a doctor to talk about it. Explain to him that you're skeptical, that's fine. Be open to suggestions, and be willing to try a few different drugs. We don't have depression completely figured out and only about 1/3 of patients achieve remission on their first antidepressant (about 2/3 achieve remission by with their second monotherapy trial). Dependency is not an issue. You will not crave your antidepressant. You may, however, feel strange if you stop taking it suddenly (I cannot clearly explain it - 'strange' truly is the effect). Some of these drugs do have withdrawal symptoms, and again, this is where conspiracy theorists jump out and say "That's because you're addicted!" No, you are not addicted. You were taking a medication that modulated your neurotransmitter levels. If it was successful, over a period of time, your mood will be altered. If you stop that suddenly, wouldn't you expect your mood to fluctuate until your body readjusts? Of course you would. Taking an antidepressant does not 'kill off' parts of yourself. It will allow you to be /more/ of who you are - without the anxiety, without the sleeplessness, without the morbid thoughts, without the intrusive thoughts, without the feelings of guilt. It allows you to break through the wall that normally holds you back. If you are interested in further discussion, please email me. I have a lot to say on the subject.