Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors

While antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication and the like definitely prove to be useful, they utterly trap an individual. I have experience with this particular topic, since I have been taking sertraline, also known by its more common brand name, Zoloft, for about three years. I cannot function on a day-to-day basis without medication. However, even if one is medicated, according to one study, approximately 25% of individuals that use an SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) will see a decrease in effectiveness as time goes on.
Although I am present in the physical world, I do not feel entirely here. I often struggle to even remember what I did 24 hours ago. Nearly every day I feel as though I could have more potential without being on a SSRI and generally feel like there is something in the back of my mind that is out of reach. I yawn at least once every two minutes as a strange side effect of being on sertraline. Worst of all is the knowledge that I can never stop taking sertraline even if I want to, unless I want to be too anxious to do common, everyday activities.
It is not that I am not satisfied, in fact, it is quite the opposite. Sertraline works well for me – so well that I cannot live without the medication. An article published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine states that “patients with antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) commonly experience insomnia, flu-like symptoms, mood disturbances, dizziness, and paresthesias, but a broad array of adverse effects is possible.” Of individuals that experienced these symptoms, according to the same article, “86.7% reported ongoing symptoms at two months, 58.6% at one year, and 16.2% beyond three years.” Additionally, after going off of an antidepressant, a patient may experience withdrawal or even relapse.
I am grateful to be medicated, however, sometimes I wonder if I could live life to the fullest without medication.