Long-Term Antidepressant Use Increasing; Some Report Severe Withdrawal Symptoms

​Some long-term users of antidepressants report being unable to stop taking the medications because they experience significant withdrawal symptoms, according to an April 7, 2018, New York Timesarticle. The number of long-term users of antidepressants is increasing rapidly. Nearly 15.5 million (7%) of U.S. adults have been taking antidepressants for 5 years or longer, a rate that doubled between 2010 and 2014. The drugs were initially intended to be taken in six- to nine-month courses for treatment of episodic mood problems, states the article, with some research suggesting that longer maintenance treatment may be beneficial.