Sufferer Hello From Des Moines Iowa

[KP the nut]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

[LC23]

Art, that's a very valid concern, and not just for an emergency scenario. I take anything that requires a tapered withdrawal very seriously. I have been PTSD for 30 years, didn't know it most of the time, and I have resisted pharma meds (SSRIs, MAOIs, etc.) that entire time. The only time I would suggest using them is if you are approaching suicidal, and you need something - ANYTHING - to bring you back from the precipice.

I have a friend of mine who was depressed post 9/11, and he took the SSRIs for I think 4 months or so until he normalized. Then, under the advice of his doctor, he gradually reduced his dose until he could stop. In the event you get to a point where things are way too hard to handle, that might be a temporary solution you could avail yourself of. But I wholeheartedly agree with you that the risks to starting antidepressants as a regular maintenance thing are pretty high. Proceed with extreme caution.