Hello everyone, any type of help or advice would be so appreciated. I quit Lexapro cold turkey about 5 months ago. I was okay the first month off but oh my gosh what 4 months of hell this has been. I have been so anxious, so depressed, even suicidal thoughts have kicked in 
I was put on Lexapro 10 mg August 2015 for anxiety. About a month on them I met an amazing man! Oh my goodness I was so head over heels in love with him and we were making wedding plans about 9 months later. I loved him so so much. Before the lexapro I had never had a long term relationship and I was always pretty content being single, I just assumed that when I met him I had finally found the one. However, When I quit the lexapro cold turkey, something has changed. I woke up about a month after my last dose to feel like I didn't love him anymore. Out of nowhere, without warning, all my love for him felt like it was gone. It's been the most painful thing I've ever gone through. And since quitting the lexapro, I've also noticed myself looking at other guys, or thinking about them but these have been extremely unwanted thoughts!! So maybe that's part of my ocd/intrusive thoughts? I'm wondering if I'm just one of those people who need pills in order to be happy or even have a successful relationship? Those 9 months with him were the happiest I've been all my life!! This can't be the end of my relationship has anyone been on pills long term and had very positive effects? Or I'm wondering if I just need to let the withdraw pass and see how I feel. Even though it will be a living hell. thank you in advance.
Sounds like normal thoughts but also some depressive.
You should not come off any AD's without Docs approval and especially not cold turkey. You should have been put on another type of AD, I suggest see your Doc again.
Thanks
Neil
Thank you so much for your reply! I stupidly thought I could beat withdrawals and I was dead wrong. I know some say you will get past withdrawl but I'm honestly wondering if I'm just one of those people who need to stay on antidepressants to function normally. I've felt more alive the 9 months on them than I've felt my entire life. I'm just concerned about the long term effects of them
Hi you should never go cold turkey of meds like these. The golden rule is that you need to have been feeling better for at least 6 months before you try coming off them slowly and under a doctor's care. I don't think they have any severe long term effects - I have been on sertraline for around 7 years and am still fine with them.
Have you been having or are currently having any counselling? This should help you sort out your issues and maybe then you will be able to achieve a drug free life. My advice is to go back to your doctor and ask to be put back on them again if you are better on them. x
Talk to your GP it may be you need to take a care and maintanance dose for a short period of time although I feel it may be you have fallen away from this partner.
Give more time and see how you get on Love can be a very strange thing and it is difficult to advise
B.
Thank you for you're reply! No I haven't had any type of counseling or anything. In the 7 years you've taken them have you still been able to have relationships and feel passionate about things? I've seen people who say they lose interest while on the pills cause they feel numb but this never happened to me while on Lexapro. I was very passionate about things and very happy and not numb at all. I withdrew cold turkey and it's like I lost interest in everything.
Thank you so much for your reply! I'm thinking about reinstating and seeing if that helps
Hi everyone's experience is different so there would be no me detailing mine coz it wouldn't be the same as yours. You are 'lucky' to find something which suits you and helps such a lot.
I believe most depression is caused by life's events or unresolved issues from the past or even both. In which case counselling could well help you to deal with these so you would hopefully not need meds in future. That to me is the way for you go to. x
Hey Taylor, im glad you're interested in your own well being. Congrats you're on the way on self recovery. I can related to you in some ways.
I use to do a lot of drugs to get high , it consisted of pills and alcohol. Long story short once I dropped my habits after months of rehabilitation I noticed a significant rise in my depression. I stopped talking to most of my friends because I wanted to be all alone and i kinda wanted to stop talking to them because all they did was drugs. No regrets btw haha
But what you're facing is much like a withdrawal , since it's long term maybe you should keep fighting. Like gettting involved into activities wether it's workin out playing with your cousins watching a movie with family. Try to channel all the drug taking you did before into something else and manifest it into a hobby or maybe a career?
You can always still love your boyfriend your maybe just starting to get to know yourself without the drugs. It's uncharted territory and take charge of it.
Learn something new and you'll get to know who you really want to be with or maybe you'll get to know your boyfriend from a different perspective
and you'll compare the same dreams you can want together.
Nothing the less
Keep moving forward and always aim for more and not for less
Good luck with much love Brother rob