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ORIGINAL: deliciousmorsel

It doesn't matter how fast or slow you go off these SSRIs. it hurts. They're not the wonder drugs claimed, and the side effects are awful.
SSRIs were actually developed as replacements for Valium et al. but marketing tests showed selling them for depression would be more profitable. So they're so so for anxiety and suck for depression and fifty times more miserable to come off of then Valium or Ativan, which are not all that difficult to ditch. (Xanax is so addictive it's illegal everywhere else. The USA is the only market, and nobody comes off Xanax but the rare case.)
These drugs are all over because a marketing machine exists to push them- but nobody gets told about the hell of getting off. Or how lousy they are to take. They will screw up your brain but good.

I'm not only a fellow sufferer, but I work in the field. I'm procrastinating on proofing a 50,k word paper of some sort of obscure psych drug screw up that turns people into vegetables as we speak, it has to do with SSRIs and how to cook a brain with them... Yep, it happens.
I take MAOIs, much safer despite what you've heard. Dangerous to the drug companies bottom line, but great for people!

Incidentally, that word addictive? It applies to psychological needs. The word for becoming used to a substance physically is "tolerant". Yes, there is a difference.
SSRIs do not cause tolerance. Once you taken them for the half life period of the drug and hit target bloodlevel, you'll get sick coming off. That's about 5 days for most. It's lousy drug, not tolerance.