About addiction
Why you won’t become addicted - Antidepressants are not addictive
Antidepressants are not addictive
When you begin your antidepressant treatment, you may experience side effects, but most of them will disappear in a matter of days or weeks. You may also experience some of the same side effects when you stop your antidepressant treatment, although they probably won’t last as long.
It’s important to remember that experiencing side effects when you discontinue treatment is not a sign of addiction. Antidepressants are not habit forming.
Studies have shown that the length of treatment influences neither the severity nor the frequencies of discontinuation side effects. In other words, whether they’ve been taking antidepressant medication for 8 short weeks or for a full year, most people will experience the same side effects when they stop!
Discontinuation side effects differ from medication to medication. For that reason, in many cases, the dosage is gradually reduced over the course of 1-2 weeks, to minimize the risk.
For more information regarding your specific medication, ask your doctor