Do SSRI antidepressants cause addiction or withdrawal?
SSRIs do not usually produce the compulsive craving and intoxication associated with addiction. However, the body can adapt to them, and dose reduction or stopping can cause withdrawal. “Not addictive” does not mean they can be stopped abruptly without a plan.
Details
What withdrawal can feel like
Dizziness, nausea, sleep problems, anxiety or electric-shock sensations may occur. Severity and duration vary substantially, and symptoms can persist longer in some people. Experiencing them is not a failure of willpower and does not by itself prove that depression has returned.
Tapering is individual
Discuss your reasons for stopping, including side effects or cost, with the prescriber. The plan depends on the medicine, dose, duration and previous withdrawal experience. It may take weeks, months or longer. Do not copy someone else’s schedule or start skipping alternate days independently.
If symptoms appear
Record when they started and how they relate to dose changes. Contact the clinician to assess withdrawal versus recurrence or another cause and adjust the pace where needed. Severe symptoms or thoughts of self-harm require urgent help; with immediate danger, contact emergency services.
Related reading: When do antidepressants start working, and when is review needed?.