There is growing recognition that stopping the use of antidepressants—especially after long-term use—can lead to severe and distressing withdrawal symptoms. This has prompted the UK government to classify it as a public health concern.
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Acknowledgment of this issue was delayed for years, largely due to outdated medical guidelines issued by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which long claimed that withdrawal symptoms were “mild and short-lived.”
These guidelines were based on studies, supported by pharmaceutical companies, that involved patients who had only used antidepressants for short periods—typically 8 to 12 weeks—according to Science Alert.
As a result, when patients later reported long-lasting and severe withdrawal symptoms, some doctors dismissed their complaints as inconsistent with the official medical guidance.
Recent research has revealed a strong link between the duration of antidepressant use and the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
A study conducted on patients within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) found that individuals who had taken antidepressants for over two years were ten times more likely to experience withdrawal symptoms than those who had used them for less than six months.
The study also found that symptoms among long-term users were five times more intense and lasted 18 times longer, on average, than those in short-term users.
By contrast, those who used antidepressants for under six months mostly experienced mild and short-term symptoms, with three-quarters reporting either no withdrawal symptoms or minor ones that resolved within four weeks.
Alarmingly, only one in four patients was able to stop taking antidepressants at will. The rest faced considerable difficulty.
Among those who had used the medication for more than two years, two-thirds reported moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms, while a quarter said their symptoms were extremely severe.
Nearly one-third of long-term users experienced symptoms that persisted for more than three months, and four out of five of these patients were unable to discontinue the medication despite their efforts.
These findings highlight the need for more personalized tapering plans, greater clinical awareness, and updated public health policies to support patients transitioning off long-term antidepressant use.
