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I've been on anti-depressants for almost 4 years
PrincessKLS1983 April 22nd, 2016
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On average how long are you supposed to stay on a certain anti depressant/anti anxiety before it's not as effective? I'm asking because I'm worried that if I talk to my doctor or begin seeing a therapist again, they will say it's time to switch medications. I'm on the highest dose of [edited by Anomalia to remove specific medication] you can be on? Also I've never gone through this for depression but can depression and anxiety be diagnosed throught a cat scan of the brain?

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Anomalia April 23rd, 2016
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@PrincessKLS1983 - Hi there! I'm not a doctor, and cannot say for certain, but my understanding is that for some people, it takes a while to find an effective medication or combination of medications to help, or over time those might change, but for others, the right medication will work for a very long time and doesn't need to be changed. Whether it feels like it is still working or like it isn't, these are great questions to talk to your doctor about, as they can give you more accurate and personalized information. I know it can be scary to open up with these questions, but they are best placed to be able to answer.

As for depression diagnosis, though there are a number of components to depression, many of which are likely biological, I believe the only way to diagnose right now is still through a therapist or other mental health professional.

Hope that helps!

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