We asked readers about taking antidepressants. The response points to a ‘silent epidemic’ and urgent need for reform

While antidepressants are a helpful and effective treatment option for many people, Dr Nicole Higgins says, they are not generally advised for use for longer than six to 12 months. Illustration: Nash Weerasekera/The Guardian

When Jade’s relationship ended at 24, she felt anxious, depressed and was suffering from stress-induced insomnia. She was prescribed antidepressants but they didn’t seem to help, instead making her feel numb. When Jade* told her GP that they made her feel “really blank inside” the dose was doubled, then she was prescribed different classes of antidepressants.

The new drugs “made me feel an impending sense of doom”, Jade says. She gradually stopped taking them and describes the withdrawal effects she suffered as the “worst experience of my life”.