To ask how many of you take antidepressants?

[Afternooninthepark]

I am 46 and have suffered from anxiety for 25 years. During that time I have tried everything (other than antidepressants) to help. Some things have helped a little but many have not.
I have always turned down the offer of antidepressants as tbh, I am scared of the potential side effects and potential addictive qualities of these meds.
Every time I feel that maybe I should give them a go, there is something in the media and often negative about them (only yesterday there was a discussion on Radio 2 about people addicted to antidepressants and unable to get off them),
However, I am now 46 and my anxiety is uncontrollable, it consumes me all day, every day, I have physical symptoms as a result which exacerbates the anxiety and so the vicious cycle continues. I am beginning to think I need something stronger than the things I have tried so far, as I can not carry on living my life as I have as it effects every aspect of mine and my families lives.
I read that there are around 69/70 million prescriptions of AD’s issued in the U.K. every year and so figure that some of you on here must fall into those statistics and I am confident you would give me an honest and realistic account of your experiences, good or bad of antidepressants (although, of course I appreciate we are all different).
So, can I please ask if any of you take or have taken antidepressants and have/did they help with your problems or are they the evil medications that the media will have me believe?

Are people on Citalopram being allowed to stay on while pregnant? My friend was told to come off as harmful to fetus?

Me - 20mg of Citalopram for about 8 years now. Has been a huge positive for me; I stopped taking them (stupidly - have had a difficult year and looking after myself fell by the wayside) for a while recently and the difference when I started again was enough to remind me why I have them.

I did put on weight with mirtazapine, but I also hit peri at the same time so it's hard to untangle just how much weight it made me put on. I was slim before and now I'm not. But the way I see it is that how I feel, is way more important than how I look. My appetite did settle down and I'm now gradually losing the weight. I think people panic at the weight gain and come off it quick, whereas if you wait it will settle. Overall, for me, a bit of weight gain is an acceptable price to pay for peace of mind, contentedness and just being able to enjoy life.