ROME, September 26 — The emotional distress that many people feel when they taper off or stop taking antidepressants is generally a sign of pharmacological withdrawal, not a relapse of the condition the drugs were prescribed to treat, according to a study reported in 2025. The finding challenges a long-standing clinical assumption that such symptoms signal the return of depression or anxiety and should be treated by resuming or increasing medication.
It adds to a growing body of evidence on antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that can include dizziness, nausea, headache, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and flu-like sensations, as well as anxiety and low mood.
What the study says
The study’s authors argue that clinicians and patients often misattribute these effects to relapse, leading to unnecessary long-term use of the drugs. They call for better patient education and individualized tapering plans. The research was published in 2025 in a peer-reviewed journal; the study’s methods, sample size, and authors are described in the published paper.
The finding does not imply that antidepressants are ineffective for treating depression or anxiety, nor that relapse does not occur. Rather, it suggests that withdrawal should be ruled out before a relapse diagnosis is made.
How common are these drugs
Antidepressants are among the most widely prescribed classes of medication in the United States and worldwide. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, about 13 percent of American adults used antidepressant medication in the previous month in the 2017-2018 survey period, up from roughly 8 percent in 1999-2000. Common classes include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline, fluoxetine, and escitalopram, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as venlafaxine.
Discontinuation symptoms are known to be more frequent and severe with shorter-half-life drugs such as venlafaxine and paroxetine.
Guidelines and what comes next
Clinical guidelines from the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), updated in 2022, recommend that patients stopping antidepressants taper gradually over weeks or months rather than stopping abruptly. The American Psychiatric Association’s practice guideline for major depressive disorder, first published in 2010 and currently under revision, advises physicians to distinguish withdrawal from relapse but offers limited specific tapering guidance. The study has implications for the millions of patients who attempt to stop antidepressants each year, many without clinical supervision.
It also raises questions about how drug trials have historically reported discontinuation effects, which can be mistaken for relapse and inflate apparent drug efficacy. Patient advocacy groups, including those focused on antidepressant withdrawal, have long argued that withdrawal symptoms are under-recognized.
The new study provides empirical support for that position. What to watch next: how the American Psychiatric Association’s revised guideline addresses tapering, and whether the study’s findings shift how drug trials report discontinuation effects. Consult your doctor for medical advice.
